Well it’s finally here! My new 2007 Infiniti G35x with Premium Package, just the way I wanted it… Blue onyx exterior with stone leather interior. I’ll post external pics later when the weather outside is nice and I manage to take good pictures! But first interior pics as well as my first impressions. Make sure to click on thumbnails for bigger – much bigger – pictures. Or just go here and have direct access to all my pictures!

Unlike previous Infinitis I’ve driven (2004 FX35 and 2006 G35 Coupe, thank you Ronald!!!), this one sports a new gauge featuring blue rings and white font. They did retain their orange-ness by keeping the needles as orange as ever: overall, it’s a very classy execution. Another big plus is that Audi-esque screen in the middle that features everything from exterior temperature, tire pressure, trip, fuel economy, distance to empty and, of course, odometer!

Center stack is also a big improvement. All models feature this big LCD screen that displays audio, climate control, Bluetooth handsfree and system information (such as distance to empty, fuel economy…). Navigating the menus on screen is pretty easy and intuitive thanks to the Infiniti controller: you can either use the arrows on top or twist the knob for navigation allowing you to get the best of both worlds, unlike twist-knob only systems such as BMW’s iDrive, Audi’s MMC, and Mercedes-Benz’s Komand.

There’s the classic Infiniti analog clock flanked by audio controls that are intuitive to use. Studio on Wheels audio system features in-dash 6 CD changer. Just below the audio control is the climate control buttons: notice dual-zone automatic climate system.

As I’ve mentioned previously, I went for G35x instead of regular G35 for couple of reasons. 1) Dealers ordered more of G35x than G35: 1 dealer even mentioned that for every 50 G35x they sell, only about 2-3 G35 are sold. This meant it was a lot easier to find the color combination I wanted among the all-wheel drive versions. 2) Lease price difference was only $20 monthly for 36-months lease. I’ve determined that is worth it to get the added security of all-wheel drive, especially here in Toronto.

So what does that big screen look like? Unfortunately it’s not a touch-screen (for that I had to opt for the Navigation Package, which I decided not to add…) but it’s pretty big and features sharp graphics. Even in broad daylight, it was easy to read. Here I’m in the Disc mode, just feeding in a CD I burned with a bunch of MP3s…

…and here it is playing the CD. In the Status mode, I can see both audio and climate information in the same screen. Even though here it says it’s play a song, I had problems with my CD. I’m not sure if it’s the CD that was badly burned or if the system doesn’t read CD-RW properly, but this is something I’ll have to test further.

Another feature I haven’t tested concerning the audio system is the auxiliary input. Unlike most systems on the market, Infiniti opted for full RCA cable inputs which means stereo audio input as well as video. This is perfect for most of the new or newish audio players since they support video and audio out. I don’t have a video iPod so I can’t test it but I’ll test it with my Toshiba Gigabeat S. G35x is rumored to play video only when the car is stopped and the gear is in park…

Other, slightly boring, features of the car include automatic windows that have one-touch up and down, on all four windows. You can also see the memory seat settings here. Thankfully Infiniti moved those controls to where it’s visible (unlike the other Infiniti vehicles I drove) so you no longer have to stumble around, feeling up the side of the seat!

Finally, there’s the mirror with built-in compass and Homelink garage door opener. Pretty standard feature on cars nowadays.

Well this is it for the first batch of pictures… is there anything specific you’d like to see? Leave comments!!!