Monday 27th September 2010

Infiniti Reveals Performance-Tweaked G Cabrio

IPL G Cabrio gets new look, more power and better handling

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Forget those VPLs chaps, because Infiniti will be exposing its IPL at the Paris motor show - the Infiniti Performance Line G Cabrio concept.

The show concept is said to provide a tantalising vision (oo-er!) of a new range of Infiniti models to extend the Japanese brand's reach further into the performance car market. The Paris debut follows the unveiling in the USA in August of the first production Infiniti Performance Line variant, the G Coupé, with which the IPL badge has been launched in North America. (OK... so is it only us who think that's funny?)

The Paris show car gets new 19-inch split-rim 7-spoke graphite-finish alloy wheels, and also sports a new front bumper section and blacked-out grille and headlight surrounds. There are sculptured sill extensions, a slightly lowered body and bootlid spoiler.

Inside, we're told the centre console is finished with black lacquer while the dashboard area above the glove box and doors are adorned with KACCHU, the name given to the armour used by Japan's feudal warlords, or samurai, in the Middle Ages, no less. They're small iron plates woven through textile to provide not just great strength but also flexibility and light weight. (Have we tuned into the Discovery Channel by mistake?)

Under the bonnet of the IPL G Cabrio Concept sits Infiniti's 3.7-litre V6, boosted by 18hp to 333hp via a high-flow dual exhaust system that is also designed to sound more fruity than the standard item. The running gear has been upgraded, and sports suspension with 10% stiffer springs and recalibrated dampers have been fitted.

A decision on launching IPL Infinitis in Europe will be taken later after reaction to the IPL Concept has been considered, the company says.

[LewisR]

Even if I had more money than I could shake a stick at, I woudln't have one of these. Good looking it isn't.

Edited by LewisR on Monday 27th September 11:47

[TheRoadWarrior]

meh.

[threespires]

I think it looks quite nice and an interesting anonymous alternative to an anonymous Audi.

[jake15919]

I thought it was supposed to be a premium brand. This is just a mishmash of other cars and bad body kits.

[Zod]

just what we all wanted, a Soarer clone!

[threespires]

TheRoadWarrior said:

meh.

Post of the week........congratulations.

[Remagel2507]

I know its meant to be a premium brand with a non premium price , but I'm not too keen on these an Uncle had an FX35 and it was slow, thirsty and just felt like a Nissan with a posh badge stuck on.

[ljp14]

I don't get Infiniti at all…

[Stu R]

Hardly the most flattering of press shots. I don't mind Infinity, they make some nice cars. Not the prettiest, but then when you've got BMW and VAG occupying the same sector, who are hell bent on marketing ugly bland cars as desirable status symbols, you can forgive that. I actually think it could make a fairly decent looking car with a nicer colour choice.

That centre console is unspeakably ugly though. Save for the funky red bits in the dash, it's all pretty grim looking - the vents are awful, the whole centre console dull and unimaginative, and the passenger area of the dash looks more boring than a late 90's civic - I appreciate there's not a lot you can do there given airbags need to deploy and such, but at least make it an interesting shape. The bit where the sat nav is that's also found on UKDM Nissans gets right on my wick.

All told it's not a bad effort though, and I hope they can make the same inroads Lexus have. The more competition the German manufacturers get to keep them on their toes the better. For the customer at least, competition can only be good news.

Edited by Stu R on Monday 27th September 13:42

[qube_TA]

This brand now available in the UK?

I had a friend with a Nissan Skyline branded G35, really nice car.

[zeppelin101]

How have they made 19s look so small?

[Swifty Stig]

i dont get infiniti either but that is quite stunning. i prefer it with the roof up tbh. kinda reminds me of the newer M3s... bu thats just me.

[GW65]

zeppelin101 said:

How have they made 19s look so small?

Easy! First, give it a fat arse to accommodate the folding hardtop that people-who-don't-really-want-a-convertible demand. Second, give it a high nose to protect pedestrians because Nissan (sorry Infinti) couldn't be bothered to engineer a better solution. Result: make those 19" wheels look like 15" wheels!

Voila - the people who buy it get the car they deserve!

[y2blade]

I like that

[S11EPS]

A car so hideously ugly even its own mother couldn't love it.
What's happened to the front end?
Did they leave the clay styling buck out in the sun? The whole front end seems to have melted and slipped down towards the pavement, over the wheel arches.
Minging.

[Blue Meanie]

Well, for some reason Infiniti like to have that style of picture, which just makes the car look utterly fussy, and full of lines it doesn't actually have.. Some pics in daylight, that's aren't 'arty'...







They look far 'smoother' and less fussy than the arty farty pics provided.

[edinph]

My G37 convertible (only one in Scotland) constantly receives comments such as " Wow, looks much better in the metal than in pics" and " Mmmmmmmmmm, nice to see something different on the streets". It's smooth, fast and feels very solid, unlike previous Merc CLK conv which was "loose". Yes, G37 is thirsty (av. 16-20 mpg in city driving) but we're loving it.

[ellisd82]

the side view pics looks good and interior is not too shabby, but front end could be better.

[ploz]

Damn - if only the PH-O-Meter went negative, I'd be able to tell you what I really thought of it. As it is, it scores a big fat ZERO

[MGZRod]

I really like the look of it, would much rather this than a 3 series cab or A4.