"O, just the sedan?"

Whenever there's a sedan and a coupe of a model, the coupe always gets the attention. And why not? It's always usually the prettiest one. In some model lineups (I'm lookin' at you BMW) the coupe gets the damn-I-should-have-got performance package standard, and it's always only an option on the sedan.

This one's a little different though. It's my favorite type of car - a Q-ship. An inconspicuous, boring-looking car but with all the goodies underneath. This one's a 2004 Infiniti G35 sedan, however with the optional '6MT' package: limited-slip diff, performance suspension (similar to the G35 coupe), and the aero kit.

Unfortunately, it doesn't have the upgraded 280-HP VQ engine like in the G35 coupe, but rather the standard 260-HP unit in the G35 sedan. Still, none the less, it was a 'secret' performance package that few buyers were aware of.

I'm not a race-car driver. I haven't mastered any of the necessarily skills for performance driving. However, I think it's nice to try and pick-out certain peculiarities between different kinds of cars. I'll admit I haven't driven a lot of fast cars - however one of the reasons I love the G35 is because it's so good, you can feel the differences. Especially in everyday driving.

Aggressive evasive maneuvers feel possible in this car. The limited slip always manages to add more steering control at higher speeds. Brakes are excellent and with good feel. The best part is the part that it's a stick. The VQ engine family is one of my favorite engine families in all of the auto industry - but to get the most of it, it needs a stick. The VQ is known to be torquey, it is. It pulls in every considerable normal everyday traffic situation. However, the VQ is known to be a peaky, it does lose it's stride (especially on late-night highway pulls)

Nissan's 6-speed manual, shifted properly, solves most of these issues, while highlighting all the VQ's bright spots. It makes the car a joy to drive, and a great driver's car. It's definitely the transmission the engineers had in mind when designing the drivetrain. The automatic had to be an after-thought. I think any normal everyday driver with a little leaning towards performance will appreciate all the sporty attributes of this car. The RWD architecture does allow you to steer with your right foot, however RWD w/ a limited-slip isn't so great for snow.

The interior is certainly step up from other Nissan sedans of that era (1999-2005, the NRP/Nissan 180 era). It's important to remember that Nissan was just beginning to realize that in order to sell cars at luxury prices, you needed to have luxury cars. It isn't Audi/Mercedes/BMW standards, not even Lexus, but close. I'd say Acura-standards of the time.

The interior isn't a bad place to spend your time with the car. The build quality is actually pretty good, with a noticeable attention to tolerances. Still, I don't like how it shares the same window switches and turn staulks as a Nissan Sentra. The Bose stereo isn't quite as clear and punchy as I'd like, but I was never impressed with Bose products anyway. Seats are comfy and a little supportive, and the reclining seats in the rear is a charming touch.

In short, maybe the G35 sedan isn't the performance equal of it's coupe brother. Yet, it has enough room to seat 5 and their luggage, and NOT make it's driver look like a boy racer like every G35 coupe does. In this case, maybe the sedan version isn't so bad after all.