Wow! After 120 posts, even G35_TX admits what seemed obvious to most other board members. Brembo is better (Nice going EZZ).

Therefore, back to the reason for this thread: YES, it was a step backward when Infiniti decided to remove it for the 05 G35C 6MT. Most other changes were a step in the rigth direction: Wheels, suspension, and interior. However, I think the 298HP was mostly for marketting and didn't result in much better performance.

I'll wait until I see the 06 in person before passing final judgement. Sometimes the images are deceptive, but from what I've seen, I don't like the front bumper nor the rear-end. The other changes are a nice evolution; but not really a transformation.

 

Wow! Didn't expect to see a 03/04 vs 05 vs 06 debate get so heated. What happened to the good ol' days of 330 vs G35?

Anyway, in my humble opinion of changes from 03/04 to 05 to 06 coupe:

Going forward:
1.) 19" forged rims - took a while to grow on me, but now I think they look better/classier than the 18" solid 7-spoke design. The 19's in combination with the bigger tires are a tad bit heavier than the 18's with the smaller tires though...

2.) Center console in the 6MT; prewired SAT radio; real aluminum trim; MP3 capability; viscous LSD; headrests adjustable forward and back; larger, motorized NAV screen; driver’s seat memory; projector headlights; bluetooth, sport-tuned suspension.


Going backward:
1.) Loss of brembos – regardless of how you cut it, the Brembo’s definitely look better than any of the OEM/stock (non-Brembo) brakes.
Stopping distance does make a difference, even if it is only a few feet – yes, you do have to have to have good judgement as well, but in an emergency braking situation, a few feet makes a difference. That being said, the 05 stock brakes probably perform similarly to the Brembos in terms of stopping distance. I really think that any differences in stopping distance between ANY of the G35 brakes is negligible. I don’t think that anyone can cite to a head-to-head test of stopping distance for the Brembos vs the 05 (same day, same location, same driver, all things being equal). The argument that 03/04 non-Brembos perform better than the Brembos based upon the fact that the test of the 03 sedan provided the shortest stopping distance is flawed. You really can’t reach a definitive conclusion based upon the tests that some magazine did on an isolated day with an isolated vehicle. Heck, you’re not even comparing apples-to-apples since the coupe weighs more than the sedan (more weight, longer to stop physics). The MT coupe is even a different weight than the AT coupe – since Infiniti never put Brembos as an option in the AT coupe, we’ll never be able to determine the exact effect of Brembos in the G. I also don’t think you can make an argument that “put some better fluid, pads, and put some better lines and man you got yourself a braking system that will surely perform better than the Brembos did in stock form.” Well, duh! We’re trying to compare brakes from a “fresh out of the factory” standpoint. If you were to add better brake pads, fluid, and lines to the Brembo calipers, who would argue against the fact that this setup would probably outperform the stock 05 brakes without all the aftermarket upgrades? Regardless of configuration, all of the G35’s brake systems are great at stopping the car.



I think that the only argument you can definitively make is that the Brembo pads last much longer than the non-Brembo 03/04 brakes. There was a post a while back where the questions were asked: how many miles did you have on your pads before they wore out and do you have Brembos or 03/04 Non-Brembos? If I recall, almost everyone who responded with premature brake wear had the non-Brembos. I believe that those that are experiencing premature pad wear with Brembos are actually in the minority rather than the majority. That’s probably why the warrantee for pad wear ONLY applies to the 03/04 non-Brembos – Infiniti probably didn’t find enough evidence/complaints on the Brembos to justify extension of the warrantee. Apparently, the 05 brakes have solved the brake pad wear problems of the non-Brembo 03/04s – Infiniti also did not believe a extension of the warrantee was justified on 05 brakes either.

2.) Weight increase – going from 3435 lbs to 3512 lbs to 3524 lbs is NOT a good thing.


Doing a sidestep:
1.) 280 hp/270 ft/lbs to 298/260 ft/lbs –Infiniti adjusted the hp/torque curves to produce more power up high, but losing hp/torque down low/midrange. Supposedly, one of the changes that Infiniti made in 05 was to redesign the intake manifold collector. This part is available to retrofit the 03/04 models, but a certain retailer makes it clear that this will decrease low end power while increasing high end. Furthermore, someone on this forum recently dyno’ed a stock 04 vs a stock 05 on the same day and same dyno. It showed that the 04 really did make more horses up to about 5.5k RPM or so, but then the 05 made more above that RPM all the way to it’s higher redline. I think this change is a wash as to whether it was good or bad – kinda depends on whether you often hit those higher RPM.

Anyway, the G35 seems to be headed in the direction of the market. The majority of buyers want more amenities or more “perceived” horsepower, not Brembos.

 

the brembo system on the g35 is more than just calipers. however, the brembo calipers and pistons allow for larger rotors and pads to be used, which both dramatically help contribute to fade resistance. the stock brakes are able to lock the wheels cold, and the brembo brakes dont -and cant really improve that. the brembo brakes help when the temps rise and allow the brake system to continue to perform even after the stock brake's heat capacity would have been reached.

leave your argument about 1 time stops alone. Even if, for some reason, you did want to compare 1 time stopping distance you couldn't - none of those tests were done at the same time and under the same conditions. variations in road surface, temperature, tire wear, DRIVER, etc all impact braking distance. these variables are not controlled in the tests in your link, that link simply contains a bunch of different scenarios with different cars, under different days, in different places, with different drivers.

if all that matters to YOU is the 1 time cold stopping distance, fine... but do not come here and try to argue that the 04 or 05 brakes are superior braking systems when, by the measure of competitive value, they are not.

btw i dont appreciate you calling me stupid, much less an idiot.

 

Sorry about calling you a idiot, but you sounded like one at the time.

And are the Brembo brakes still worth the difference and price compared to the 05 brakes. NO. Not at all since the 05 brakes can be made to perform better than the brembos for about 200-300 bucks.