2007 Infiniti G35

Infiniti was arguably adrift when the dashing G35 sedan and coupe arrived in late 2002 to chart a new course for the brand. In addition to earning Motor Trend's coveted Car of the Year calipers, the sedan also managed the seemingly impossible: It defeated the almighty BMW 3 Series in a three-way comparison. Many fretted that this marked a Sign of the Apocalypse. Some drank sake and Suntory whiskey until the wee hours; others sharpened their pencils and retreated to their drawing boards.

Infiniti wore its crown proudly for three years, easily defending its title in 2004 against rivals from Acura, Cadillac, and Saab, and then late last year the inevitable happened: A new BMW 3 arrived. The propeller-brand faithful were relieved to find that its design hadn't been Bangled as they might have feared and that its optional iDrive system was somewhat less infuriating than those in the higher-series Bimmers. Last September's grudge match restored the crown to the ranks of the Roundel, but it was a narrower victory. Perhaps it was hubris, but BMW apparently didn't acknowledge the G35 as its performance bogey, and the 330i's brand-new engine didn't even match the existing G35's power and torque output, let alone leapfrog it (the twin-turbo 335i due this fall should see to that). In terms of performance, the two cars were relatively closely matched. And so we now present Japan's response to the new 3 Series, fully baked, hubris-free, and ready to tackle BMW on all fronts.

Style: On first glance, it appears Infiniti is emulating the old BMW and evolving its design so cautiously that only an expert can detect new from old, but study it closer, and you'll see that every panel is new. They're all more curvaceous, too. Note the undulating surfaces of the round-cornered aluminum hood, bracketed by squinting eyes that impart a decidedly Asian countenance. The grille bars, inspired by Japanese swords, appear to twist in the middle. Perhaps in a nod to other new BMWs, a character line on the side of the car rises from mid-wheel arch in front, flows above the rear wheel, and curves down--Bangle-butt-style. The overall design hangs together well, however, and remains instantly recognizable as a G35. Inside, the dash is decorated with streaked aluminum trim patterned after Japanese Washi paper, though straight-grain rosewood is optional, for those with more Occidental tastes. Dash illumination is bright white with striking violet accents.

Dimensionally, the G35 started out over eight inches longer and two inches taller than the BMW, but 2.5 inches narrower. Fattened new bodywork shrinks the width disparity by 0.8 inch, lowers the roof by a half-inch, and tacks a half-inch onto the length. The 112.2-inch wheelbase carries over (3.5 inches longer than the Bimmer's). The cabin grew an extra 1.1 inch of rear legroom and nearly a half-inch of front headroom, but lost shoulder and rear headroom in the bargain. Nevertheless, it remains roomier than the 3 Series by a couple inches in front head- and legroom and a tenth in all rear-seat dimensions.