In the spirit of this tradition, and as a card-carrying Winter Denialist, I did my part in recent months, testing several models with winter-eager, All Wheel Drive. So, as Spring officially arrives, and our joyously snowless winter grows ever smaller in the rear view mirror, I will now do the only logical thing. Absent any scientific evidence to the contrary, I will take full credit for it.

Our test drive car this week is in fact equipped with All Wheel Drive, and so could duke it out with snowy roads if need be. However, it’s also full bore sporty, never happier than on a sunny day and a curvy road. So, think of this as a way to ease our transition into the slush-free months.

The G37 Coupe is offered in base, Journey, G37x, and Sport models, along with two high(er) performance IPL versions. Starting sticker prices range from $37,800-$49,800. The sleek Infiniti has an affinity with the Nissan 370Z sport coupe. The two share a similar shape, a common platform, and many mechanical bits.

The G is a slightly stealthier version of the Z, parked in a neighborhood that’s a skosh more upscale. Lower profile, yes. But every bit as enjoyable. Part of the car’s fun factor can be traced to a willing powertrain. Base, Journey, x and Sport models all wield the same, 3.7 liter V-6. Sport trim G37′s are outfitted with a six-speed manual transmission. The rest of the mainline models get a seven-speed automatic. The DOHC V-6 generates 330 horsepower @ 7,000 rpm and 270 lb. ft. of torque @ 5,200 rpm. This is a lively engine, responsive at any speed, and certifiably quick (0-60 mph in 5.7 seconds). It pulls willingly to its 7,000 rpm redline, the trip accompanied by the engine’s throaty soundtrack. Indeed, some find the exhaust note too much at cruising speed.

But I like a sports car that talks to you, and the G’s growl is fine by me. Paddle shifters are available, for those who want to do some clutchless shifting, and the rev-matching downshifts are a nice touch. But, lacking a dual clutch transmission, the split second lag between paddle push and shift response is enough to sap the entertainment value. Left to its own devices, the seven-speed automatic fares quite well, getting from gear to gear smoothly, and ladling out the V-6 power evenly.

Performance cars are not economy cars, but the G37x checks in with EPA mileage estimates of 18 city, 25 highway, which is respectably in range for its class. I averaged 21 mpg’s overall; +1 over its combined estimate. The predicted highway mileage for the All Wheel Drive G37x is two less than most of the other, rear wheel drive G37 models. The ATESSA E-TS AWD system runs in rear wheel drive mode most of the time, preserving the traditional, performance car driving dynamics.

Monitoring speed, wheel spin and throttle position, the AWD system will shunt up to 50 percent of the available power to the front wheels, to maximize traction. The driver benefits in fair or foul weather. The G37x feels firm, and while hard bumps and choppy pavement will be felt, it never crosses the line to harsh. The car maintains a comfortable ride, even with the available sport suspension.

The G37x is a 2+2 coupe. The back seat is serviceable for smaller kids and short durations, but nothing more, passenger-wise. However, the back seat does make a comfortably padded perch for carry-ons, and the seatback folds forward to supplement the car’s undersized, 7.4 cubic feet cargo bay.

The front cabin is cleanly designed: driver oriented and nicely appointed. Aluminum and real wood trim are available, soft touch points smooth the edges. Everything’s in easy reach, and the available navigation system is notably easy to, uh, navigate. Inboard stowage spots are in short supply. Not so technology, which is available in large doses, mainly bundled, but also in select, stand-alone options.

My test car was outfitted with three such groupings. Highlights of the Premium Package ($2,900) include a power moon roof, rear sonar park assist, and an 11-speaker, Bose sound system. Among the extras included in the Sport Package ($1,900) are 19″ aluminum rims, sport tuned suspension, beefed-up brakes and a limited slip differential. Headlining the Navigation system ($1,850), is — not surprisingly — a hard drive nav system, with travel, weather and Zagat restaurant review information, voice activation and DVD/video playback capability.

The G37 travels with a fast crowd. It competes for the attention of luxury coupe buyers with the likes of BMW’s 3-Series, Mercedes’ C-Class, the Audi A5 and Cadillac’s CTS. The Infiniti stacks up nicely with its peers. Classy, quick, agile and handsome, it’s a really enjoyable driver. And the x factor is the x model. All Wheel Drive in the G37x means you don’t have to park it when the snow flies. If it ever does.

