Altima’s Older Brother, Who Peaked in 2003

Remember in the early 2000s when someone had an Infiniti G35 coupe, they thought they were really cool? It was like the wannabe “350z,” just more “luxurious.” Look… at the time in 2003 when this car was named “Car of the Year” by MotorTrend, it was cool, but it was also basically buying a Nissan, wearing a suit to work, but with a knock-off Rolex on your wrist. Owners would say this car is timeless. I don’t know. I feel like it’s the automotive equivalent of strip malls. No one is looking at it and saying, “Wow, that's so beautiful,” when the headlights look like they're melting and borderline look like a rental car. 

Performance? On paper, it had some oomph back in the early 2000s.

I will give this car a solid 6 out of 10 because it produced both manual and automatic transmissions. Those with manual transmissions produced around 298 hp vs. automatic with 280 hp. But today? Congrats, you're driving a car that a modern Toyota Camry could leave in the dust without breaking a sweat. The VQ engine is famous, but for what? That notorious sewing machine on meth exhaust note that every owner swears is "just like a Skyline." No dude, it’s not a Skyline. It’s the wish.com version. And if I had a dollar for every time I saw a G35 driver revving in a parking lot to impress high school sophomores, I'd have enough cash to actually buy a real Skyline.

Sure, you can mod your G35 out and put a straight pipe on it so it sounds like it's gargling marbles, but what's worse is the sedans!! Geez, at that point, just get an Altima and call it a day. In short? The G35 is like a middle child—constantly trying to prove it matters, but always overshadowed by the Z car's fun factor and the Skyline's legendary name. You didn't buy a luxury car, and you didn't buy a sports car. You bought the awkward in-between that's loud, thirsty, and desperate for attention… kinda like its drivers.