Infiniti elevates the 2009 G lineup



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August 16, 2008 - At the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, Infiniti announced an extensive array of changes to the celebrated line of G vehicles, including:
    The addition of an all-new Infiniti G37 Convertible model, slated to launch in the first quarter of 2009

•     A new 328-horsepower 3.7-liter V6 engine for the Infiniti G Sedan - now designated the G37 Sedan

•     A new all-wheel-drive model for the Infiniti G Coupe, the G37x

•     A new 7-speed automatic transmission for all Infiniti G models (6-speed manual transmissions also available)

Road Tests

Comparison Test:

2009 Infiniti G37 Journey vs. 2009 Acura TL SH-AWD

Four Doors, No Compromises

By Jason Kavanagh, Engineering Editor
Date posted: 11-16-2008

There comes a point in your life when change becomes essential. No longer is it acceptable to eat dinner directly from the cookware. Beanbag chairs are frowned upon. And, most of all, your friends are tired of being stuffed into the dank, musty backseat of your two-door coupe.

Sure, a coupe sometimes boasts an incrementally more structurally rigid body shell than a sedan, but it's a moot point when you consider how stiff modern cars are. You'd have to be Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton to discern the difference.

Sportiness transcends sheer door count when it comes to the desirability of a sedan these days, and two examples of this are the 2009 Acura TL SH-AWD and the 2009 Infiniti G37 Journey. Sedans only in form and more coupelike in dynamic function, these two cars take their sporting credentials seriously.

Thinking About the Sport Sedan Infiniti makes an all-wheel-drive version of the G37, an all-season sedan that would appear to be the logical counterpoint to the all-wheel-drive Acura TL SH-AWD. But if you're talking pure performance, the honor goes to the 2009 Infiniti G37 Journey, the baddest G sedan in the land. And if
you're choosing a pure sport sedan, this is the one you'd pick.

To wit, consider that the Journey is the only G37 sedan that can be had with the Sport package, which arms it with some serious hardware — summer tires and 18-inch wheels, a limited-slip differential, shift paddles for the transmission, bigger brakes, quicker steering and tauter
suspension underpinnings. Our bright red G37 sedan test car came equipped with this Sport package as well as the Premium package and Navigation package, and its price totaled $41,265.

As with other Honda and Acura offerings, our $43,995 2009 Acura TL SH-AWD technically had no options because it is sold as a discrete model. In this case, this TL comes comprehensively equipped with everything from a navigation system to summer tires.

These cars represent two different approaches to growing up. The sport sedan that will come out on top in this comparison test must balance the inevitability of maturity with the cravings of your inner hooligan.

2nd Place: 2009 Acura TL SH-AWD
If you can avoid eye contact with the TL's Medusa face and make it into the TL's cabin without being turned to stone, you'll find its interior is a cut above the G37 both in spaciousness and in appearance.

The airiness of the TL's cabin derives from your sense of greater overall width, and its multifunction screen is set further back than the G37's touchscreen, so you don't feel as crowded by the dashboard. The various plastics and contrast-stitched leather are easier on the eye and to the
touch. The rows upon rows of buttons on the center stack seem like an intimidating mess at first, but with seat time, however, their grouping and function makes sense.

In terms of thrust, the Acura never bests the Infiniti's ability to make a quick escape, despite the traction advantage afforded by the TL's all-wheel-drive system. Acura has found 305 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 273 pound-feet of torque at 5,000 rpm within the TL's 3.7-liter V6, but it's not enough to get the TL to keep up with the Infiniti in a straight line.

Perhaps the reason lies in the fact that the TL is saddled with 250 pounds more and two fewer gears in its transmission, and the result is a 6.7-second run to 60 mph (6.2 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip) and a quarter-mile sprint of 15 seconds at 94.3 mph. Hardly
slow, but well off the pace set by the Infiniti G37.

