G35 Coupe a RX-8 Killer?
 

G35 Coupe

Has any one seen this, very nice looking car and very powerful.

It doesn't have suicide doors or a rotary but a nice job by nissan if they can pull it off.

thats the infinity slightly less powerful version of nissan's 350z

It certainly is a nice-looking car and sharing the same basic platform and drivetrain with the 350Z means it should be an impressive car. I could see quite a few people cross-shopping it with the RX-8.

It's a bit more upscale though, more of a BMW 330 fighter. It's also a very large car, so I doubt it will have the same nimble feel as an RX-8.

If Nissan makes the G35c too much like the 350Z, then it would probably be more of detriment toward Z sales. After all, you're getting near-Z-like performance, plus you get some added practicality. That's why I think Nissan should make a clear distinction between the 2; make the G35c cushy and make the 350Z more raw.

I wouldn't say the G35c will be an RX-8 Killer, but it will be an alternative. They both have things going for them. The RX-8 will be lighter and more nimble, but the G35c will have more ponnies and be more luxurious. I think the RX-8 will probably have roomier back seats since the G35c is more of a 2+2. We will see wont we?

Wow no flames
 

Very inteligent responses, I am comming from from a 97 BMW 528I. I still want room and luxury but I want something very nimble with handling and speed close to or better than my current ride for under $30K. I will keep dreaming :(

Did infiniti release a manual transmission for the g35.. or do they plan to?

I don't believe they have released a manual transmission, but they should, their automatic transmission has that tiptronic gear shifting technology though.

G35=Sparemobile of Shady Quality
 

The G35 is such a crapcar. I went and drove it when it came out and was very very dissapointed. The interior is shabby even by Sentra standards. I would feel extremely uncomfortable paying $30k for that thing when I could go to Acura and pay the same for the far superior TL Type S. The thing doesn't even feel sporty. It just feels like a big awkwardly quick bubble of bad quality. The RX-8 is in a totally different world.

DC - I competely disagree. I *own* a Sentra (which my wife's pretty happy with), and the interior on the G35 leathers is very nice and very roomy. As far as teh TL type S - no standard transmission, which Infiniti will offer this fall, and it *does* handle pretty nicely, with good zip. The G35 is certainly an RX-8 alternative for me.

The Sentra is not a spare by any means. I wasn't saying that. The Sentra is greatness for its class. Especially now with the SE-R being brought back. But The G35 is NOT on par with the TL Type S. Greatness can not be measured solely by transmission choice. Some people enjoy autos. You really need to drive both cars before forming this opinion. Sure what I am saying IS subjective, but everyone I know that has driven both agrees with me completely. The G35 is just wrong.

It's not a sports car if you can't row your own gears. I *won't* buy a G35 until it has a manual, and then I'd make sure I got the sports package for the tighter handling. I'll take a look at the TL type S, of course, but everything I've read says that the TL has softer suspension and less crisp handling than the G35 sport. I'm sure it's a nice car, but I won't spend $30k on a "sports car" that doesn't even have a manual *available*. The TL is also a front-wheel drive car, as opposed to a rear-wheel drive like God intended sports cars to be.

Apparently, you haven't read the latest road-and-track sedan shootout, where it scored worse in acceleration, skidpad, slalom, and braking than the G35. It ended up 6th in a class of 11, behind the Audi, Saab, Lexus, BMW, and Infiniti, in order. The BMW 330i topped the comparison if you ignored price, with the Infiniti on top if you looked at price.

Now, this is an automotive rag, so grain of salt and all, but I find it hard to believe that a front-wheel drive auto transmission car will be better than the Infiniti once the G35 gets the 6-speed manual.

Of course, I'd still rather have the RX-8, depending on how much spare there actually *is* in the back, since it will almost certainly handle tighter. In addition, the Infinifi's gas mileage is pretty atrocious. What kind of mileage can we expect from the RX-8, since the Renesis supposedly gets better mileage?The 1995 RX-7 got 17/25 according to the EPA... Say, 19/28?

