REVIEW: 2012 Infinity G37 Convertible 6MT

You could say Nissan’s juices run in my veins. 

I first learned to drive on a 1969 Datsun 1300 pickup truck my father bought over the phone, sight un-seen. That truck rode rougher than a buckboard—or so I’m told. 

1960 Datsun 1300 Pickup

I never rode in a buckboard, but I took plenty of trips in the Datsun pickup truck over the years, to high school, to college.  It was the vehicle in which I learned to drive. And shift.

Bounced all over the road in that thing.

Nissan is going to resurrect the Datsun brand soon, but they’re not going to be selling any stateside just yet. They’re having too much fun selling Nissans in all shapes and sizes.

Which leads to a pop quiz:

Poetry in Motion:
The 2012 G37 Convertible

What has a satellite receiver, resin-coated pistons, a 12-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, power-tilt and telescoping steering column with synchronized instrument cluster, power retractable hard-top roof, and an analog clock? 

Oh, and it runs like a scalded dog.

The 2012 Infinity G37 Convertible 6MT is the latest mechanical alchemy to blend all of the above into a sleek and sexy coupe that commands the road effortlessly. Hyperbole aside, there’s no better way to celebrate Springtime in Texas than in a quality drop-top coupe from Infinity.

Command and Control Center

The automobile is not without its shortcomings…but more about that later. Infinity has built-in features and amenities—like the heated seats, Bose headrest speakers, and a navigation/entertainment/information nerve center—that beg you to fill the tank and find a winding road to fulfill your wanderlust.

And then there’s the curb appeal of the G37 Convertible…when you can find one sitting still long enough to admire.  The G37 has a beautifully-sculpted skin that oozes sex appeal, and shrugs off headwinds, cross-winds, and any other kind of friction that would deter it from your appointed rounds.  

Not a MicroSoft button

The G37 Convertible’s road stance is beefy, brawny, and sleekly muscular. My favorite part of the day was firing-up the engine for the first time, and listening to the throatiness of the twin exhausts, rumbling through cold converters and resonators before they achieved their running pitch.

A 3.7-liter V-6 has plenty of pep to quickly propel you down the road—and that’s when the real joy of driving the G37 kicks in: It purrs at freeway speeds, and grabs a lane and keeps it like those old Tigerpaw commercials back in the day. 

This is a fun car to drive about in, and turn heads, too!

Nissan's Transformer

Okay, full-disclosure dictates I mention a couple of shortcomings I am sure Nissan can smooth out: The three-piece solid retractable-roof looks cool when it’s up, and tucks away seamlessly when it’s down. In between, it’s like seeing one of the Transformers rearing-up in your rearview mirror… and whether it’s up or down, things rattle back there like a bag of canes.

You'll have to pack light...

Secondly, there is NO trunk space if the top is down. 

Oh, there’s room for a couple of umbrellas, and a can of chili, but this is not the car you’re going to be able to drive across Texas in, if you expect to take more than a day’s worth of clothes.  And you want them to be unwrinkled. 

Seriously.

The other surprising thing about this car—that’s a pretty stiff six-speed tranny and clutch for such a delightfully dapper looking car. 
It takes a little getting used to, and after a week, the calf and thigh muscles in my left leg were more pronounced than in my right leg.

The Infinity G37 Convertible is a beautiful automobile, all in all. 

My ’69 Datsun would be jealous.