2009 G37 Sedan, Convertible to Debut in L.A.

The 3.7-liter engine that breathes life into Infiniti’s G37 coupe will now power both the existing G sedan and an all-new retractable-hardtop convertible for the 2009 model year. Both will also be called G37 (no more G35 sedan) and debut at this year’s Los Angeles auto show in November.

The engine is rated at 328 hp for the sedan and 330 hp for the coupe and will be mated to a new seven-speed automatic transmission that we recently tested in the new FX35. A six-speed manual transmission will also be available.

The naming change for the sedan was expected, but — while it was rumored — the convertible is much bigger news for Infiniti. Besides the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4 Cabriolet, there aren’t a lot of performance-oriented luxury droptops on the market, and there are certainly none from Acura or Lexus — and no, the SC does not count.

The G37 sedan will go on sale in September with the same trims it currently has: G37, G37 Journey, G37S (for Sport), and G37x (for all-wheel drive). The 2009 G37 coupe will also go on sale in September featuring the new seven-speed automatic. It will also add a G37x trim with all-wheel drive for the first time. Styling for both models will be unchanged.

Obviously, there is less information about the convertible, but a good guess would be that it will have similar specs and get an all-wheel-drive version as well. Pictured above is the 2008 G37 coupe.

G sedan sales are off by nearly 15% through July of this year, but it remains the best-selling model in Infiniti’s lineup by a nearly two-to-one margin. The G37 coupe has seen a 72% increase in sales so far in 2008. We’d expect the bigger engine and new seven-speed transmission that’s making its way to the sedan to help with sales.

More Infiniti G News (KickingTires)