Infiniti Officially Names G Coupe G37

Infiniti has just announced the official name of its new coupe, and it's notgoing to be called the G35. Judging by the silver sketch released in early January, and the fact that it still shares underpinnings with the new G35 sedan, it was logical to assume that what was good for the four-door would be good for the new two-door. Instead, the car has grown two digits to become the G37 Coupe. Besides the name change, it's still very much the same car that we saw in the sketch, confirmed by a closeup shot of the headlamp.

Though powertrain information has not been released, Infiniti's alphanumeric naming scheme gives away what's under the hood. It's pretty safe to assume that the G37 will feature a larger version (3.7 liters) of the famed VQ engine line. Sources have chimed in, suggesting that the G37's engine will be the basic, naturally-aspirated version of the forthcoming Nissan GT-R's twin-turbocharged mill. Power output for the G37 Coupe should be in the 325-330 horsepowerrange, which should distance itself from BMW's 300-horsepower turbocharged 335i, and get it one step closer to Audi's 340-hp, V8-powered S5. It's not yet known if Infiniti will add the new engine to the G sedan. Doing so would broaden the product lineup and help get even more customers into this desirable luxury machine.

As you can imagine, any link to the forthcoming GT-R has the Infiniti rumor mill at full speed. Several sources have already spouted that, following the introduction of the GT-R, Infiniti will have its own version of the powerplant, for good measure. Other remarks suggest single and twin-turbocharged versions, including one thatproduces 500-horsepower mated to all-wheel drive. The very thought of so much horsepower packed into a body as good looking as this is sure to get Infiniti and Japanese car fans daydreaming, and the usual high-powered German competition, plus the forthcoming V-series Cadillac CTS, are no doubt concerned.

Meanwhile, Infiniti is also presenting a concept vehicle at the New York show called the EX Concept. The EX is a vehicle designed to show off some of the technologies that Infiniti and parent company Nissan have been working on. Add this tidbit of information to a previous Infiniti release that stated the luxury brand would also soon debut a compact SUV/crossover vehicle, and it looks as if Infiniti will be the next player up to bat with a vehicle designed to butt heads with Acura's turbocharged RDX, BMW's X3 and Land Rover's new LR2. More info is destined to surface before the show, which is slated for April 4th.