|
Infiniti G35x sports sedan applies traction to every wheel
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
|
YUCCA VALLEY, Calif. -- Pioneertown Road, a sand-swept blacktop thread shooting off California 62 at Yucca Valley in the Mojave Desert, wiggles around shear rock flanks of Chaparrosa Peak on the climb to Rimrock and runs through one warped hairpin corner after another.
We're using this tortuous trail as it slithers up to high ground at Flat Top while putting the pedal down on a wily new all-wheel-drive (AWD) edition of the G35 premium sports sedan from Infiniti, brand for luxury and performance cars derived from Nissan of Japan.
The sleek sedan -- labeled G35x with that letter 'x' signifying the AWD traction -- fits in the mid-size segment off a stiff rear-wheel-drive (RWD) platform outfitted with a sport-tuned suspension and strong muscle developed through a powerful engine lifted from Nissan's swift Maxima flagship.
A 3.5-liter V6 makes 260 hp at 6000 rpm, with torque of 260 lb-ft at 4800 rpm.
These figures propel the G-car to the top of its class in terms of power and also elicit an aggressive personality from the otherwise practical concept of a four-door sedan.
This is the smallest sedan in the Infiniti fleet as well as the line's price-leader.
It debuted in 2002 as a 2003 model cast strictly in RWD format and subsequently added a racy two-door coupe variation also called G35.
In the 2004 collection, Infiniti borrows a sophisticated electronic AWD device from the FX45 sport-utility wagon and applies it to the G35 sedan.
That mechanism carries an obtuse descriptive name of "advanced total traction engineering system for all electronic torque split."
It sounds better when crimped to the Infiniti acronym of ATTESA E-TS.
Despite a complicated name, the equipment is easily explained.
Normally, it operates in RWD mode, although if rear treads begin to slip the computer-smart system can divert as much as half of the engine's muscle to turn the front wheels.
A driver might notice the system working in a curve when rear treads tend to slip outwardly with a classic oversteer situation for a RWD vehicle.
The traditional oversteer remedy is to steer into the slip by turning the steering wheel in the direction of the tail skid, which tends to bring rear rubber back in line.
With ATTESA E-TS, however, you won't have to counter-steer because the equipment adds traction to the front wheels to put the back rollers on track.
It's a subtle transfer of torque from rear wheels to front wheels, and it occurs only when needed to counteract the slippage.
Yet it can be quite helpful in keeping the car on a tight line while running a curvy course on dry pavement.
And on rain-slick pavement or slippery snow, the rig eliminates any traction disadvantage from a RWD car.
Send the G35x up a wiggle route like Pioneertown Road and it romps with such stick-like-glue agility that it seems to defy the laws of physics.
It ends up acting like a squatty go-kart, hunkering low to the pavement with wheels pushed to corner points for keen stability and the torque from an up-front engine flowing through the AWD device to all of the wheels when needed to maintain traction.
But G35x develops a dual personality because Infiniti also cuts it as a sedan of generous scale trimmed in the fine materials of a luxury car.
A stretched wheelbase and broad track for the platform result in a spacious passenger compartment and surprisingly large trunk -- it's 14.5 cubic feet arranged on a flat floor that conceals the spare tire and a 20-gallon fuel tank.
The five-place cabin, with form-fitting seats and electronic gizmos governing navigation, communications, safety, stereo sound and the interior climate, denote refinement and comfort.
Plan for the cabin shows two sport bucket seats separated by a center console in front of a bench scooped for two but broad enough for three riders and rigged with seatbacks that adjust the recline angle for extra comfort.
Driver's seat, firm and comfortable, fits to your body at multiple points through power toggles located near the top of the seat cushion.
Bold round black-on-while analog gauges cluster in a hooded panel immediately in front of the steering wheel. In a clever design, the pod housing instrument panel and steering wheel moves up and down with the steering column when you adjust it to fit, thus leaving instruments always visible to the driver through the upper section of the steering wheel.
The sleek package design for G35x conveys an aggressive image of strength and power and speed.
Windswept lines shape the design with muscular shoulders and flat flanks. Exaggerated blisters on front fenders are separated by a broad hood that slopes down from the rear-canted windshield to a low prow scored with horizontal bars of a chrome grille.
The double-hull design lends visual breadth but also contributes to the car's superior score for aerodynamics.
Wind tunnel testing confirms its slickness, as G35x earns a world-class mark of 0.27 cd (coefficient of drag), which indicates its efficiency for slipping through the air.
In addition, the design achieves zero lift at the front end, meaning front wheels will remain pinned against the pavement when running at speed without wind interference.
On the platform the front wheels move way forward and the engine is positioned so that its center of gravity falls behind the front axles. This placement results in a weight distribution for the car of 52 percent over the front wheels and 48 percent at the rear.
Yet the front wheels are two percent heavier by design to pre-load them with more weight when the car turns into a curve. Add acceleration coming out of the curve and the result becomes the ideal weight balance of 50:50 for front/rear wheels.
Infiniti offers the G35x in only one leather-lined trim issue labeled as the G35x Leather AWD, but optional gear is available as clustered in packages.
The entry-point MSRP is $31,900.
|
| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 2004 INFINITI G35 X Specs |
| Description: |
Mid-size sports sedan
|
| Model Options: |
Mid-size sports sedan
|
| Wheelbase: |
112.2 inches
|
| Overall Length: |
186.5 inches
|
| Engine Size: |
DOHC 3.5-L V6
|
| Transmission: |
Auto/5 with manual shift
|
| Drive: |
AWD ATTESA E-TS
|
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc
ABS/BA/EBD/VDC
|
| Airbags: |
2 (front) + 2 (side)
+ 4 (side curtain)
|
| Gas Mileage: |
17/24 mpg
|
| Price: |
$ 31,900 |
|
|
