| First Drive | Estoril, Portugal | Infiniti G37 S Coupe |

Infiniti is arriving in Europe and the UK soon, Nissan's sporting luxury wing hoping to appeal to those buyers bored with their BMWs. With the new G37 S Coupe, those new Infiniti dealers might just be finding themselves deluged with 3 Series trade-ins.

In the Metal

You might have spotted a few Infiniti Coupes around if you're a committed car spotter. The smart two-door has been a relatively successful personal import car for those wanting something a little bit different. Neat lines define Infiniti's big coupe, its taut surfacing mixing sporting intent with classy discretion. There's something very Japanese and technical about its detailing, its rear lights hinting at the Infiniti's Nissan GT-R high-performance cousin. For those bored with the omnipresent BMW coupes or Mercedes CLKs then the Infiniti has real appeal. Especially as, under that relatively restrained bodywork, it's very closely related to Nissan's highly entertaining 350Z.

What you get for your Money

Despite being new to Europe the Infiniti brand has been in the US since 1989, so you're buying real brand integrity. Your purchase will be relatively exclusive too, Infiniti realistic in its sales goals. It might be pitching its cars against BMWs in terms of driver enjoyment and pricing, but Infiniti's people prefer to think of the brand as a bit more individual, much like Maserati might be considered alongside Porsche. The G37 S is perhaps the most appealing model of the range that Infiniti will be bringing to Europe, not least because the coupe has less direct rivals than its saloon and SUV relatives.

Built off the same platform as the Nissan 350Z the G37 S follows its front-mid engine rear-wheel drive layout. As the name suggests there's a 3.7-litre V6 under the bonnet, good for 325bhp and a 0-62mph time in the mid five-second mark (there being no official figures as yet for the EU-spec car). It's tuneful too, those large twin tailpipes giving a rousing aural performance. The interior, though sampled here in American specification, is neat enough, European cars benefiting from more premium feeling materials. Not that there is much to complain about in US guise. Being a Japanese car - and a premium one at that - the G37 S has some technological wizardry to mark it out from its rivals. In the G37 S's case that relates to the Four-Wheel Active Steer system, which steers the rear axle to improve agility and high-speed stability.

Driving it

` That fancy rear suspension geometry that steers the rear axle is one of the defining features of the G37 S's dynamic make up. The steering is quick and precise, there being very little understeer. It could be the placebo effect of knowing the rear axle is moving (to a maximum of 1 degree) in the same direction as the front wheels above 30mph, but the rear does feel particularly mobile. That manifests itself in a rather enjoyable driving experience, the G37 S feeling very agile in the bends. It takes a while to really trust it though, the effect at first feeling artificial, and not unlike the way the old R34 Nissan Skyline worked - albeit without the crazy performance.

Not that the engine is lacking, the 3.7-litre V6 pulling the G37 S along with real enthusiasm. There's plenty of low-rev urgency, but the aural performance in the upper reaches of the speed range mean you'll be reaching for them for the hell of it. British cars will feature a seven-speed automatic over the five-speed one tested, though we'd rather have the slick six-speed manual we had a brief opportunity to sample on track in Estoril - it having the same mechanical, positive feel of the 350Z. Decent brakes and a standard limited slip differential add to the enjoyable driving characteristics of the G37 S, helping it feel much like a slightly grown up 350Z, which is no bad thing at all.

Worth Noting

In addition to the interior trim material changes and the adoption of a throttle-blipping seven-speed automatic the G37 S will feature some additional European tuning to the suspension. Nissan's boffins at its Technical Centre Europe in Cranfield will be adjusting the suspension to better suit our harder-charging driving antics this side of the Atlantic Ocean. As a basis though the G37 S has everything in place: rear-wheel drive, decent steering and plenty of grunt.

Summary

Infiniti's coupe cuts the right refined, quality look and yet also provides real entertainment behind the wheel. The promise of Nissan levels of reliability and service from Infiniti-specific dealers only adds to the allure of the Infiniti coupe. It's fun, is relatively practical - those rear seats useable if you're not freakishly proportioned - and is refreshingly different from its obvious European rivals. Anticipated high specification levels and sensible pricing will also appeal, making it a very promising entrant into the coupe market.