The G37's engine, however, blows that performance away. It's rated 37 horsepower higher, but the G37 we tested put 51 more horses [than the G35 coupe] to the rear wheels. Since this was measured on a chassis dyno, we can't know for sure how much of that increase is due to higher engine output versus lower driveline losses. However, since the drivelines are similar, we'd guess nearly all of this increase is brute force from the new motor. Think about it this way: If frictional losses are a constant percentage, you'd have to add 63 horsepower to the G35's engine to make it put 51 more to its wheels. This is a big, big jump in power.

The best news is that Infiniti wasn't exaggerating about its other claims: the new 3.7-liter is stronger than the 3.5 both at low revs and high revs. Its torque curve is flatter, too. Throttle response (if you can say that about a car without a throttle) is instantaneous, the 3.5's coarseness has been tamed, and I got an indicated 27 mpg - with the air conditioning switched on at 80 mph - on the way back from the dyno shop. So if there's any drawback to VVEL, we haven't seen it.