Today, though—alas, today everything is different. The luxury brand business is complicated: you need marketing tie-ins and luxury platforms and all kinds of fuss that the last generation of automakers never even heard of. But what you really must have, if you’re going to be one of the auto elite, is an in-house performance tuner who will help you craft your own line of cars.

Pity Infiniti, for this is the arena into which the auto company has stepped. Infiniti once catered only to North America, but now it’s attempting to compete with Mercedes and BMW on a global basis. The automaker is finding that not only are the stakes higher, but they’ve got to step up their luxury game, too. The company needs its emerging Infiniti Performance Line brand to grow up—now.

The 414-horsepower Infiniti FX Sebastian Vettel Version was unveiled in Frankfurt, and the company says that the vehicle is still on its way. Nissan’s Executive Vice President Andy Palmer says that the Vettel FX will be a pilot, and will allow Infiniti to showcase their ability to sell “low-volume, very special versions, and be able to charge a premium.”

This weekend Sebastian Vettel had a victory at the Formula 1 in Japan, so it’s a great time for Infiniti to use its partnership with Red Bull Racing. After all, the automaker spent over $10 million investing in a racing deal—and there’s no sense doing that if you’re not going to use the leverage to sell more cars.

Vettel isn’t (yet) well-known in the U.S., though, so it’s hard to predict what kind of plans Infiniti will come up with for North America. There’s no official word, either—just this comment from Nissan PR: “Right now, it is still simply a concept.”

The record-breaking run, which took place at the Santa Pod Raceway, saw the M35h accelerate from a standing start to speeds of over 100mph in an average of 13.9031 seconds – putting Infiniti’s latest creation on a par with vehicles including the 1982 Laborghini Countach and selected Porsche, Ferrari, and Aston Martin models.

The impressive showing at the Santa Pod Raceway comes despite the vehicle’s low carbon dioxide emission emissions of 162g/km and relatively sedate fuel consumption of 40.4mpg. The petrol/electric hybrid engine, Infiniti claims, offers 364PS of overall output power.

“The Infiniti M35h proves that hybrids can be fast as well as frugal,” claimed driver Tim Pollard. “At Santa Pod you could feel the instant torque of the electric motor away from standstill – the car just leapt off the line. I did try changing gear manually, but it was fastest left in automatic. That was when we achieved the fastest single run of 13.8960 seconds.”

The 5m-long four-door five-seater is due to launch as a competitor to the likes of BMW’s 5-series and Jaguar’s XF in Europe, with orders UK opening within the next few weeks.

The new record (which doesn’t best a standing Guinness mark but rather establishes the original bar in the hybrid acceleration category,) was attempted to coincide with the release of the M35h in the U.K. The 5-seat luxury hybrid debuted in North America earlier this year, at a starting cost of $53,700. The car produces up to 360 combined horsepower between its gas engine and electric motor, and can accelerate from 0-62 in just 5.5 seconds. To put that in perspective, the Toyota Prius achieves 0-62 in 10.7 seconds—nearly twice the M35h’s time.

“You could feel the instant torque of the electric motor away from standstill – the car just leapt off the line,” remarked Pollard in an Infiniti press release. “But what impressed most was the Infiniti M’s duality of purpose: it might be quick, but it’s also comfy and very easy to drive.”

At an combined EPA-rated 29 mpg, the M35 hybrid’s appeal comes not from its ability to test the limits of overall sedan fuel economy, but its ability to match the performance of its luxury sedan competitors while delivering vastly superior efficiency. By comparison, the non-hybrid Infiniti M base model and competing Audi A6 sedan also achieve 5.5-second 0-62 times, but carry overall fuel economy ratings of just 21 mpg and 19 mpg, respectively. The M35h starts at a $6,000 hybrid premium over the M37.

The Infiniti FX, one of the most bold looking cars on sale, gets a facelift. The most obvious change is up front, where the FX wears a new grille inspired by the Infiniti Essence Concept from Geneva 2009. There’s also newly designed alloy wheels. Inside the “command center-style cockpit”, heated seats are now standard across the range, while the Fine Vision electroluminescent gauges has a more pronounced white appearance.