Exercising the TL
With nearly 60 percent of the TL's 3,961-pound curb weight resting on the front tires, we were expecting the Acura's handling balance to tip on the side of relentless understeer. Surprise — we were wrong.

The first time you bend the TL into a fast corner, you immediately realize that the TL SH-AWD doesn't simply punish the outside front tire relentlessly as you'd expect from its forward-biased weight distribution. Steering response from the front of the car is taut and sharp, and the TL sports an eagerness to change direction that belies its weight bias. It turns out that driving all four wheels has its advantages when it comes to handling.

Beyond simply improving traction, the TL's all-wheel-drive system effectively utilizes the rear wheels to manipulate the car's cornering attitude.

This reduces understeer and improves outright grip to the tune of 0.93g on our skid pad. The TL SH-AWD still likes to be driven tidily, but you can fling the TL around with zeal and come away grinning.

The rest of the chassis bits are willing participants as you explore these outer reaches of the TL's performance envelope. Body roll is minimal, and the quick-ratio steering faithfully communicates what the front tires are up to. Around center the steering feels slightly artificial, but as
electric-assist power steering goes, you could do worse than the TL.

We've noticed that the brakes in modern Hondas tend to wilt at the first sign of hard driving, yet the TL's brakes buck this trend. They haul the Acura to a halt from 60 mph in a scant 106 feet. This performance is matched by the G37, but the TL exhibits less brake fade than the Infiniti.

Perhaps this marks the turning of a new leaf for future Honda offerings.

During the TL's best slalom run of 67.8 mph, we observed that this maneuver highlighted some lag in the all-wheel-drive system's ability to react to sudden maneuvers. Out in the real world, however, the system's manners are unimpeachable, and AWD proves to be a key element in the TL's keenly capable and confidence-inspiring character.

1st Place: 2009 Infiniti G37 Journey
When you first slide behind the wheel of the 2009 Infiniti G37 Journey after soaking in the TL's cabin, your wow meter might droop a bit. The G37 lacks the breezy spaciousness and rich ambience of the TL, instead exuding a more traditional vibe. Likewise, the G's sheet metal is all soft, anonymous curves, as if the Pillsbury Doughboy penned them with a crayon made out of Silly Putty.

Don't be deceived. The G37 is a wolf in sheep's clothing.

The basics of the G37's 3.7-liter VQ-Series V6 might be familiar from various Nissan and Infiniti offerings, but summer camp at Club Ninja has toned the power plant's muscles. Now with 328 hp at 7,000 rpm and 269 lb-ft of torque at 5,200 rpm, it'll wind all the way to the fuel cutoff at 7,600 rpm. It's a shade raucous up there, but you'll hardly notice since you'll be busy passing everything in sight.

With this engine paired to a brilliant new seven-speed automatic, the G37 sports the mechanical equivalent of a gazelle's legs. It tears to 60 mph in just 5.4 seconds (5.2 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip) on its way to a quarter-mile sprint of 13.7 seconds at 102.8 mph.

Character of the G
Where the TL's chassis hardware is employed to ends that are highly effective yet somehow clinical, the G37's bits turn the Infiniti into an ass-kicking hoot. The G37 feels nimbler than its stout 3,704-pound curb weight would suggest, an impression confirmed by a quick 69.2-mph
slalom speed. Its ultimate grip of 0.91g on the skid pad trails the TL slightly, however.

The quick-ratio steering that comes as part of the Sport package works so well that it hardly attracts attention to itself, which is just the way it should be. It reinforces just how silly the optional four-wheel active steering system is (our test car didn't have it).

The combination of an automatic transmission and a car with sporting pretenses is usually a big letdown. Not so in the G-model. Like the TL, the G37 has shift paddles on the steering wheel and does the sporting blip of the throttle on downshifts. Yet the G37 won't spoil your fun even in auto
mode, because this G37 facilitates fast driving as well as simple outright speed.

