Up front we have a 3.7l V6 which, for the G37S coupé, produces a very pleasant 330hp driving the rear wheels. Progress has been rapid but uneventful on the highway out of Dubai, but as we hit the first real section of challenging roads somewhere near Hatta, it is time to put that front/rear combination to the test. It is also time for an announcement: “This is your Captain speaking. For the remainder of the day, traction control will be switched off”.
With traction control disengaged, or rather Infiniti’s Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC), you have full access to all 330hp, which makes for a much livelier driving experience. On a side note, I like the way it is just a button that you press to turn on or off. None of this ‘hold in for five seconds’ nonsense followed by prompts of ‘are you really sure?’ as if the world is going to end by disengaging it.
During cornering the G is well balanced and a combination of the beautifully weighted and sharp steering with plenty of feedback being transmitted through the wheel definitely gives you the confidence to attack. Push things a little harder and the back end breaks traction in such a progressive way that you can exploit its tail happy nature and, when you feel it has gone beyond the comfort zone, the slightest of lift-offs will bring the back end in line in an equally smooth and linear way. There are no snap-in dramatics to make you scream like a girl.
Taking the turn off up to Hatta Dam to grab a couple of quick snaps has me grinning like an idiot as I tackle the series of corners leading up the hill. This chassis paired with 330hp equals 330 exploitable horses, and it is easy to see how it could handle a few more. The resulting confidence has had me pushing faster and harder as the day has progressed and yet the Infiniti has remained totally poised and unfazed.
