Does anyone else find it odd and rather sad that the G37 sedan at 328hp will be more powerful than the M45? That would **** me off to no end if I was paying big money for a V8 M. You certainly don't see that sort of thing with other Luxury brands between their entry and mid-level vehicles (BMW 550 > 335) (Lexus GS460 > IS350) (MB E550 > C350), etc.

 

V8 in M45 still has more torque.

 

While I have a healthy respect for the role torque plays in how a car drives, hp is ultimately the bigger performance factor. If it weren't, we'd all be driving diesels.

 

M45 will eventually become M50. Problem solved.

 

Pretty soon M37 and M50 will be made.....it does happen when the models are redesigned or facelifted...at different times... I believe this happened sometime back when the Altima V6 is more powerful than the Maxima....

 

Its funny that you left out the 06-07 GS430 (290hp) vs. the 06-07 IS350 (306hp).

For 2 years the IS had more power then the V8 GS.

 

And for model year '07, the GS350 which replaced the GS300 made 303hp while the GS430 only made the aforementioned 290hp. I remember Toyota doing something similar when they first introduced a V8 to the 4Runner line. While the V8 model churned out more torque at fewer revs, it had a lower overall hp rating compared with the V6 version.

 

I didn't intentionally leave any of the Lexus history out. I just failed to research previous year-by-year line-ups. Thanks for pointing out that this isn't an isolated occurance in the industry.

It must be a Japanese thing. Subaru has the even crazier option of a 243hp 4cyl-turbo or a 245hp 6cyl for the legacy and they're both roughly the same price. I'd love to understand the marketing strategy behind that decision.

 

Don't want to hijack the thread but, does anybody know when is the M due for a full redesing?

 

Nope, I'd suggest searching and/or asking in the M-Spot forum.

 

And the thing is that the BMW 550i has more power than the 535i yet the 535i can get to 60mph just as fast.

 

If that were true, the 335 would be slower than VQ-HR models. Both play a role - HP is more important higher in the rpms (and thus for sports cars), but torque is arguably more useful in town, and can result in a faster car.

 

probably 2010.


the M45 is designed to be a luxury sedan, not a performance sedan like the G.

 

After it's lights out though. The 550i is a solid 13.6-13.7@104mph car.

 

Won't it be swell if Infiniti puts the 5.0L V-8 into the G sedan?