The G37 is available as a four-door saloon, two-door coupe and convertible with a price tag ranging from £30,300 up to £41,900.

As a new contender in the UK market it will find itself squaring up to the BMW 3 Series coupe, Lexus IS and Audi A5 on tough British roads for the first time.

Parked outside the UK’s flagship Infiniti dealership in Reading, the G37 range certainly looks the part.

Its swooping bodywork is exotic and expensive looking, and the rarity of the G37 in this country (only a few have been imported unofficially) adds to its wow factor.

The coupe is the best-looking thanks to its classic plunging roofline and strong rear haunches, but the convertible has lots of appeal too. It has clean lines with the roof stowed, and looks perfect for cruising down to the beach or wafting along fashionable restaurant-lined city streets.

Powerful V6

Lift up the bonnet on all versions of the G37 and you’ll find the same 3.7-litre V6 engine which powers the Nissan 370Z sports car.

It’s certainly not short on shove, with a gutsy 316bhp on tap the Infiniti roars from 0-62mph in as little as 5.8 seconds. The heavier convertible takes 6.4 seconds.

From behind the wheel the G37 feels faster than expected, with a serious turn of speed available if you tap into its power reserves.

But it’s also thirsty and average fuel consumption ranges from 23.7mpg to 26.7mpg compared with the 31mpg achieved by the BMW 335i.

Like the BMW the G37 is rear-wheel drive, and its chassis isn’t too far behind the class-leading 3 Series. The Infiniti engineers have succeeded in tuning the G37 to flow across European roads and it feels like driving a more refined and grown-up 370Z.

The shift from relaxed cruiser to fun sports car is down to the driver’s mood, and what they want to get from the car.

We drove the seven-speed automatic which has magnesium paddle shifters mounted behind either side of the steering wheel.

It can be left to its own devices, or you can move the drive selector across to manual mode and lock the gear choice to the paddles.

Like the engine, it makes for a shift in character between docile cruiser and feisty sports car and the gear changes are quick and responsive.

Competitively equipped

Even the most basic G37 is well equipped, especially compared with the stingily specified German competition. You get Bi-Xenon headlights, seven-speaker and six-CD audio system, electric driver’s seat and 18-inch alloy wheels as standard.

Upgrade to GT spec and leather faced seats, electric passenger seat and memory for the driver’s seat are fitted.

The range-topping G37S should be the performance drivers’ choice as it benefits from sports hardware including four-wheel active steering (4WAS), sports suspension, upgraded brakes, front sports seats and 19-inch lightweight alloy wheels.

Similar to the system fitted to the Renault Laguna Coupe, 4WAS automatically turns the rear wheels by a few degrees to help tighten handling at low speed and increase stability at high speed.

It can be felt working, and gives the sensation the car is smaller and more nimble with less steering effort required at the wheel.

The individual choice

While it probably won’t shake the foundations of established manufacturers yet, the Infiniti G37 is an impressive and accomplished car which deserves pride of place on British driveways.

Rarity is assured – at least for the time being – which should appeal to those with no particular allegiance to traditional marques who want something a bit different.

The ownership experience should be excellent thanks to a handful of Infiniti centres inspired by top of the line hotels and boutiques, and one point of contact who is responsible for all their customers needs.

Equipment levels and high performance make the G37 something of a bargain too, we just wish there was also a variant on offer which could return more than 30mpg.

Key facts

Model tested: Infiniti G37S Coupe
On the road price: £35,150
Price range: £30,300 – £41,900
Date tested: October 2009
Road tester: Andy Goodwin