Short Take Road Test
Had it not been for the G35 coupe, the G35 line, i.e., the four-door sedan, would have been hard pressed to make 10Best for 2003. When the sedan debuted last year, we applied a big asterisk by its name: *No manual transmission. In our May 2002 test, our verdict reflected this: "A legit sports-sedan contender from Infiniti-finally-that's missing only one pedal."
With the standard five-speed automatic, the G35 finished fourth of six in its first comparison test ("Waiting for a Bimmer Beater," October 2002). The slushbox simply wasn't cutting it, silencing Infiniti's promise that the G35 was the next 3-series sniper. Making matters worse was the coupe, which, yep, had the six-speed manual. We loved the coupe and, consequently, began to love the sedan less. Luckily for Infiniti, the coupe's engaging personality made up for the sedan's no-manual deficiency, preventing the G35 line from making 11Best.
But that's all moot now. The manual has arrived. We can finally stop bitching and get busy shifting.
The sedan's new six-speed is the same transmission used in the FM-platform ("front midship") coupes-the Nissan 350Z and the G35 two-door-and naturally features the same gear ratios and 3.54:1 final-drive ratio. It's no surprise, then, that it feels and operates the same. Which is fine by us, because the transmission is direct and precise and offers a satisfying mechanical feel. More important, it puts you in full control, connecting you to the car in a way an automatic can't. By removing the torque-converting middleman, you can literally get a feel for the 260-hp 3.5, with the pedals and shifter transmitting the engine's vibes, especially as the needle approaches the 6600-rpm redline. The effect is man-and-machine harmony.
Unlike a buttery Acura TSX or BMW 3-series gearbox that can be sliced and diced with almost complete nonchalance, the G35's does require some deliberation when shifting, because neutral feels as if it were housing a miniature turnstile. It creates resistance when exiting one gate and entering another. It's not bad or annoying, just different. You simply have to shift as if you mean it.
When you do, the rewards are swift. The sprint from 0 to 60 consumes 5.9 ticks, 0.3 quicker than the best time we managed with the automatic and only 0.4 and 0.5 second slower than a 280-hp G35 two-door and 287-hp 350Z Track, respectively. The new six-speed, 235-hp BMW 330i with Performance package (September 2003) was a bit quicker as well, hitting 60 in 5.6 seconds. The power difference among the Nissan 3.5s is even less evident in the quarter-mile times. Our test car devoured 1320 feet in 14.2 seconds-an identical time to the coupe and only a 10th behind the Z. The Bimmer needed 14.3 seconds. It seems the various outputs from the 3.5s are closer than Nissan would like us to believe.
Moreover, when equipped with the manual, the G35 sedan comes standard with the sport-tuned suspension package-more aggressive damping and W-rated 215/55R-17 Goodyear Eagle GS-D summer tires-resulting in a car that handles and brakes right with the coupes. On the skidpad, the sedan, at 0.87 g, fell slightly behind the Z Track at 0.88 g and the G35 coupe's best at 0.90, but it managed to top the 330i (0.86). And keep in mind that those three cars ride on bigger 18-inch wheels and tires. Despite wearing the skinniest rubber, the G35 still shorted them all, posting a distance of 153 feet from 70 to 0 mph. That's less than the pavement needed by the Z (164), G35 coupe (157), 330i (158), and even the Lamborghini Murciélago (155) and the Saleen S7 (156). Perhaps Nissan had some leftover brakes from the R390 GT1 supercar. "Hey, Taka, what should we do with these fancy brakes?"
Nissan would still like us to believe that the FM two-doors are sportier than their four-door counterpart, but now that the manual has found its rightful home in the four-door, it's more a question of "How many doors do I want?" Yes, the Z is stiffer and harder-edged than the G35s, and the two-doors sit lower to the ground than the four-door does, but the overall driving experience among the three is like describing three flavors of chocolate. Each has its subtleties and distinctiveness, but in the end, they're all still chocolate.
For making us wait for the manual, Infiniti is apologizing with a base price of $29,645. A comparative bargain considering a 330i with Performance starts at $39,395, nearly 10 grand more. If you want four doors on your Z car, you know where to spend your money.
-Ron Kiino
