Celebrating 35 Years Of INFINITI With A Look Back At the G Coupes

INFINITI was founded in November 1989, making 2025 the 35th anniversary of the brand. With that in mind, Dick Smith INFINITI would like to look back at one of its most iconic models, the G Coupe line.  

The G Coupe dates back to June of 2022. Preceding it by a few months was the third Generation G Sedan. The sedan was a big departure from previous G models in that it was now on the rear-wheel drive Skyline platform. Nissan referred to this as the FM platform. FM stood for “Front midship,” which refers to how the engine was set back from the front axle for a 52/48 front/rear weight distribution. Five months after the redesigned sedan’s launch, the Coupe had its debut, ready to take full advantage of the exceptional handling that had the engine placement at its core. 

Nobody will be surprised that INFINITI targeted the BMW 3-Series Coupe during the G Coupe’s development, and the G Coupe would emerge as the chief competitor to the Bavarian model. Along the way, it was named Motor Trend’s Car of the Year for 2003, was nominated for the North American Car of the Year award for the same year, and was also posted to Car and Driver’s Ten Best List for both 2003 and 2004. 

A key force behind the G Coupe’s acclaimed ride and handling was Hiroyoshi Kato, who was Nissan’s master test driver during its development. Kato stated that while the handling characteristics of the BMW 3-series and other rear-drive coupes were analyzed for strengths and weaknesses, the goal for the G Coupe was “nimble handling and with explosive response” and that they aimed to “create a wow feeling for drivers.” 

A key to this was ensuring quick and direct steering response, which was helped by the reduced polar weight from the engine being set back. This was combined with an impressive line and aggressive acceleration with a front-loaded accelerator pedal response.  

Kato stated that during the peak of the G35 development, he drove an average of one hundred laps on the 4-mile Tochigi test track daily, either in G Coupe test prototypes or competing models.  

Some feared the original G Coupe’s aggressive throttle response was too much, and some thought the steering was also too responsive. This led to concerns that the car would seem responsive to the point of nervousness for a luxury-branded vehicle. Customer and media reviews after the launch, however, made it clear that the aggressive response was precisely what the market wanted. 

The G Coupe shared its platform with the G Sedan and the FX SUV. The latter’s AWD system was eventually applied to the G Sedan, but the Coupe remained a rear-drive vehicle. It was fitted with a rear steering system, which involved using an electronic control unit to calculate the desired vehicle dynamics based on vehicle speed and steering angle sensors. A control motor adjusted the rear geometry accordingly. Kato recalls his efforts to ensure the vehicle still felt natural to the driver.  

Over the years, the engine grew from 3.5 to 3.7 liters, a 7-speed automatic transmission was added, a convertible was introduced in 2009, and the model name was changed to Q60 to fit Infiniti’s new model naming strategy. Consumer migration from coupes to SUVs ended the G Coupes presence in 2016, but INFINITI strives to maintain its fun-to-drive dynamics in everything it currently builds.  

If you want to see how the G coupe lives on in the brand, visit Dick Smith INFINITI and test drive the current sedan, crossover, and SUV model lineup.