Review: 2009 Infiniti G37 Convertible

Chopping the top off a car isn't as easy as it sounds, especially when the fixed roof is replaced with a folding one of the steel variety - the panels and system of motors and hinges add significant weight. Worse, in order to get the whole mess to fit in the trunk, folding hard tops often require a bubbly, arching roofline and an ungainly, long rear deck. If you've had the displeasure of studying a Volkswagen Eos, you know what we're talking about.

Now, Infiniti - which hasn't produced a droptop in ages - has created a hardtop convertible G37 that has lost almost none of its elegant coupe sibling's visual appeal. And although the retractable roof and robust structural bracing add some 450 pounds to the car's mass, the G37's driving experience also has been largely preserved. That means blistering acceleration, brilliant ride and handling, and a cockpit that's among the prettiest in the business.

Even though the G37's chassis is new from the A-pillar rearward, the experience from behind the wheel is identical to that of the coupe. The familiar VVEL 3.7-liter V-6 carries over, but it produces five fewer horses due to a slightly more restrictive exhaust. Transmissions migrate over as well - buyers will choose a six-speed manual or a seven-speed automatic. We prefer the automatic, which dampens much of the V-6's roughness and provides better off-the-line acceleration, thanks to delightfully short gear ratios. A sport package that mirrors the coupe's - although without the limited-slip differential - is available with the automatic (and standard with the stick), but all-wheel drive is not offered.

Lowering the roof requires nothing more than a lengthy thirty-second button press, and air movement is very well controlled inside the cabin, especially with the optional wind blocker. To ensure year-round comfort, you can order heated and cooled seats, and headrest-mounted Bose speakers are available, too.

So what's so difficult about making a convertible, you say? It's the decision about what compromises a manufacturer must make for the sake of beauty. In order to keep the G37's sexy silhouette, Infiniti had to relocate the rear suspension's upper mounting points so the top would fit in the trunk. It does - but it leaves almost no room for cargo. With the top down, you'd be hard-pressed to fit two Ziploc freezer baggies back there. That is, if you can get the trunk open in the first place - the heavy lid lacks any kind of handle and is difficult to open.

Asking rear-seat passengers to hold your luggage will be an exercise in the art of persuasion. They have almost five inches less legroom than they would in the back of a BMW 3-series droptop - so they won't be happy. Just reassure them that they look fabulous in the G37, and drown out their complaints with that trademark Infiniti exhaust song.

On Sale: June
Price: $46,000/ $57,000 (base/as tested, est.)
Engine: 3.7L V-6, 325 hp, 267 lb-ft
Drive: Rear-wheel

CAR CUSTOMIZATION

Car customization and modification can be classified as both, an industry and a hobby or we can say it is the interest of an individual. People renovate their cars just the way they renovate their homes. This renovation process of the cars is called car customization and modification. Mostly we see this trend of modifying cars and adding extra to it to enhance its performance and looks in the young generation. The young generation is more inclined towards modifying their cars and adding more to it. Not only in Pakistan but around the whole world this is gaining more and more popularity.

There are different areas of car modification and customization. There is the engine modification, the body modification and suspension modification.

The engine modification basically involves the replacing of pistons and bearings of the car. Different turbo charges and performance chips are added to improve the performance and the speed of the car. These changes increase the acceleration and the top speed of the car. The nitrous oxide kit can also be used to add extra pump and speed to the car. Nitrous oxide cylinder is fitted with the carbonator of the engine and adds turbo speed to the car by increasing the fuel consumption of the car by almost 300%. By the usage of this cylinder the car can reach a high speed in no time. However it is mostly used in sports cars for racing purposes.

The body of the car is also modified giving it a new look and sleek style. The first and foremost act of body modification is replacing the existing or what we call stock front and rear bumpers by new extended bumpers or adding different extensions to the existing ones. The side skirts of the car also play an important part in the body modification as they can also completely change the overall look of the car. The hood and trunk are also modified to further improve the look of the car. The trunk is sometimes completely reconstructed and given a totally different look. Rims and alloys also play a very big role in the beauty of the car. The chromes and spinners are very popular and among the expensive ones.

Low profile tires are also used. 17inch and 19inch tires are the low profile tires but due to the various reasons 19inch is not mostly used in the cars because of the bumpy roads. Wider tires are sometimes also used in the cars. They can increase the road grip of the car.

There are also several options available for modifying headlights. Headlights can be further enhanced by opting for xenon or HID’s. HID’s are available in two colors: white, pink purple in Pakistan. Xenon has a wider variety. However HID’s are higher density lights and prove more effective. This is also the reason behind their higher price. Furthermore, neon lights can also be attached to the bottom of the car, which adds to the car’s appearance. These neon lights can be found in a variety of colors and sizes.

Exhaust pipes affect a car’s performance and appearance. A car’s speed and sound vary depending on the size of the exhaust. A bigger exhaust would increase the air intake and thus increase the fuel consumption of the car.

The car’s suspension can also be altered. Cars with low suspensions, which are often referred to as ‘low riders’, carry a sportier look than most other vehicles. Lower suspensions also increase the car’s grip on the road. However, one major drawback of this feature is that low suspensions make it nearly impossible to drive on bumpy roads, which is especially important on Pakistani roads.

As important as the car’s exterior is the car’s interior. First of all, as most of the younger generation would agree, the sound system is an essential component in terms of adding value. Seats can also be changed. Seats with body massagers are replaced by the original ones. LCD’s and in-dash screens can also be connected to further pick up the interior of the car.