You can simply leave the transmission in Drive if you like, because as you increase your entry speed in corners, the transmission instantly recognizes the situation and begins to hold gears with an aggression that's rare among slushbox hardware. When fun time is over and you want
to cruise, the G37's transmission reprises its Clark Kent persona. But by then the secret is out. In its adaptability, the G37 clearly has an enthusiasm for hard driving.

Likewise, the default setting of the G37's stability control system even allows for several degrees of slip angle on the tires before intervening.

It's a nice feature, since the classic rear-drive layout gives this Infiniti an attitude you can adjust with your right foot. This thing is serious fun.

No Dangling Chads Here
Yet all this extreme sport sedan stuff doesn't get in the way of civility where the 2009 Acura TL SH-AWD and 2009 Infiniti G37 Journey are concerned. Both cars exhibit a certain suppleness when the roads prickle their backs, with the edge going to the more supple TL. The backseat in both cars provides the kind of legroom that makes long road trips a realistic proposition.

We have two very accomplished sport sedans in the TL and the G37, and their differences in character are more a matter of personal preference than in capability. The scoring was close enough between the two that the G37's $2,730 sticker price advantage took on increased significance.

Ultimately, though, the 2009 Acura TL SH-AWD couldn't claw its way back from the drubbing given to it by the sheer speed of the 2009 Infiniti G37. It doesn't hurt that the G37 really shrinks around its driver when you want it to and expands when you don't. In this respect, the G37 is the four-door sports car you always wanted, the car that lets you change and grow up without forgetting where you came from.

The Cars World Blog

Road Test 2009 Infiniti G37 Sport Sedan

BY ERIK JOHNSON
10/13/2008

Redesigned for 2007, the second-generation Infiniti G35 sedan was good. Really good. Good enough to get all up in the faces of the competition and fall only to the benchmark BMW 3-series in its last comparison test. Good enough to have been invited to join us for a 40,000-mile fling. Good enough, in fact, to have secured itself a place on our 2007 10Best Cars list. But now it’s dead. And we don’t care.

We don’t mourn too deeply, you see, because the G35 has been replaced for 2009 by the G37. It’s still a second-gen G sedan, of course, but one that has been revised in several major areas.

Brains and Brawn: More MPG and More HP

Under the hood, the 306-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 has been kicked to the curb in favor of the 3.7-liter unit from the G37 coupe. The move adds 22 horsepower and variable valve timing to the sedan’s arsenal, with output now standing at 328 galloping ponies. Torque rises by just one, to 269 pound-feet, but the smooth-spinning six serves up adequate grunt no matter where the tach needle is pointing.

Fuel economy is unchanged for the manual-transmission model, but the rest of the lineup—which now uses a seven-speed automatic in place of the old five-speed—sees gains of 1 mpg in the city and 2 on the highway to 18/26 for rear-wheel-drive cars and 18/25 for the all-wheel-drive G37x. We recorded our observed fuel economy, but then either a staffer took the logbook home for bathroom reading or a sticky-fingered Infiniti PR rep snatched it up in the middle of the night, because it’s gone now.

Curiously, the additional power didn’t do a lot for the G37 at the test track, where we logged a 0-to-60-mph time of 5.2 seconds and a quarter-mile run of 13.8 seconds at 104 mph. Although quick, those digits lag 0.1 second each behind the best runs posted by its 3.5-liter predecessor (5.1 seconds and 13.7 at 104 mph). Admittedly, the results of various G35 Sports ranged as high as 5.5 seconds to 60 and 14.1 seconds through the quarter, and our G37 was a nearly factory-fresh car with a green motor, so there’s a chance the latest G could improve its results. Curb weight could also be a bit of a factor, as the G37 rang in at 3703 pounds, 120 pounds more than the slimmest G35 Sport we had previously weighed.

Maybe it didn’t shine on the test track, but the G37 sedan does burn brightly in the refinement department, an area where the G35 fell decidedly short. Infiniti quelled the G’s buzzy engine and quivering shifter somewhat last year, but things are even better now, with the only hint of engine harshness at the lofty tiptop of the tach—redline is still 7600 rpm—rather than throughout.