Here’s one interesting feature we found – an automatic driving position system. This moves the steering wheel and wing mirrors adaptively into the correct position when the seat is adjusted, allowing the driver to change the seat position and keep the same mirror viewpoint and relationship between the steering column and driver’s shoulder position.

The FX comes with two engine options, a 5.0-litre V8 with 390 hp and 500 Nm and a 3.5-litre V6 with 303 hp and 355 Nm. Both are mated to a 7-speed auto with manual shift mode, Downshift Rev Matching and Adaptive Shift Control. Solid magnesium paddle are thrown in with the Sport Package.

Based upon the Infiniti FX35 AWD variant, the Limited Edition features an exclusive Iridium Blue exterior colour, 21-inch 10-spoke graphite finish wheels (with 265/45 V-rated all-season tyres), dark tinted headlights with Adaptive Front lighting System (AFS) and auto-leveling, and dark tinted side air vents and lower door trim.

Other LE features include aluminum roof rails/roof rail crossbars with graphite finish, aluminum pedals, graphite floor mats with unique blue piping, Infiniti Hard Drive Navi and Around View Monitor.

Infiniti, which is coming to Malaysia later this year, will be debuting a new seven-seat crossover called JX soon

Released back in 2008 as a 2009 model the G37 Convertible was designed from the beginning to be a convertible. Huh? Yes, the G37 convertible is not just a G37 coupé with its top removed, although on the face of things you would be forgiven for thinking so. Although the G37 sedan, coupe and convertible ride on the same Nissan FM platform as everything from the Nissan 350Z to the Infiniti FX and even the GT-R, the Convertibles parts sharing stops at the curvaceous proboscis, overall style and dashboard. The convertible receives a wider track and a modified rear suspension unique to the topless cruiser in addition to the three-part folding hard top designed by Karmann. Fortunately for the public, considerable time was spent making sure the G37 looks as good with the top up as down unlike some topless abominations I could mention.

From the driver’s perspective there is little difference between the convertible and the coupe inside the cabin. The G37’s three-spoke steering wheel, gauge cluster and center stack with 7-inch infotainment/navigation screen and funky rotary-joystick/button tower are all where you expect them to be. Glancing rearwards and the differences become more obvious. The front seats have speakers growing out of the headrests and the B pillar is conspicuously missing. This missing pillar combined with essentially the same seats as the coupe means the seatbelts are mounted to the body of the car looping thru a leather holder fastened with snaps. The belt arrangement is a tad less elegant than some of the competition and makes ingress and egress difficult for rear passengers compared with in-seat safety belts. Speaking of the rear, while leg room is just bearable for a 6-foot rear passenger and a 6-footdriver, head room is severely limited, so keep those foursomes limited to short drives.

Speaking of driving, packed under the curvaceous hood beats he same 3.7L engine as other G variants tuned down slightly by 5HP to 325HP and 267lb-ft. The reduction is apparently due to different exhaust routing, not that 5HP makes much difference when you’re motivating 4,100lbs. Yes, that’s right; the G37 convertible weighs in at over two tons as the folding lid and required structural modifications to the FM platform have added over 450lbs vs the G37 coupe and sedan. Despite the added weight however the convertible seems to retain the vast majority of the driving ability of the coupe due largely to the 52/48 percent weight balance (slightly better than the coupe) and standard 225-width front rubber and 245 out back (the base coupe and sedan have 225s all the way around). As with the coupe and sedan, the convertible routes all 325 horses to the rear wheels via Nissan’s relatively new 7-speed automatic. While the shifts don’t seem quite as fast or as crisp as ZF’s 6-speed, the svelte magnesium paddle shifters mounted to the column rather than the wheel are as close to perfection as it comes and the acompanying rev-matched downshifts are likely to make a few die hard manual fans opt for the ease of the automatic. Unlike many other manual modes, the Nissan setup queues shifts and dispatches them quickly and neatly with zero drama on its way to a measured 5.9 second run to 60.

When the going gets twisty, the G37 shines with handling unquestionably better than the Audi A5 cabriolet and superior poise when pushed compared to the Lexus IS350c. Much like the Lexus however, the Infiniti possess the ride of a GT largely due to the added weight and revised suspension. Still, with road holding ability only a notch below the BMW 335, I’ll take the softer ride any day.

