It was a late night as I wandered back into the office after going to the gym. Sitting there typing away was Mike Schmidt, our resident Vehicle Testing Coordinator.
"Jacobs, you going home?" he called out to me as I walked toward my desk.
Sweet!..
It meant he had a car for me. I like cars.
After going through the list of available vehicles, the Infiniti called out to me. I haven't driven it in a long time.
"It just got back from getting its' clutch repaired." Mike explained. "You can be the first one to drive it home." A small smirk came across his face. "Let me know how it works."
Ah yes, the infamous G35 clutch. The one that was very stiff and had a nano-width of gear engagement. It's the car that made you limp after driving it.
"I already went to the gym, I don't want another work out." I joked in return.
I took the keys anyways. I might not be the brightest bulb, but I'm not dumb enough to turn down a nice car.
I got in, depressed the clutch and started the engine. It was a little stiff, though not overly. I did notice a slight squeak that was there before its repair. I slid it into reverse and edged out the clutch. Wow! It works without tanking the engine!
I drove home thinking about the first couple of shifts from a stop. Yes, the clutch was still a little heavy. Yes there was a short catch point but nothing like it was before. Honestly, it's like having a sports car and this is a G35 Sport, isn't it?
Would I say it's 100%? Well, no, I wouldn't say that. But it's much better than it was before. Far easier to live with.
Scott Jacobs, Senior Photographer
After going through the list of available vehicles, the Infiniti called out to me. I haven't driven it in a long time.
"It just got back from getting its' clutch repaired." Mike explained. "You can be the first one to drive it home." A small smirk came across his face. "Let me know how it works."
Ah yes, the infamous G35 clutch. The one that was very stiff and had a nano-width of gear engagement. It's the car that made you limp after driving it.
"I already went to the gym, I don't want another work out." I joked in return.
I took the keys anyways. I might not be the brightest bulb, but I'm not dumb enough to turn down a nice car.
I got in, depressed the clutch and started the engine. It was a little stiff, though not overly. I did notice a slight squeak that was there before its repair. I slid it into reverse and edged out the clutch. Wow! It works without tanking the engine!
I drove home thinking about the first couple of shifts from a stop. Yes, the clutch was still a little heavy. Yes there was a short catch point but nothing like it was before. Honestly, it's like having a sports car and this is a G35 Sport, isn't it?
Would I say it's 100%? Well, no, I wouldn't say that. But it's much better than it was before. Far easier to live with.
Scott Jacobs, Senior Photographer
louiswei says:
11:50 AM, 01/29/08
Those are some nice looking stitches on the seats.
stovt001 says:
12:41 PM, 01/29/08
This is the first interior pic that has made it look really good. I like that. Glad the clutch is working out a little better now.
stingray454 says:
01:07 PM, 01/29/08
Good luck with the new clutch. After two clutch replacements by the dealer in my '03 G35 Coupe, it still wasn't right. I think its just a bad design. Maybe the aftermarket has a better clutch?
billt9 says:
01:32 PM, 01/29/08
stovt001, ya the cupholder lid is closed ha.
automaton says:
02:36 PM, 01/29/08
[quote]
This is the first interior pic that has made it look really good.[/quote]
Well, Scott *is* the senior photographer after all. :)
joefrompa says:
03:25 PM, 01/29/08
Scott,
Thanks for the first post...Now, with one of the major parts of the driving experience partially purified, perhaps we can hear about the rest of the vehicle :)
Joe
hondacura4 says:
05:21 PM, 01/29/08
I forgot Edmunds even had this car. Ive always wanted to like the G but there is just something about it that turns me off.
djm32189 says:
06:07 PM, 01/29/08
I own the 2007 G35 S as well and the cup holders in that storage space are incredibly cheap and not very functional! However, the rest of the interior is in stark comparison to the cup holder. It is very rich in texture with many high quality interior parts. It is nice to see that the clutch on this car has finally improved.
sabastian says:
09:05 PM, 01/29/08
There was an entry a while back entitled "Get the Automatic." Has the improved clutch been improved enough for that statement to no longer hold?
SubyTrojan says:
11:52 PM, 01/29/08
sabastian, the editorial staff will probably need more time with the car to assess whether they would still prefer the automatic transmission or not. I'm going to bet two cents they may have a change of heart. Stay tuned! We'll all find out!
slickersdrip says:
01:31 AM, 01/30/08
Suby, I sure hope they do have a change of heart! I found that blog particularly depressing as far as the future of Nissan/Infiniti goes.
tryan says:
04:28 AM, 01/30/08
The textured plastic that the center console tunnel is molded of looks pretty cheap in this photo. The aluminum trim on the other hand, looks nice....
I actually really enjoyed the clutch take-up in other Nissan cars, rivalled only by almost every Honda I've driven - very linear and easy to modulate. Guess there's some more tweaking to be done. However, glad to hear it's improved at least a little bit!
vvk says:
07:51 AM, 01/30/08
> Well, Scott *is* the senior photographer after all. :)
Rule of thirds rules! :)
hola_dan says:
09:28 AM, 01/30/08
Nice to hear about the G again. Please keep on writing more about it!