The six-speed manual also seems better behaved, with less vibration than before. The throws remain short but high-effort, the latter a trait shared with the clutch. We also sampled the seven-speed automatic in a G37 Sport, and between mostly invisible full-auto operation, a well-programmed sport mode, and throttle-blipping, paddle-actuated downshifts, it’s not a bad option for folks who don’t want to row their own. Upshifts in manual mode could be smoother and more quickly effected, though.

It Takes More than a Big Engine to Catch a 3-series

Rear-drive G37 Sport models also swipe the G coupe’s bigger brakes, with 14.0-inch front and 13.8-inch rear rotors squeezed by four- and two-piston calipers, respectively. (Non-Sport G sedans make do with 12.6-inch front and 12-inch rear binders.) The new setup continues the G tradition of serving up fade-resistant performance and lots of feel. Again, however, the revision didn’t show up in the test numbers, with the G37 taking 160 feet to stop from 70 mph, compared with 157 feet for the G35. Frankly, either number is good; the car has great brakes.

The steering is also revised for rear-drive G37 Sports, as they adopt the G37 Sport coupe’s quicker-ratio rack; it’s talkative, lively, and accurate. We greatly prefer this setup to the steering in base and all-wheel-drive cars, which, in addition to being slower, sacrifices some feel. Infiniti claims the interior is tweaked a smidge, too, but the only immediately noticeable change is the switching of the seat-heater controls from toggle switches to rotary knobs. The cool “Washi” metal trim—inspired by handmade Japanese paper—and phenomenal steering wheel remain.

Enough Incremental Improvement for a Paradigm Shift?

Although the G37’s changes don’t seem to add much quantitatively, they do make for a better car. The G’s largest and perhaps only handicap in its head-to-head meetings with the 3-series—its sometimes rough character—has been addressed. Although the ride can still border on too harsh, the balanced chassis, the awesome brakes, the big power, the tenacious grip, and the communicative steering are all still there. The newfound refinement might not be enough to finally vault the Infiniti over the BMW in a comparison test, but we’re champing at the bit to find out.

2009 Infiniti G37 Sport Sedan - Specs

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan

ESTIMATED BASE PRICE: $35,000

ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 226 cu in, 3696cc
Power (SAE net): 328 bhp @ 7000 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 269 lb-ft @ 5200 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 112.2 in Length: 187.0 in Width: 69.8 in Height: 57.2 in Curb weight: 3703 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 5.2 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 12.8 sec
Zero to 130 mph: 23.3 sec
Street start, 5–60 mph: 6.2 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 13.8 sec @ 104 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 156 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 160 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.89 g

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 17/25 mpg

Special Report - Ward's 10 Best Engines
By Bill Visnic
WardsAuto.com, Jan 2, 2008 9:33 AM

Winners

1. Audi AG: FSI 2.0L Turbocharged DOHC I-4
2. BMW AG: 3.0L Turbocharged DOHC I-6
3. Daimler AG: 3.0L DOHC V-6 Turbodiesel
4. Ford Motor Co.: 4.6L SOHC V-8
5. General Motors Corp.: 3.6L DOHC V-6
6. General Motors Corp.: 6.0L OHV V-8 Hybrid
7. Honda Motor Co. Ltd.: 3.5L SOHC V-6
8. Mazda Motor Co. 2.3L Turbocharged DOHC I-4
9. Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.: 3.7L DOHC V-6
10. Toyota Motor Corp.: 3.5L DOHC V-6

By now, Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.'s all-conquering VQ
V-6 architecture needs no introduction.

The 3.7L variant's 2008 10 Best Engines award
marks the 14th consecutive win for the VQ, and it
is the only engine to win every year of the
competition's history.

