The more time I spend in our long-term 2007 Infiniti G35 Sport, the more I like it. I'm a huge fan of its power, pure and simple, and the fact that it's held to the ground by such a capable suspension so you only want to go faster.
But it's not just the power per se, it's where it happens. According to our full test, the G35 makes its considerable 306 horsepower peak all the way up at 6,800 rpm and its 268 pound-feet of peak torque at 5,200, but it sure doesn't feel that way...
You put your foot to the gas and it pulls hard from down low, providing gobs of usable torque all the way down at 2,500-3,000, where most of us city dwellers want it.
I don't have the numbers, but I'm pretty sure dyno testing would confirm that this car makes a lot of its power at low engine speeds. Which suits me just fine.
Doug Lloyd, Senior Copy Editor @ 19,163 miles
awd_dreamin says:
07:01 PM, 03/ 7/08
Thats what i loved about the 350z; torque at the lower rpm's. I could drive that car at city speeds in 5-6th gear.
altimadude00 says:
09:56 PM, 03/ 7/08
It's so encouraging that Edmunds encourages responsible driving. That picture must have been taken at San Francisco...that fog gets everywhere.
rkoe36 says:
06:01 AM, 03/ 8/08
The G is so a muscle car! It's not the most traditional, but it's the wave of the future, in my opinion. Think of this: Go back to the roots of the muscle car, a small, agile chasis (anyone who has driven the 64 Tempest GTO knows what I mean), and stuff a V8 in there. No V8s this time round. Make cars smaller, so they won't need them. Big sixes work fine. Have two options available when you go to order one. The full options sheet to make one as stripper as possible or the traditional packages. Same suspensions and engines across the board, except on the "SS" version. Infiniti's SS is this G sedan, or would be if we got the G37 the bloody British are getting. Anyone else agree? Sure, the G is on the big side, but so far its the best representation of how to make a truly modern muscle car, foibles and brutishness included, with incredible value and handling thrown in for free.
firstwagon says:
09:36 PM, 03/ 8/08
Not sure but I have a hunch the G35 weighs as much as 64 GTO and it will never sound or look as good.
joefrompa says:
09:39 PM, 03/ 8/08
I've been very impressed by the low-end torque in the VQ35, seen in my test drives of a 04 6-speed 350z and a 07 G35 5-speed auto....really nice throttle tip-in response.
Nice photo....hope you are willing to replace those tires :)
Joe
siblur says:
06:16 AM, 03/10/08
I think the 135i will epitomize the modern muscle car. The line between muscle car and sports car/sports sedan is blurrier than ever, which is great for people who want it all in one vehicle, maybe not so great for purists who are looking for the wolf in sheep's clothing - a monster motor in a basic car. I remember the 5.0L Mustang LX notchback...clearly not "modern" in the way the G is, but more pure. I know I missed the original muscle car era, so I ask you folks: how does the price of a G35 compare to a classic GTO (when new) in terms of affordability? To me, a muscle car should also offer big power at an easily affordable price, and I don't consider 35-40k all that cheap. In terms of bang for the buck, I think the 260 hp Cobalt will be a better representation of the classic muscle car theme if only because it will sticker somewhere around the average price of a new car in the U.S. Thoughts?
stingray454 says:
07:31 AM, 03/10/08
I was impressed with the low-end grunt my '03 G35 Coupe had too. I wouldn't say it had the low end torque of an American V-8, but it pulled nice off the line, and was very un-Japanese like. Most Japanese engines I've experienced have nothing off the line, then they pull like crazy close to redline. A power characteristic that I absolutely hate. The VQ35 has a nice non-peaky powerband and decent low-end torque, thanks to its variable valve timing. A muscle car? Not even close. But nice.
greenpony says:
09:43 AM, 03/10/08
"usable torque all the way down at 2,500-3,000, where most of us city dwellers want it"
Do you guys really consider 2500-3000 rpm LOW? Try a VW or Volvo or BMW engine where the peak torque is at 2000 rpm, or lower. Wait, you already have one in the diesel Jetta.