David, thank you so much for helping us out! I'm from San Fran/San Mateo, so I'm definitely interested to know where you might be in SF or Palo Alto once you find out. Here are my concerns:

1) I've never driven a G35 before. I've read that you can really feel all the bumps on the road, especially with sport-tuned suspension (as on the G35s models). Let us know if the car really sounds and feels as quiet as some reviews have claimed.

2) +1 on the Studio on Wheels system. Do the subs on the door panels cause any vibrations at high volumes? Can the CD player handle DVD audio or even movies (i.e., IS350)?

3) Describe the usability of the nav system. Some claim the nav is perfectly located, and its menus are easy to navigate around. Others say it is still not intuitive and complicated to use.

4) Find out what the A/V rca inputs are for in the middle console... if you can actually plug in a video source and watch it on your nav screen.

Thanks!

 

I want to know where you guys are going to be so I can sneak in and drive it my *#@ self! Maybe they're intentionally avoiding clones like me.
Anybody know of any dealers having a release party this month for the 07g in the SF area?

 

Peninsula Infiniti in Redwood City supposed should have at least one model car used for "training" in the month of Oct.

And here's what the GM at Infiniti of Oakland said:

We also will have a display/demo model available no later than October the 23rd.

 

Also, can someone explain to me how the push-button/keyfob work when it comes to valet parking? I park my car in Manhattan garages all the time and I'd prefer not to give them my keyfob or do I have to?

And if I only have a keyfob since they're no ignition key, how do I lock/unlock the glove-box or trunk or can I not do that?

 

it's just like the M series vehicles w/ the intelligent key and push button start.... the key is actually built right into the keyfob so you can lock the trunk and glove box and just give the valet the keyfob while you hold the master key..... they won't have any place to keep the keyfob on a key chain -- that's the only downfall but they just leave it inside the car anyways

 

..
+1 ^WHS^
This should not be an issue....
It's been done *many* times b4.
If you like wood, I see no reason not to do the same on the'07.

 

Just recently got off the phone with Nissan Sport's Senior Editor David Muramoto. He will not have access to a computer tonight. But he wanted me to give you the (very) quick scoop. Excellent. He was able to take the G through some serious mountain twisties--in the fog and rain no less--and the car performed flawlessly. In fact he had to shoot by another journalist (we'll leave the publication unnamed) at near triple digits so he could be the lead dog and *really* see what the G could do. In short: he was impressed.

More to come tomorrow (including answers to many of your Qs), even more to come in the November INSIDER (our newsletter), and look for a detailed review specifically addressing handling and performance characteristics (from an expert Nissan/Infiniti point of view) will come in our Winter 2007 issue (details at www.nissansportmag.com). Stay tuned!

Dave Bexfield
Managing Editor, Nissan Sport
www.nissansportmag.com

 

will there be a place for a key ring on the key FOB

 

My friend just saw this morning a light blue (I'm assuming lakeshore slate) G35s (she saw the red S emblem) on Hwy 280 by 92 (north of Palo Alto, the supposed city where the test drive is located). The license plate had about 4 numbers on it.

 

Just returned from a long (and delayed) flight today, but I want to answer the questions that have been posted thus far. First, we had several preproduction models to choose from and only a morning and an afternoon to put them through their paces. I chose to focus on the G35 Sport models (both 6 speed and 5-speed auto with DS mode) since time was limited. We drove a circuitous route around Palo Alto and sampled highway (including a portion of the famed Rt. 1 Pacific Highway) performance with sweeping turns as well as the tight and twisty mountain roads above the Bay area. What started as a sprinkle quickly changed to a downpour before we were halfway through the morning! That only contributed to the overall impression of handling stability with the new G. On to the posts:

DaCurryman- steering was accurate and true. Good turn-in feel and nicely weighted at speed.

ABQ G35- not to give too much away from my upcoming articles in NSM, but judging from these preproduction models, the new interior is a step up in terms of design and execution. A little more sophistication and thought is apparent.