The VQ "brand" was established in 1995 on the
pillars of landmark refinement and ultra-low noise, vibration and harshness levels.(NVH)

 
Like many rivals, however, Nissan has not
resisted the temptation to increase displacement,
and over the years it grew into three distinct
iterations: the original and oh-so-smooth 3.0L,
the 3.5L introduced in 2002 (and still powering
the majority of models from Infiniti) and the new 3.7L DOHC V-6
(VQ37VHR), which wins the 10 Best Engines award
for 2008 and for now is available exclusively in
the '08 Infiniti G37 Coupe.
 

In the quest for punchier power and torque
numbers, the move to 3.5L was, to our senses, a
tradeoff that peeled back on the VQ's signature
refinement. But when the company's engineers
unleashed the HR (High Rev) generation last year,
many of the design changes - a structural ladder
frame in the block, larger crank journals and
asymmetric piston skirts, to name a few - had the
tertiary effect of improving NVH while enabling
higher, more satisfying engine speeds.

Now the stroked 3.7L variant of the VQ's HR
design enjoys the same, only more so. Our
favorite: the sweet sting of 330 hp, a power
improvement of almost 10% compared with the
VQ35HR. 

A little perspective helps, too. The latest VQ
V-6's 330 hp is 30 horses stronger than Ford
Motor Co.'s standard 4.6L Mustang V-8.

A prime goal was permitting engine speeds even
higher than the 3.5L HR variant. Here, Infiniti's
octane-crazed engineers didn't mess around. The
hair-raising new redline of 7,500 rpm is
effortlessly and smartly accessed with almost no
adverse auditory or tactile sensations.

Nissan says about 35% of the parts are unique to
the 3.7L VQ, and the major new addition is the
electronically adjusted variable valve lift
(Variable Valve Event and Lift), imparting a
"throttleless" effect not unlike BMW AG's
Valvetronic, which also markedly reduces pumping
losses by essentially throttling the engine with
the intake valves.

Even with the efficiency claims for VVEL, we
believe fuel economy, at 17 mpg in the city and
26 mpg  on the highway is hardly encouraging, and
is one of our few complaints about the 3.7L DOHC V-6.

But this latest 3.7L variant of Infiniti's special
VQ V-6 may be the best in 14 years and is a
magnificently focused engineering effort

G37 e-Brochure CLICK HERE


2008 M Sedan

Best Under-$50K Luxury Cars

Jacqueline Mitchell 02.05.08, 6:00 PM ET

Click Here for Online Article

Best Large Car Infiniti M35 Base Price: $43,050 Total Value Index: 759 Maintenance: $2,898

Standard features include African rosewood trim, climate-controlled front seats with internal ventilation, an advanced airbag system with seat belt sensors, and leather-appointed 10-way power driver and passenger seats with adjustable lumbar system. Options include an eight-speaker premium audio system, 19-by- 8.5-inch aluminum alloy wheels, power reclining and heated rear seats, power rear sunshades, and a lane departure prevention and warning system for drowsy and distracted drivers.

M e-Brochure CLICK HERE


2008 EX


 Latest review on the 2008 EX35 


Infiniti EX Named a 2008 Best New Road Trip Vehicle

August 20, 2008 - Citing the Infiniti EX's "plush, flexible interior" and innovative Lane Departure Prevention technology, Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com named the EX a 2008 Best New Road Trip Vehicle. Selection criteria included "all the tangible and intangible attributes that would enhance any long journey, such as driving enjoyment, passenger comfort, cargo space, and of course, this year we added a few fuel sippers."[1].

The rewarding interior of the EX is designed to create an intimate, personal space for driver and passengers alike, utilizing an array of emotive color and luxurious texture combinations. The EX's Lane Departure Prevention[2]. technology helps keep your vehicle from drifting from your lane, using sensors, audible warnings, and - if necessary - the brakes to help ease your vehicle back into its lane. So for those long drives, the EX's progressive technology and luxurious, modern interior helps provide an award-winning, thoroughly enjoyable ride.