That's an Ender.
 

This whole debate is so wheels off. Of course the G35 might be more enjoyable ONCE IT GETS the 6 spd. Thats like saying yeah, my 92 Tercel is better than a Vette. Once I sell it and buy a Porche GT2. You are so fired dude. Clock out and go home. Why don't we just stick to what we all know and are here to talk about, the RX8 in case you forgot.

I'm fried? I quoted facts that the *current* G35 with the automatic out accelerates, slaloms, skidpads, and brakes the TL type S, before it even has the 6-speed. It is somewhat less luxurious, and I would imagine that the Acura is also more reliable. You're make strawman comparisons between vettes, tercels, and porches, not me.

Yeah, I'm the one that's fried. Sure, if the name-calling makes you feel better, have fun.You'll note that *I* actually did include RX-8 relevant content in my last post, and wasn't the one who decided to use this thread to spread flameage about the G35 in the first place.

Calm down everyone. We all have our opinions, it's just that some people dont usually agree but its not something to really fight over because they are cars. in my opinion the G35 is a great car, the G35 Coupe that is comming out is also nice, it shares its design with the not so good looking 350Z but with the Infiniti looks and tag it looks alittle better.

Infiniti has changed its image lately, they are more reliable now and have better quality cars, only thing i can be certain of is that Infiniti is much better than Lexus now.

I am calm, but point taken :)

I don't have much experience with Lexii... The IS300 is an interesting-looking car, but if I'm getting something that small, I'll wait for the RX-8, thanks. :)

THATS AN ENDER!!!!!!!
 

Let Me spell this out for you since you didn't get it before.

T-H-A-T-S A-N E-N-D-E-R-!-!-!

I'm not here to argue about Infinitis. We are all here to talk about the RX8. Lets just do that. Hey, we agree on something Pat, we would both take the 8 over the IS.

Wow, I never knew screaming "That's an Ender!", etc. was the way rational people ended discussions. :D (This is me inflating my post-count, for the record)

Speaking of the IS300 - I saw one in gun-metal gray the other day that didn't look too bad. I was surprised, because most of the IS300s I see around look like souped-up civics to me. Something about the darker, more stately color made it look a little better. Still, I'll pass.

I also think that color looks great on the car. I don't know if I would refer to myself as 100% rational either. You are definately right about that. But being just a little irrational keeps things fun.

I own a TL-Type S

In an article by motortrend (or someother car magazine) made approximately a year ago... the TL came in 2nd out of 6 european sport sedans...TL by far has more bang for buck than the G35 has.

- and this whole nissan engine crap is over rated - every freakin' car they have has that same engine

-either way.. yeah yeah i know this is about the RX8 - but i wasn't gonna let anyone judge my car like that..

When most people buy a car they are not looking for a car that takes turns at 60 mph... good acceleration will usually suffices - buyers are readily interested in looks and price than what type a suspension the car has. Car companies are not looking at what our (as in car enthusiasts like ourselves) needs are - they look at the majority of the public and make decisions from there... All in all - I love my TL :P..

I think the CL is a more suitable candidate for comparison with the G35.

With the G35 coupe, yes, the CL is definitely the right comparison. With the sedan, though, I think the TL is probably a better matchup, since they're both aiming for people who want performance and 4 real doors/seats. Personally, I have doubts that the G35 coupe will fly. The people that might be interested in it will either go for the pure 2-seater 350z or the 4-door G35 sedan *from the same manufacturer*. I just don't see enough differentiation between the G35 coupe and the other nissan/infiniti offerings.

I think Mazda's strategy in this area is good, on the other hand. The miata fills the two-seat roadster category (something Nissan doesn't have). The Mazda6 with the bigger engine hits the people who want practical with some zip, and the RX-8 covers people who are willing to give up some practicality but want unique styling, great handling, and reasonable practicality as well.

The difference is that the Mazda offerings in each category are significantly different from each other. While the RX-8 fills a spot in some ways similar to what the G35 coupe will, it does so in a much more innovative way than just splitting the difference between the 350z and the G35 sedan.

