MSRP Range: $27,500 to $33,000

Invoice Range: $24,500 to $30,000
Price Quote

MSRP As Tested: $29,100

Versions: none

Vehicle Category: Mid-Size Sports Sedan

Engine Location: Front Engine

Drive Wheels: Rear-Wheel Drive

Engine As Tested: 3.5-liter, Dual Overhead Cam, V6, 260-horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 260 lb-ft torque at 4,800 rpm

Transmission As Tested: 5-Speed Automatic, optional 6-Speed Manual

Fuel Economy (city/hwy): automatic - 19/26, manual - 20/27

Standard Safety Features: Driver and Front Passenger, front and side airbags, side curtain airbags, power 4-wheel disc brakes, Brake Assist, Antiskid System, Traction Control, In-Trunk Emergency Trunk Release

Competition: Acura CL, Acura TL, Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Cadillac CTS, Lexus ES 300, Saab 9-3

JULIAN, Calif. -- Engineers Road, a trickle of narrow pavement heading off California 79 at Lake Cuyamaca in the Laguna Mountains east of San Diego, scales a flank of North Peak before descending through one hairpin kink after another into an isolated valley that leads toward Julian.

We're following this seldom-traveled trace as it wraps, wiggles and drops into the valley of Boulder Creek while pushing the pace and running revs up to red in a spirited new premium sports sedan from Infiniti, the spin-up brand of luxury and performance cars from Nissan of Japan.

Badged as the G35, this sleek vehicle measures to mid-size dimensions off a stiff new rear-wheel-drive platform outfitted with a sport-tuned suspension and strong muscle developed through a big six-cylinder engine borrowed from Nissan's hot flagship, Maxima.

In this installation, the 3.5-liter V6 musters 260-hp at 6,000 rpm, with torque of 260 lb-ft at 4,800 rpm.

These figures propel G35 to the head of its class and elicit an aggressive personality from the otherwise practical concept of a four-door sedan.

Hang on for a wild ride because the G35 romps -- and, as our tests reveal, it's downright addictive to drive.

G35 comes to Infiniti as the smallest package in the fleet as well as the line's price-leader. Actually, the new car replaces a compact-class G20 sedan, although the two represent strikingly different concepts.

Most apparent is the size differential, as the wheelbase for G35 runs about a foot longer than G20 and its overall length is equally larger, which moves G35 up to the mid-size class. Also, G20 rides on a front-wheel-drive platform and stocks a four-cylinder engine, while G35 sends all power from that gutsy V6 to the rear wheels.

In addition to a gush of energy that flows with every tap of the throttle, our G35 -- pushed hard and fast down Engineers Road -- shows it can wiggle through tortuous mountain curves like a snake scooting across sand.

It acts more like a squatty go-kart -- hunkering low on pavement with wheels pushed to corner points for keen stability and all torque from an up-front engine flowing in classic arrangement to the rear pair for predictable and controllable traction -- than a sedan of generous scale trimmed in the fine materials of a luxury car.

But that's the seemingly contradictory facet driving Infiniti's concept for this car: One vehicle that's plush and practical to use yet also quick and canny and consummately fun to drive.

It features high performance numbers and applies advanced automotive technology to a premium sports sedan packaged to showcase the styling direction for future Infiniti products.

The sleek format -- windswept lines with muscular shoulders and flat flanks chiselled from painted metal and glittery chrome, plastic and tinted glass -- convey an aggressive image of strength and power and speed.

However, the five-place cabin, with form-fitting seats and electronic gizmos governing navigation, communications, safety, stereo sound and the interior climate, portray a different image, one of refinement and comfort.

Note the aggressive shape of the package: Inspiration for the design came from the twin-hull shape of a sleek catamaran sailboat.

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 four 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 G35 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 attempting to push the vehicle upward.

On the strong new platform underlining G35, front wheels move forward to an extreme and the engine sets so 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.

This balance coupled to the classic design with an engine up front loading weight on the front steering wheels while power applies to the rear wheels is what makes a hard run in the G35 through so many hairpins like our charge down Engineers Road an exercise of poise and supreme control.

The sophisticated multi-link suspension -- independent at all posts and designed especially to fit large-diameter performance tires -- certainly aides the control and produces smooth ride sensations.

A stretched wheelbase and broad track for the new 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 cabin plan puts 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 in multiple directions through power toggles located at hand 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.

G35 stocks a long list of safety features, including frontal and side curtain-style air bags, and it carries a smooth automatic five-speed transmission with manual shift mode. A six-speed manual transmission also will be available later during the car's first year of issue.

MORE DATA

Where Built: Japan

Seating: 5

Number of Rows: 2

Crash Test Ratings:

• NHTSA Frontal Impact/Driver Crash Test Rating: Not Yet Tested
• NHTSA Frontal Impact/Passenger Crash Test Rating: Not Yet Tested
• NHTSA Side Impact/Front Seat Crash Test Rating: Not Yet Tested
• NHTSA Side Impact/Rear Seat Crash Test Rating: Not Yet Tested
• NHTSA Rollover Resistance Rating: Not Yet Tested
• IIHS Frontal Offset Crash Test: Not Yet Tested

Length in Inches: 186.5

Warranties: 4 years/60,000 miles bumper-to-bumper, 7 years/unlimited miles corrosion, 6 years/70,000 miles powertrain, 4years/unlimited mileage free roadside assistance

Weight in Pounds: 3,336

Towing Capacity in Pounds: Not Applicable

Gas Tank Capacity in Gallons: 20.0

Destination Charge: $545