One of the reasons I dislike convertibles (aside from sunstroke in the hot California sun) is the practicality sacrifice. You lose enough cargo room in a soft top, but most hard tops make the sacrifice even more severe. The G37 is no exception to this rule; a 10.3 cu-ft trunk doesn’t sound too bad (considering the tiny 7.4 offered by the G37 coupe) until you see that it drops to an astonishing 1.99 cu-ft with the top down. If two-cubes weren’t small enough, most of that is under a hatch in the trunk floor that can’t really be accessed without raising the top. Literally just two lightweight adult male jackets will fit in the remaining cargo cubby. In comparison, the Volvo C70 offers three-times more schlepping with 6cuft of top-down space (almost equal to the G37 Coupe) and the Volvo’s roof will lift up and out of the way at the press of a button to make access easier. The G37’s main competitor, the 335i convertible, still has room to stow and retrieve a large computer bag with the top down. My prejudice aside, no hard top convertible should ever be thought of as a practical luggage hauler, so on long road trips to a weekend getaway in Napa, your rear seats will act as leather-clad cargo space.

The G37 convertible includes all the heated leather and (optional) red-stained maple wood trim you could ask for. Roofless models also get a slight standard feature boost as compared to the coupe and sedan. Also on the option list you’ll find: cooled thrones, navigation, and Bose audio systems that adapt to the top being up or down. The optional Bose “Open Air Sound System” in our limited edition tester uses 13 speakers including two speakers in each headrest and two 10-inch woofers, and 9.3GB of music storage on the integrated hard drive. As unusual as the headrests may look, they work surprisingly well for the front passengers, but they do make sound for the occasional rear passenger sound strange. (Who cares? They are in the back.) The integrated Bluetooth system even manages to work surprisingly well even with the top down at highway speeds. USB and iPod integration is standard on all G37 convertibles with or without navigation and it works as well as most competitive systems allowing full on-screen access to my iPod and iPhone 4.

The 2011 G37 convertible wears a $45,750 base sticker price and our Limited Edition tester was essentially fully loaded save the radar cruise control with a $58,125 price tag. While the top-end pricing of the G37 may raise eyebrows, the rest of the luxury import convertible market is similarly priced. Compared to the Lexus IS350C which would be the G37’s most direct competition, the IS350C enjoys a larger trunk, but its interior suffers from the same thing the IS350 AWD we reviewed recently: age. From Europe the RWD competition comes in the form of the 335i and the new W212 Mercedes E350 cabriolet. The E350 wears the largest base price in the class at $56,850 and $63,565 sticker comparably equipped. While the Infiniti may not have the snob value the E350’s tri-star exudes, it does come across as the better performance value. The 335i on the other hand has aged extremely well and the torque curve of the turbo-six helps scoot the 335i to 60 faster with a more linear feel than the Infiniti’s naturally aspirated mill. The G37 fights back with a base of $52,650 and a comparably equipped price of $61,250, scoring big value points in most trim levels.

Usually most reviewers seem to stop the comparo after mashing the G37 up against the Germans and the Lexus, but at TTAC we march to a different drummer. Volvo enjoys a similar brand value proposition as Infiniti in the eyes of most American shoppers, both notching below the major players from Germany and Japan. The 227HP C70 convertible is unquestionably slower and less exciting to drive, but with a chic Scandinavian interior and a base price just below 40-large (similarly equipped price of $47,175) and sporting the largest trunk in the group, it’s worth at least a glance from shoppers not interested in drifting while they tan. If you’re looking to import your next convertible from Detroit, the Mustang GT convertible delivers an interesting alternative. Although there is no hard top ‘stang, it will please your aural senses with its 412HP 5.0L V8. Of course cross-shopping is unlikely, but as a comparison, the GT will burn the socks right off the Infiniti.

The car delivered to CNET came with the Technology package, bundling Infiniti’s innovative driver assistance features. This package includes typical technologies, such as blind-spot detection and adaptive cruise control, as well as the more far-reaching Distance Control Assist.

These buttons turn on adaptive cruise control and the automatic braking function.

This latter technology, turned off by default, hits the brakes, bringing the car to a stop when it approaches stopped traffic. You can actually rely on it to do your braking for you. The only drawback in city traffic is that it stops about a car length behind other cars. It also only holds the brakes down for a brief time, letting the car creep forward after the initial stop.

