Vehicle: 2010 Infiniti G37 Convertible Premier Edition
Price as tested: CDN$60700

Performance: Since the introduction of G37 last year, Infiniti has made no bones that they don’t want to take a backseat to its 2 Japanese peers: Lexus and Acura. Will the new G37 convertible finally put Infiniti ahead of the game? We will tell you after this test drive.

The G37, as its designation, its powered by Nissan’s wonderful VQ 3.7 liter DOHC 24-valve 267 V6 High Response engine series. This is the same engine that has been powered G for the last year. In ragtop’s case, it has 325 ponies and 267 lb/ft of torque. Power has never an issue with G37, so does the convertible despite its hefty 4110 lb of leather-lined open-top luxury. The result is a convertible that is equally responsive without losing any refinement and sweetness one associates with Nissan’s VQ37HR. 267 lb/ft arrives at 5200 rpm might seem high on paper, it actually provides a wide torque band across the rev range. On the other hand, 325 horses shine through the entire engine band without losing any composure. The 7-speed manumatic with paddle shifters provide decent gear ratios, especially the tall 7th gear is perfect for highway cruising. Its also has a downshift rev matching that stimuates the sort of driving feel with dual clutch gearbox. Although this remains a traditional automatic gearbox with manumatic mode, the downshift rev matching is dare close to what dual clutch gearbox feels 50% of the time.

Handling: Infiniti engineers have stiffened up G’s chassis as a fundamantal for the convertible to handle all the nasty. That means G ragtop is free of cowl shakes, extremely solidly made and well-build right from the ground up. On our Premimer tester, it got a bonus of sports suspension with faster steering ratio which is even better. The steering provides plenty of feedback with good precision and responsiveness. The sports suspension, at the same time, provide a good level of suppleness dialled in for a good balance of ride and handling. The Vehicle Dynamic Control also works decently. Thanks to G’s rear-wheel-drive with 50/50 perfect balance between front and rear, there is a slight oversteer when pushed hard but very easy to correct. Once it steps out of the line, VDC would act as a helping hand to save driver from rearing its ugliness.

Brakes: With 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, the G ragtop has decent brake feel and modulation. The modulation is solid and confidence-inspiring, on the other hand, it got a good feel through the pedal. ABS has acted at the right time, so does the Brake Assist.

Interior: As with most rectractable hardtop convertible, the trunk space is only good enough for 2 persons on a weekend getaway. The amount of rear seat space is another area where we only recommend 2 persons for G convertible.

On the front, everything else is typical G. While there are still some questionable plastic materials on the dashboard and center console. Infiniti has improved the use of materials gradually over the years. While it remains far from the best-in-class, it finally catch up to the class standard.

Conclusion: While the G37 convertible won’t sell in large numbers, unlike its sedan silibing. It has proved to the world that Infiniti is finally catching up to Lexus and Acura, when it comes to design and engineering fronts. All have put together in an attractively attired package.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2010 Infiniti G37 Convertible
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Performance: 4.5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4.5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 2/5
Value-for-money: 4/5

Overall rating: 4.25/5