Phoenix - Nissan's luxo-brand has been on a regular rollercoaster ride since it arrived on the scene in 1990, as its products, great and indifferent, collided with confused marketing schemes and its parent corporation's mounting financial woes. Could there really be a bright future for Infiniti?
Having driven pre-production examples of its new G35, a V-6-powered, rear-wheel-drive sport sedan due out next month, we think so.
Notwithstanding the ready audience for its Maxima-derived, front-wheel-drive I35, Infiniti believes its salvation lies in the new, rear-wheel-drive FM platform on which the G35 is based. The FM--for "front-midship"--is the expensive, first key building block to the division's rear-wheel-drive future. In addition to the G35 sedan and Nissan's upcoming 350Z, the FM chassis will underpin a G35 coupe (due in the fall), a larger sedan, and, in 2003, a performance-oriented 4x4, the FX45.
Supplying the sport to the G35 equation is a pleasingly robust version of Nissan's highly regarded 3.5-liter, all-aluminum V-6, producing 260 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. The engine is longitudinally mounted and mated to a new five-speed automatic transmission or, in the near future, a six-speed manual.... Read full article