News Release | January 10, 2008

Infiniti SUV earns top safety award

ARLINGTON, VA - The new Infiniti EX35, a luxury SUV, earns the Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety's Top Safety Pick award for 2008.

"Criteria to win are tough because the award is intended to drive continued safety improvements such as top crash test ratings and rapid addition of electronic stability control, which is standard
equipment on the EX35," says Institute president Adrian Lund."The EX35 is a leader in its class for state-of-the-art safety," Lund says. "You don't know what kind of crash you're going to be in. That's why it's important to choose a vehicle that will protect you in all kinds of crashes. The Top Safety Pick designation is intended to help people find the
safest choices."

Top 10 New Features of 2007
By Cars.com Staff

Although flying cars aren't yet a reality, automakers are continually developing new technologies to make our cars safer and more futuristic. Here are some of our favorite automotive features from 2007 that edge us ever-closer to a car George Jetson would be proud of. Features from a number of cars made our list, but the 2008 Infiniti EX35 received the most mentions, including the top spot with our favorite new feature, Lane Departure Prevention.


Best New Feature:

Lane Departure Prevention

Where you can find it: Infiniti EX35

Infiniti's Lane Departure Prevention builds on conventional lane-departure warning systems, which detect lane markings and sound a chime if you drift astray. LDP goes one step further by gently applying the brakes to certain wheels to nudge you back on course. Sound too intrusive? We tried it out in the EX35 and it keeps a remarkably low profile. Hit the turn signal or steer the wheel slightly, and the system deactivates. On straight roads, it intervenes with just a hint of deceleration, and the dashboard chime alerts you of its actions. For its effectiveness and low profile, LDP is the winner.
SEE YOUTUBE VIDEO HERE

Scratch Shield Paint

Where you can find it: Infiniti EX35

The crusade for city-friendly transportation began years ago with plastic bumpers and dent-resistant doors. It reaches new heights with Infiniti's Scratch Shield paint. On the EX35, Scratch Shield combines a highly elastic resin with the clearcoat finish. The resulting surface is said to maintain a glossy appearance over the years, and it can actually undo minor damage in the course of a few days. While Scratch Shield won't repair dents or gashes, Infiniti says it can restore things like fingernail scratches under the door handles.
SEE PDF Fact Sheet Here!

Around View Monitor

Where you can find it: Infiniti EX35

Let's be clear on one thing: Infiniti's Around View Monitor ain't pretty. With cameras mounted on each side of the car, its fish-eye, top-down view distorts any three-dimensional object nearby. But is it effective? You bet. With a 360-degree view of exactly what's around your car, it reduces getting into narrow parking spots and crowded alleys to a science. Even the best front-and-rear sonar systems can't replicate this. You have to see it - and park it - to believe it.
SEE YOU TUBE VIDEO HERE


EX e-Brochure CLICK HERE




2008 QX56

QX56 e-Brochure CLICK HERE


AVAILABLE NOW!  IN STOCK FOR IMMEDIATE DELIVERY!!!

The All-New 2009 Infiniti FX

Infiniti FX Dominates BMW X6 in Motor Trend Comparison
August 16, 2008 - Motor Trend asked the question "Which fashion-forward sport/UTE rules the runway?" The answer was clear: the 2009 Infiniti FX. In a head-to-head comparison with the 2008 BMW X6, the magazine found that "the FX35 has many of the X6's strengths, none of its weaknesses, and a few great advantages of its own - for a lot less money." The editors also praised the FX's interior: "It's cleaner, more straightforward, and...warmer. The design and layout are inviting, with all the controls in easy-to-find places." Once again, it looks like the FX's redefining of the crossover has yielded convincing results.

Infiniti transforms the crossover again. The all-new 2009 FX luxury performance crossover fuses thrilling performance and bold styling with rewarding luxury and versatility. It is a viscerally rewarding experience built around space and flexibility to facilitate an active, impassioned life.