Immi I am so jealous of your car.

Patrick, very very nice way of putting that comparison.

Talk to anyone in the wholesale/used business and they will all tell you that almost anyone would take a Lexus over an Infiniti. Besides, the Infiniti’s do not hold their resale value like the Lexus does.

I know that it is a fine engine but I find it hard to get excited about an engine that is offered in almost every car that Nissan makes. It’s even offered in the Altima for heavens sake. If Nissan was real serious the 350Z would have it’s own engine and NOT share it everything else it makes, especially the Altima.

I previously owned a 1976 Datsun 280Z that I really did love (kept it 10+ years) but in those days they did not throw that engine into every other car they made, it was for the Z.

Now don’t get me wrong and I definitely do not want to start flames, but I think that some of you guys really are giving Nissan too much credit. The 350Z really should have its very own engine and not one with a few of more horsepower than some of the others which they make. It could also go on one long diet.

Just my .02 worth.

Acura puts the same engine in a bunch of their cars and it works.
 

You're not going to find many RSX type s (or type r in Japan) owners complaining that their engine is shared with a CR-V. Or many NSX owners complaining their engine is shared with a RL/TL. Honda engineers their engines (and platforms) with great flexibility on purpose and I think it works well, but that's Honda. Honda has always made their cars with great reliability, stressing form follwing function while still getting a great value. Something very few other manufacturers can say they have done.

Nissan with the new VQ35 engine is attempting to mold themselves into this successful plan (didn't work for them last time when they used that lousy truck engine for the last gen. Sentra). However, as was pointed out, the rest of the car that the engine is put into has to follow suit. It may have a great engine, but what about the quality of materials used throughout the rest of the car (Altima is said to be very *cheap* looking on the interior, for example)? Also, is it reliable?

It should also be pointed out that Nissan is sort of building a reputation of inaccurately stating HP ratings from their engines (an example would be the New Sentra SE-R v-spec). Many people are doubting the VQ35 produces the HP that Nissan states it does. Just food for thought.

Now with the Mazda RX-8. I think it's really cool that it is built on its own platform with its own engine. Mazda will be able to design the car exactly as they want to without worrying about sacrificing one or more areas in favor of another car being built off the same platform. However, with this strategy I am wondering how Mazda plans on keeping the price down? Mazda has mentioned that they plan on mass producing this car (as well as building a new RX-7 and Miata off the platform), but that's a big risk for Mazda. This car is soooooo different than anything else out there it's tough, for me anyway, to see how this car is going to fit in. Especially on a *mass produced* scale.

I completely on the engine thing. Nissan is being *smart* to reuse the overall engine platform in the Altima, G35 (sedan + coupe) and 350z. It reduces their maintenance training overheads, part stocking issues, etc. As rxtreme says, though, the car has to match the engine. The Z's engine is almost certainly going to be tuned for acceleration and top speed, with a different high-flow exhaust than that on the G35 sedan. This will almost certainly make the Z louder, too, something an Altima driver wouldn't want. The Altima 3.5SE, while an interesting car, is a bit soft on the handling. too.

Would you complain is Mazda took the Mazda6 and made a RX-6 version of that sedan, and in doing so were able tyo cut the price on the RX-8, and made service and mechanics experienced with the RENESIS easier to find? Of course not. You'd congratulate the 6 owner on his new great engine, but know that he didn't have the power, traction, transmission, or handling to match it that the RX-8 does have, because the engine and the rest of the car would be tuned to a different application than in the RX-8.

One last point - I wasn't slamming the TL type S at all in my discussion with DC. It's a great car, certainly more luxurious than the G35, with very good performance and a longer track record to back it up. Acura has a *very* good reputation for reliability. I wouldn't be surprised if next year's TL-S comes with an optional 6-speed manual and a higher-tuned performance, either, given the fresh competition in the sport sedan market. I'm simply saying that I don't think the criticism of the G35 was valid, as it is an excellent car.