I spent the evening at a neighbors house as they had an end to summer BBQ to celebrate (or lament) the fact that come Monday school starts again and the kids will no longer roam the neighborhoods all day while Mom and Dad are away at work. As I sat there amongst the parents (my son is only 2, so he won’t be starting school Monday) making meaningless small talk while drinking cheap wine supplied by the host, my mind started to wonder and thoughts of driving around the back roads with the top down and stereo up began to fill the void left by the mindless dribble going on around me.
My imagination of something more fun than the current activities was brought to a halt when the host offered to refill the glass I was holding, however the prospect of cruising around driving a fun, fast convertible is one that deserves to be revisited. The allure of top down driving on challenging roads and highways certainly is something we as enthusiasts can all embrace, and with gas prices dropping almost daily the concept of a pleasure cruise is starting to reenter our vernacular as something other than a taboo thought.
Not one to be left out of the market, news of the upcoming Infiniti G37 convertible made many a car lover happy. Based on the same platform as the wildly successful Nissan 350Z, the G37 has always been the better daily driver with the availability of seating for four along with a nicer and more luxurious cockpit. Increasing the lineup to include a convertible seems to be logical thereby pitting it against the highly successful BMW 3-Series convertibles.
The metal folding roof – a necessity now a days – insures that those not blessed to live in the sunbelt can still have the enjoyment of a convertible but also the four season convenience of a coupe. Diving further into the Infiniti spec sheet reveals a powerful six-cylinder engine, room for 4, and manual and automatic transmission options. It seems as though Infiniti took a page out of the BMW playbook in crafting this car, and honestly who can blame them with BMW’s success year after year in the convertible market.
We all know that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but does the Infiniti have what it takes to truly beat the market leading 3-Series convertible? Sure, you could argue that Audi has a fine competitor as well with the A4, except that whole model range has grown old and is due to be replaced this fall with a completely new model. Mercedes-Benz has the CLK350, but since no manual transmission is offered and it still sports a soft top instead of metal, it really doesn’t compete as closely as the 3-Series and G37 seem to compete.
Which brings up the question, which convertible would you choose for that long drive on a hot summer night? Does the prospect of the new G37 convertible excite you, or would the BMW 328i or 335i be the convertible of choice for you.
Summer is almost over, get out and enjoy some topless nights.