The G35 uses Nissan's omnipresent 3.5-liter V6, a proven piece of big-bore, high-tech, variable-valve-timed aluminum whose initial competition-crushing figure of 260 horses has already been kicked up to 280. Everyone else recently started scurrying to catch up - the G35 now trails a 306-HP Lexus - but it's hard to imagine anyone's needs not being met by this engine's prompt service off-the-line, through the midrange, or at the high end. Just to illustrate the level of flexibility here, most cars shift down a gear or two when asked to maintain a 70 MPH cruise up an incline. The G35 can run all the way to 100 while locked in fifth. And you can lock it thanks to the segment's best automatic transmission - one that shifts quickly and quietly, grants total control in manual mode, and has the unique ace-up-the-sleeve feature of pre-revving the engine on downshifts for smoother engagements.
