First Test: 2010 Infiniti G37S Coupe 20th Anniversary Edition

Two decades ago, Nissan introduced its Infiniti luxury brand to North America in hopes of wooing buyers away from the established players in the space. For the most part, the plan worked.

Infiniti has grown tremendously since its debut and has recently gone global, with its G series of vehicles leading the charge. So to properly honor its birthday milestone while simultaneously paying homage to its favorite model, Infiniti has built a limited run of the G37, simply labeled the Infiniti G37 20th Anniversary Edition.

Only 350 anniversary-spec sedans (rear-wheel and all-wheel drive) will hit dealers this model year. Opt for a coupe, or a snazzy hard top convertible, and your pickings are slimmer. Just 200 of each are currently being delivered straight from Nissan's Tochigi plant.

Exactly what's so special about the special edition models? First off, the limited run guarantees you'll have a little piece of Infiniti history. (For reference, in the first five months of 2010, a total of 22,430 G37s were sold in the U.S.)

Each Anniversary Edition starts as a G37 Sedan/Coupe Journey or standard G37 Convertible, wears only the new Graphite Shadow exterior paint, and receives the otherwise optional Midnight Black grille. Nine-spoke 19-inch alloys wrapped in W-rated rubber fill the G's deep wells. Coupes get the brand's handsomely done five-piece aerodynamic kit. Our tester car's 14-inch Akebono brakes clamped firmer with optional R Spec high friction pads ($370) on board.

Premium (moonroof, Bose audio, power adjustable wheel, rear sonar) and Navigation (Hard Drive Navigation with 7-inch screen, Lane Guidance, XM traffic, weather, and Zagat restaurant guide) packages come with all Anniversary Editions, while only the Coupe and Sedan get the Sport Package (bigger 14-inch Akebono brakes and 19-inch wheels, tighter suspension, limited slip differential, 14.7:1 steering) and 4-Wheel Active Steer (not available on G37 Sedan AWD).

Basically, you get a fully loaded, no-expense-spared, sporty, automatic gearbox-equipped G37 without the hassle of building it yourself. Don't believe us? We created the closest thing to a G37 Coupe Anniversary Edition on Infiniti's user-friendly consumer website and ended up with a car costing $52,035 (with the $865 destination fee), or $250 more than our tester. And we didn't get the Monaco red interior.

The G37 Anniversary Edition's long, low, seductive form is slightly modified by an edgy aerodynamic kit consisting of front and rear lip spoilers and a set of side skirts. It may be a bit "boy racer," but we mostly liked the kit, although some called the nose "goofy-looking." Plus, you don't often see it on G37s (which may be due in part to its hefty $3600 price tag).

Swing open the Coupe's long door and the leather's vibrant red sheen assaults your retinas. The color was polarizing with staffers, though more loved it than hated it. Dark maple accents surround the center console buttons and gear shifter, adding to the high-end feel. Beautifully crisp, bright blue-and-white instruments shine brilliantly behind the simple three-spoke multifunction wheel. The cabin has a classy, comfortable ambiance akin to that of an upscale jazz lounge.

On our 18-mile daily commute through L.A.'s city streets and jammed highways, the Anniversary Edition allowed few outside noises to infiltrate its passenger space. The wide, adjustable luxury thrones proved comfortable during our week of perusing scenic SoCal, even as the taut sport suspension bounced off the many road ruts and imperfections.

Find a quiet back road, slip the seven-speed transmission into "DS" or "Drive Sport," pull back on the left paddle, and a quick rev-matched downshift awakens the 3.7-liter V-6. This grand tourer definitely has some underlying athletic tendencies. On a smooth, straight run, the Anniversary Edition hits 60 mph in 5.4 seconds, equaling the time of a 2008 G37 Coupe (five-speed automatic) we tested in 2007.

Keep encouraging the VQ37VHR mill and a quarter mile passes in 13.9 seconds at 101.3 mph. That's slightly faster than the 2008 model's best 14.0 second at 100.9 mph run. Braking also improved on the new two-door. Thanks to the stickier pads, the Anniversary Edition stopped from 60 mph in 109 feet, a foot shorter than the '08 coupe.

Encounter a corner hastily and the G37 doesn't flinch one bit. Its stiffer independent suspension calibration and 19-inch wheels produce a decent amount of grip. On our 200-foot skidpad, it laid down a lateral grip average of 0.89 g -- impressive considering its bulky 3694-pound heft. Around the MT figure-8, the Coupe recorded a modest 26.1 second lap at 0.69 g (avg).

From corner entry to exit, the Anniversary Edition exhibits little to no chassis roll. The capable combination of a speed-sensitive variable helm, four-wheel active steering, and a potent 330-horsepower V-6 makes for an easy-to-toss, predictable, and quick-responding Japanese GT.

Now, some things we didn't enjoy. We love the famed VQ engine for its power and liveliness, but during our drive, we constantly craved a louder, more vociferous note. Come on, Infiniti. Be proud of those highly addicting, rev-matched barks. Also, like its cousin the Nissan GT-R, the rear seats are useless unless your two passengers are contortionists or very petite. The area is better used as a light cargo carrier than a people mover.

For this particular celebratory edition, buyers will pay a significant premium over a bone stock G37 Coupe. But as we mentioned before, build one for yourself, and you'll end up with a car that's slightly more expensive than the actual Anniversary example, unless you opt for the G37 Convertible (which interestingly ended up being $830 less than the prepackaged Infiniti). And at an as-tested price of $51,785, it is no small change.

As we walked away from this Happy Birthday G37, we couldn't help but think of it as a fun, comfortable, luxury-packed cruiser that handles well and can scurry in a hurry. A car like this is pretty good way to celebrate.