G35stilez- No need to worry about low end torque. This car has it in spades and it pulls smoothly AND has more top end.

trey.hutcheson- can't answer all your questions, BUT while the new G clearly has some heft, the handling package on the sport model allowed me to postion the car precisely on rain slick downhill esses. Plesae see the upcoming NSM piece for comments on the auto box, particularly in DS mode. No noise from the rear and no autocross set up for us. LSD diff remains unchanged as a viscous unit.

tekknikal- road noise was negligible, easy conversation in driving rain at speed. Hard to comment on wind, but when the wind whipped the rain across the cabin you could certainly hear it.

griffey222- no need to have the crap scared out of you. These cars were well put together and I expect the production models to be even better! I was listening intently for interior and rear rattles and can't say I had many, if at all.

SammyWah- the "music box" operates off the CDs you load in and the unit can rip up to 100 songs and store them. I didn't see any way to do advance file tagging or edits. Please see my G35 review for more details on this and the Bose "Studio on Wheels" system.

Railgunner- according to the G35 production manager, the wood trim is spec'd to non-sport models for both concept and production reasons. The new 'washi' textured accents will be featured on the Sport models.

Mr. Ryte- Minarets- while I didn't drive the G35 AWD and Jouney models, I had the chance to look them over. The interiors are stunning. Ivory pearl on black is apparently not an interior deemed popular for all models. Again, concept and production needs outweigh potential (and limited sales) for that combo. Stay tuned for some potentially controversial comments on the Bose in my NSM article(s).

appdex72- to my knowledge, paddle shifters will not be offered on the non-sport autos. I didn't get to ask about the Ipod integration, but my personal opinion is that it will be difficult to adapt to such an integrated a/v system in the new G.

GoofyG28- the sport suspension is firm, but not punishing. The Bose speakers don't shake the inerior panels as much as they MOVE the adjacent air with sound! Believe me, at full volume, the hair on your legs will be dancing! Sorry, I just don't know about DVD audio or movies (I was too busy driving).

DaCurryman- besides damayor's answer, why not just drop the car off and keep the Intelligent key in your pocket? The car will remain running until the valet parks it, then he can hit the "stop/start" button and the car will shut down and lock itself until you give the valet your IK at the end of the evening to pick it up again.

inTgr8er- not sure if this is a question or simply a comment. I'll assume the latter.

kraqcommando- the Intelligent key has a loop on the end to fit a key ring/FOB.

Finally, GoofyG28 (again), you're correct. That was probably the G35S I drove on Thursday morning. The plate # indicates a manufacturer vehicle. BTW, the international press corp will get their ups next week, so you might keep an eye out in that area to catch a glimpse of the cars (but you didn't hear that from me and remember DON'T STALK those poor journalists)! LOL

OK guys, that's it for now. Please consider subscribing to Nissan Sport for more in-depth reviews if you like what you see here. The new G35 sedan is a great car and I had a chance to talk with designers, production engineers and even a test driver to get the inside details on its development.

 

Thanks for taking the time to answer questions and to provide us with a little more insight on the new G. Seems like November can't get here fast enough.

 

A BIG thank you to Mr. Muramoto!!

 

One more answer: GoofyG28 also asked about the nav unit. The screen is well-located high on the IP, but it still requires you to shift your vision from the road to the map. Touch screen operation and the optional XM "real-time" traffic data subscription could be useful, depending on your type of driving. I wouldn't call the control interface difficult to use, but there will surely be a learning curve to become profficent with its use.

 

Thanks again! I don't remember where I read this, but someone said the dead/rest pedal and the accelerator pedals are at uneven heights, causing your knees to bend at different angles. Not a big deal, but any feedback about that? ... Or were you having so much fun, you didn't notice anything?

 

I too want to thank you for the post Dave! Very good information here, can't wait to read this in the next NSM! I'm definitely renewing!