2008 Los Angeles Auto Show: 2009 Infiniti G37 Convertible

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What is it?
2009 Infiniti G37 Convertible

What's special about it?
It's all right to consider the 2009 Infiniti G37 Convertible the company's first real drop top. Sure, there was that M30 thing back in the early days, but it was just a regular old coupe that got shipped to ASC for a lobotomy.

This G37 convertible is the real deal. It has unique bodywork, an upgraded interior and a three-piece retractable hardtop. Add to that Infiniti's new 3.7-liter V6 and this G37 drop top should have no trouble erasing the bad taste left behind by the M30.

With the top in place, the G37 convertible looks almost identical to the coupe. It's somewhat of an illusion, however, as the convertible's body panels are unique from the A-pillars back. The result is a car that's actually 1.1 inches wider overall.

The rear track is also 1.4 inches wider, as the rear suspension was modified slightly to make room for the folded hardtop. Overall, the G37 convertible is roughly 442 pounds heavier than the comparable coupe. Cargo capacity with the top up is actually better than the coupe at 10.3 cubic feet (versus the coupe's 7.2 cubic feet). With the top down, the space nearly disappears as the capacity drops to a little less than 2 cubic feet of space.

There will be two models available — base and Sport 6MT. Both get the same 325-horsepower 3.7-liter V6 as the coupe. The base model gets a seven-speed automatic transmission as standard, while the Sport model comes with a close-ratio six-speed manual. No fuel-efficiency figures are available yet, but expect them to be slightly lower than the coupe's numbers of 18 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway.

Every G37 convertible gets an extra dose of aluminum trim on the dash, doors and center console. Both the dual-zone climate control system and the optional Bose audio system have the ability to compensate for top-down driving. On the less technical side, there's also a rear-seat windscreen to reduce cabin turbulence.

Sales of the 2009 Infiniti G37 Convertible are expected to start in the spring of 2009. Pricing will be announced closer to launch, but expect to see the base model come in just under $40,000.

Inside Line says: Still good-looking, even with the new folding top, the 2009 Infiniti G37 makes the Lexus IS convertible look like a bad aftermarket project. — Ed Hellwig, Lead Senior Editor