Its brave new design is both more progressive and more organic with details like functional side air vents to deliver even greater aerodynamic performance. Its intensified power is generated by a new 390-hp V8 matched to a 7-speed automatic transmission. And its dynamic handling is elevated by a suspension that self-adjusts for performance or comfort, and exclusive Rear Active Steer for quicker, more stable steering.

Designed to make life in the FX as easy as it is thrilling, the FX introduces technology to fight traffic for you: Intelligent Cruise Control (Full Speed Range) and Distance Control Assist monitor to maintain your distance from the car ahead at low speeds. The FX also offers Infiniti's Around View Monitor*, which provides a virtual 360-degree view around your FX on the in-dash monitor. * Click to see a You Tube video.

*REDEFINING THE CROSSOVER! CURRENTlY TAKING ORDERS....RESERVE YOUR NEW 2009 FX TODAY!

See what others are saying about the 2009 FX Click Here!!

2009 FX e-Brochure Click Here

2009 G37 Sedan 
New for 2009

2009 G37 Sedan Ordering Guide

2009 G37 Coupe
New for 2009

Driven: Infiniti gives M35 more firepower for 2009

Posted Oct 9th 2008 7:58PM by Michael Harley
 

We slid behind the wheel of the 2009 Infiniti M35 S last week in Napa, California. It was a quick jaunt, but we wanted to try out the newly revised power plant under the hood. Yes, even thought the nomenclature remains the same, the Japanese automaker has swapped out the mass of aluminum up front for something a bit more updated and powerful. Find out how the 2009 Infiniti M35 S did after the jump.

Photos Copyright ©2008 Michael Harley / Weblogs, Inc.

Since its introduction, the M35 has featured Nissan's familiar VQ35DE 3.5-liter V6 rated at 275-hp. For 2009, Infiniti has replaced it with the newer VQ35HR 3.5-liter V6 rated at 303-hp (it's the same "VVi" engine found under the hood of the '08 G35 sedan). While horsepower is up, torque is down slightly to 262 lb-ft (it was 268 lb-ft). We hardly think '09 M35 owners will care, as the new engine comes with a new slick-shifting seven-speed electronically-controlled transmission that should decrease 0-60 times by a couple of tenths, especially with its new Drive Sport shift mode. Best of all, fuel economy is up from 16/23 (city/highway) to 17/25 for 2009. Interestingly enough, the all-wheel drive M35x will get the new engine, but it retains last year's five-speed automatic and fuel economy stays the same. The V8-powered M45 carries forward without significant mechanical changes.

You are probably wondering why the '09 M35 didn't get the 328 hp VQ37VHR 3.7-liter like its slightly smaller sibling, the '09 G37 Sedan. We are betting that there is an all-new M Series replacement on the horizon (2010 model maybe?) set to debut as the M37. In addition, had Infiniti dropped that sweet engine under the hood now, it would have been stepping on some toes -- namely those on the foot of the V8-powered 325-hp M45. Then Infiniti would have needed to bump that car up to the M50... ah, you get the picture. The automaker has chosen to hold off for now and keep us all waiting.

In our brief spin around wine country, the M35 "S" (the Sport Package adds rear active steer, sport suspension, 19-inch wheels, etc...) proved comfortable and competent. Our seat-of-the pants accelerometer said it was quick, and it handled with confidence, but it was far from being as sporty as Infiniti's G lineup. The new transmission does make a difference in the driving experience as shifts are smooth and perfectly timed. Overall, the M35 still competes strongly in the segment against the BMW 535i, Mercedes-Benz E350, and Lexus GS 350. In addition to the aforementioned engine and transmission transplants, all '09 M models receive auto speed-sensing door locks and Infiniti's Scratch Shield "self-healing" paint. Infiniti will offer the M Series in four flavors for 2009: M35 RWD, M35x AWD, M45 RWD and M45x AWD. You can check out the new M35 in showrooms this month.