In Pakistan, car customization is only common in some of our major cities: Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar. It is a growing trend and there is an increased inclination towards customizing and modifying older cars rather than new ones. A good example of this is with American muscle cars such Buick, Chevrolet, Mustang, and Jeeps. Amongst the newer cars that are usually modified are Vitz, Corolla and Civic. Not surprisingly, the younger generation seems to be the one which is most attracted by car customization. This is partly because modified cars have become a status symbol as well as a craze. There are several workshops across the major cities that specialize in car customization. A lot of the body kit enhancements are made from the same material which is used to make water tanks in homes and buildings. Since this is still a relatively new industry in the country, the availability of part is an issue and therefore, parts need to be imported from abroad. This, in turn, makes car customization in Pakistan a costly luxury.

The most economical car….

With inflation rates soaring and prices reaching an all time high, we all need to economize in one way or the other. When speaking of economical cars, the Suzuki Mehran stands head and shoulders above the others. High mileage and very low maintenance costs attract an extremely large number of consumers to this car. The fact that this car attracts such a large number of consumers gives the Mehran an extremely high resale value and allows it to be sold with great ease.

Simple steps we could take to reduce accidents

In order to reduce accidents in Pakistan it is important for all of us that we should thoroughly implement traffic laws. That is stopping at lights, using indicators while turning or changing lanes; not using high beams which would reduce the visibility of other drivers, staying within the speed limit would reduce the chances of accidents, and eliminating the use of cell phones while driving and by monitoring drivers license center to ensure that bribes are not taken from applicant who are applying for the licenses.
Safety is utmost important and it is very important for every driver, whether young or old that they take simple safety measures such as wearing seat belts because seat belts make sure that a person is not hit with something inside the car while in a crash which increases the chances of survival.

Ever thought of GPS- Navigation in Pakistan?

If you have been waiting for GPS-Navigation then the countdown is over. GPS navigation is being introduced in Pakistan by Data Solutions Private Limited and Tracking World Private Limited. The GPS –Navigation that is being introduced in Pakistan, initially would have maps available for the major cities such as Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Multan, Gujranwala, and it would also include all the national highways.
In car GPS-Navigation system would also provide the option to search for several points of interests which include of fuel/CNG stations, ATM’s, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, and shops. You may find address and phone number information for most of POIs.
In-Car GPS is made possible through Garmin GPS units. The prices of these units range from Rs. 43000-48000. Lahore based Tracking World say that, customers can pay one time fee for these navigation units and map to use GPS service for life time.

Cars in Pakistan vs. Cars abroad

Local cars in Pakistan are basically neither luxury nor sports. They are basically for daily purposes such as taking students to schools and universities. There is not much passion about cars in Pakistan that is if it is not backed by financial resources. There are only limited families which are elite class because of whom we see few cars that are high in luxury and spectacular in looks in Pakistan. In countries with high GDP per capital such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Japan the luxury is being stretched to its limit. The taxis over there are minimum Toyota Camrey that is being perceived as a luxury car in Pakistan. Cars such as Maybach, Rolls Royce, Phantom and Bentley are considered to be luxury cars in countries which have a high GDP. These cars are engineered to the limit of engineering.
The general perception of luxury in Pakistan is fully implemented in cars like Civic and Corolla. The maximum features a Civic or a Corolla has include individual suspension control, power steering, power windows, abs breaks, air conditioning, motorized seat adjust, automatic transmission, sunroof. Whereas features of luxury car companies such as BMW, Mercedes Benz, Rx 8 are fitted with gadgets that one cant even think of that include Air conditioning with individual climate control and rear outlet, Cruise control, massaging seats, heated seats , automatic parallel parking, traction control, heated steering wheel, trip tonic transmission, GPS controlled driving. There are no limits to the gadgets that are fitted to confirm the comfort ability of the riders. The engine technology of these type of cars are far superior then the technology used in local cars for example: Mazda RX 8 that is 1300 cc produces 232 hp. Whereas Honda city that is also 1300 cc produces 120 hp. This difference is due to the fact that Mazda uses rotary technology for the engine by which Rx 8 is equipped.
There are few reasons due to which luxury cars are not that much successful in Pakistan. Due to high import duties and taxes in Pakistan we get the prices inflated as compared to international market. For example, if we a buy a pure luxury car such as Mercedes Benz S550 in Pakistan, it would cost Rs 20 million. Where as the cost of the same car is $ 87000 which comes out to be around Rs. 7 million. There is a great difference in prices that makes S class affordable in countries abroad however due to high taxes and import duties it is very hard to afford this category of luxury car. Lack of specialized labor available for luxury cars and high maintenance cost also act as a barrier. Since there is only limited luxury and sports car available in Pakistan, there is only few people who deal in these cars hence it is difficult to find specialized labor for maintenance of these cars. The body parts or engine parts of luxury and sports cars are not available in Pakistan hence they have to be imported if some parts are required for the car. This process takes time and it adds up to the cost because the parts are being imported from another country. Bad infrastructure acts as another barrier for importing luxury and sports cars. Most of the sports cars have a low suspension. Roads in Pakistan are very bumpy with lots of high speed breakers which make it difficult for lower suspension cars to be driven over here. Due to these reasons mostly people prefer to have a local car because they are affordable, have a relatively cheap maintenance cost, specialized labor is also available for maintenance and local cars to some extent can support the infrastructure of Pakistan.

2008 Audi R8

Time was that if you wanted a proper supercar, you went to the Italians -- Ferrari or Lamborghini. But for 2008, German automaker Audi has introduced their first mid-engine supercar, the R8. With a 420 horsepower V8 nestled behind the passenger compartment, all-wheel-drive, and a shape to die for, the 2008 Audi R8 sure has the right resume. But how does it work in real life -- is this the stuff of which dreams are made?