The Skyline Arrives
Nissan has finally decided North America deserves the Skyline-it arrives here as the Infiniti G35 sedan. If our initial impressions hold up, it's simply the strongest product Infiniti has had yet, and it's only a tantalizing hint of what's yet to come.
The rear-drive G35 (and all new Skylines for that matter) are built around a "Front Mid-ship" concept which places the engine's center of gravity just behind the front wheel axle line to produce a nearly perfect 52/48 front-to-rear weight balance. Infiniti contends the slight front-end bias helps "pre-load" the front suspension for better initial turn-in during cornering, without significantly sacrificing the stability which comes from near-perfect weight distribution.
And stability is exactly what impresses about the G35 most. Orbiting Nissan's Arizona test track at more than 150 mph, the G35 tracks with the composure of the Queen Mary-and it's been berthed in Long Beach for 35 years. The long 112.2-inch wheelbase (within an athletic 186.2-inch overall length) smothers most road divots, and the strutless multi-link, all-independent suspension is both mellow in its reactions and tenacious in adhesion. Nissan has also done a phenomenal job managing airflow over and around the car. The body itself carries a sleek 0.27 coefficient of drag, but the real trick lies underneath. The incorporation of diffusers and deflectors means the G35 has zero lift even at hyper-illegal velocities. This is the sort of intrinsic stability other cars try to achieve with big spoilers and afterthought air dams.
That sort of aerodynamic efficiency makes the work assigned to the G35's 3.5-liter, DOHC, 24-valve easier. Rated at 260 hp at 6000 rpm, and 260 lb-ft of torque at 4800 rpm, this is a version of the engine destined for the upcoming 350Z sports car. Lashed to a five-speed automatic (a manual will come later), this V6 is placid in around-town loafing but delivers thoroughbred performance when given some spur. At more than 3,300 lbs., the G35 is no lightweight, but it's not porky either. This keeps acceleration reasonable, if not phenomenal, and makes the chore faced by the ABS controlled four-wheel disc brakes manageable.
Sitting on its optional 17-inch wheels and P215/55R-17 tires (16s are standard), the G35 looks good enough on its own. But it's easy to imagine this car-this Skyline-with bigger wheels, bigger tires, twin turbos on its V6, all-wheel drive, a GT-R nameplate and the attitude of a world beater. As good as the G35 is, the best thing about it is that it's a Skyline and it's here.
2003 TTR
Spied frolicking along the Nurburgring in a secret test session was this prototype for a new hyped version of Audi's TT. The exterior tweaks are minor-new front skirt with fresh air intakes, new wheels, and some futzing around the wheel arches-but in the engine bay sits yet another version of the VW/Audi turbocharged, five-valve, DOHC 1.8-liter four. This one's boost brutalizes the pistons to make a rumored 265 hp. Whispers of a V6-powered TT persist, and beyond this a twin-turbo V6 blazing out nearly 400 hp. But this one-of which we have photos-still seems to have the four aboard.
By Hans G. Lehmann/ Hidden Image
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