Blind-spot detection activates lights in the A pillars when other cars are in the lanes next to the M35h, and causes those lights to blink if the turn signal activates. Adaptive cruise control works like competitive systems, slowing the car down from its set speed to match the pace of slower traffic ahead. It has three following distances and can bring the M35h to a full stop if traffic ahead stops.

Add to these features Infiniti’s lane departure warning and prevention technologies, and the M35h can almost drive itself.

Fast maps
Cabin tech in the M35h doesn’t take the same leap forward as the power train. Instead, the car comes with the same navigation system Infiniti has used for some time. With maps stored on a hard drive, the system works quickly, and even shows some 3D building renderings, but the look of the maps is a little sloppy, far from the sophisticated offerings of BMW and Audi.

The navigation system shows some 3D features, but these maps are not as refined as those from BMW and Audi.

For its latest M sedan, Infiniti did, however, make the interface controller a little nicer. Instead of the knob crowned by directional buttons of previous years, Infiniti has gone to a combo joystick dial, which has a look in keeping with the car’s luxury mission. And it still offers the same excellent interface from previous models, making it easy to choose items from a list or navigate an onscreen keyboard.

The stereo system comes from Bose, and has 16 speakers, including four small speakers in the shoulders of the front seats. This system is very well balanced, producing a strong, solid sound. It can deliver striking bass or delicate treble notes equally well. It really stood out for vocals, conveying rich tones.

Audio sources are complete, with everything from Bluetooth streaming to the onboard hard drive to Satellite Radio. Selecting music from a connected iPod was easy through the cabin tech interface, which showed good responsiveness. However, with a USB drive plugged into the system, it did not want to look into folders, seeming to want all the music files in the root directory.

With the Favorite Artists feature, the car will let you know when certain artists are playing on any satellite radio station.

The car’s satellite radio has a new feature called Favorite artists and songs. Program in a particular artist or track, and the car lets you know when any of the satellite radio stations starts playing it.

Infiniti’s Bluetooth phone system has been a weak spot in its cars, not offering the same sort of automatic contact list download as the competition. That issue is addressed, although not entirely fixed, in the M35h. The phone system does not grab an entire contact list from a paired phone, but it does let you copy over contacts one at a time, which can be a tedious process. Once the contact is stored in the car, you can say the name of a person to have the voice command system initiate a call.

In sum
The 2012 Infiniti M35h scores high points for its hybrid power system, one of the best available. Its transmission and steering also rate high on the tech meter, but its suspension remains conventional.

As for design, Infiniti offers one of the best cabin tech interfaces around, attractive and very usable. Attractive exterior styling also works in the car’s favor, setting it apart from more staid-looking sedans. The battery pack eats into the car’s practicality, as it takes up considerable trunk space.

Cabin tech features are solid in the M35h, but here it falls short of luxury competitors. The stereo system is the most advanced feature, offering many audio sources and well-balanced sound. Navigation works well, but only integrates traffic and weather for external data sources. The phone system is the weakest feature of the M35h, as its ability to download a paired phone’s contact list is limited.

Infiniti is fearlessly challenging the perception that hybrids are boring with a fully integrated campaign that takes viewers on a trip through the history of hybrids.  Beginning with the invention of the first hybrid car in 1888, to the patent of the hybrid in 1909, and continuing to the hybrids of today, Infiniti confront the belief that you can’t have great fuel economy and great performance too.

“The new Infiniti M Hybrid provides the same level of luxury and performance as the rest of our lineup and builds on the strengths Infiniti has always been known for,” said Infiniti Vice President Ben Poore. “Style, luxury and performance will always be the cornerstone of everything Infiniti does.”

A corporate partner of the NCAA and specifically of NCAA Men’s Division 1 Basketball, Infiniti will begin airing the spots on March 17^th during NCAA March Madness.  Henry Rollins, former front man for the band Black Flag, is the voice of the campaign that will have over 100 spots ranging all four networks, including the Men’s Final Four.

Featuring the all-new Infiniti Direct Response Hybrid system a one-motor, two-clutch parallel hybrid system, the 2012 Infinity M hybrid is set to be launched nationwide this spring.