I don't understand either. It seems like a hate or love thing. When I first checked out the Infiniti dealership 4 years ago I thought it was very cool. People who come in my car also point it out. And when I was at the autoshow, I heard a couple in an M saying how they liked the analog clock there.

 

I love the clock!! I think it's classy. =)

 

Yeah I've gotten nothing but compliments on the analog clock. People think its very classy.

If you don't like it, cover it up with something else and have the clock displayed on the LCD screen...or maybe the Europeans are too stupid to read an analog clock.

Infiniti is treading in dangerous waters, Europeans in the market for luxury cars are extremely loyal and don't seem to take too kindly to foreign luxury cars.

 

I like the analog clock too, tells me the time when the car's engine is off. I hope there are no Europeans on this forum since they might find your post to be offensive

 

You can be like the article writer and use black electrical tape. While you're at it, you can cover the lame Infiniti logo on the steering wheel.

 

Negatory. Europe (mainly Switzerland) is responsible for the world's finest time pieces: Omega, Rolex, Tag, Cartier, Baume, Rado, Brietling, etc.

I think the fact that it's a quartz clock is probably what makes it so cheap (in European's eyes). Bentley uses a Brietling timepiece in their cars, so they've set the bar pretty darn high. The Infiniti's made in China, quartz thingy can't quite compare so why do it all.

Europeans aren't really into unnecessary flare for the sake of it. They're minimalists and if it's going to be done, do it right or don't do it at all. To them, they'll probably immediately think the Japanese are trying to knock off Bentley. Americans know that it's been a part of Infiniti cars since they came out, but Europeans will see it as a poor attempt at copying elite-luxury European cars. That's my guess on why they decided to take it out.

All that said, I like the analog (but quartz) clock.

 

Still no word on its weight?

 

+1 Typical example - at lunch today someone was in my car for the first time and commented on the clock. I like it.

BrianV, what's wrong with the logo on the steering wheel?? Looks fine to me

 

Have you guys ever seen the analog clock in a Ford Fusion? Puuuuuuuuuuuuke

I also don't think it is fair to compare an analog time-piece from a bentley to an infiniti clock...just because my analog clock does not cost $400,000 does not mean it is a piece of crap.

 

I don't think anyone in Europe will think Infiniti is trying to "knock off" bentley. As far as I know, Lincoln has been doing this in their cars for a while with cartier time-pieces and I'm sure people aren't saying, "they're trying to copy bentley..."

 

Aren't they the brains behind I-drive? I-drive flies right by unnecessary flare and lands right on top of stupid/annoying/useless flare.

 

I can't tell if people are being sarcastic or not, but the author did not place the electrical tape over the steering wheel.

He states in the article: Even behind some mild disguise, there’s no doubting that the saloon’s styling... [emphasis mine]

For whatever reason, it appears that Infiniti did not want any logos showing. Hence the tape over the clock, steering wheel, etc. I can't tell for sure but the wheel cap logos even look as if they've been obscured.

 

iDrive is CRAP compared to infinti controller

 

I wonder when we'll hear about the 2009...

I was checking out Infiniti sales numbers... The G35 sedan year over year sales are down 15% while the coupe is up 80%... Yes, 80%.

 

DingoNY, the sales numbers make perfect sense since the 08 G35 numbers are on the back of the very successful 07 new body style which basically doubled the sales of the G35 for the first year. OTOH, the G37 numbers are compared to the last months of the old body style G35 coupe when many people were holding off for the new body style. A similar situation is happening with the FX35 right now.