Ending up in the middle of what looks like a WPA labor camp that is hard against the Carneros region of vineyards is nothing new to us at Leftlane. It’s just another day on the job in pursuit of the latest and greatest in automobiles and SUVs. The labor camp reference refers to the Carneros Inn, a luxury resort with cottages that resemble sheds with corrugated metal siding that was inspired by the property’s last iteration as a trailer park.

Don’t misunderstand me, though. This was anything but plebian in its design. But due to some zoning rules, the new resort had to maintain the “flavor,” if you will, of the property’s previous usage.

Infiniti chose to go back to nature for inspiration to introduce their new 2009 product line and to roll out the new marketing tagline, “Inspired Performance.” With the intent to use the line worldwide, it was a phrase that was simultaneously introduced at the Paris Motor Show.

The Infiniti flagship continues to be the mid-to-large sized Infiniti M. Available as the M45 with a 325-horsepower V8, pumping out 336 lb-ft of torque through a five-speed automatic, or as the M35 with 303-horsepower, 262 lb-ft of pavement pounding torque, it is as large as its like-priced competitor, the BMW 5-Series. A newly available 7-speed automatic shows up with the rear drive V6 M35, while both the M35X and M45X all-wheel-drive variants come with the five-cog box. All gearboxes feature a Drive Sport (DS) manual shift mode with Downshift Rev Matching. It was the perfect enabler for an afternoon of fun through mountain roads in California Wine Country. (Gee, that sounds like a twelve-step reference)

A couple of other trick features that are working their way through the Infiniti line: The Scratch-Shield paint is a moving organism that, depending on ambient temperatures, “moves” to fill in scratches that occur in the clear coat from brushes with bushes or other car doors. The M-cars are also equipped with Infiniti’s Lane Departure Warning system which, combined with their Intelligent Cruise Control, forms a Lane Departure Prevention mode. When the sensors feel the tires crossing over the centerline on a road, they cause the outside wheels to apply braking pressure to steer the vehicle back in its lane. The system works as advertised, but thankfully comes with a switch on the steering wheel to “opt out,” because the beeping, in the words of Dieter on the Saturday Night Live skit Sprockets, has become “tedious.”

Bose, long known for their amazing noise canceling headphones and audio speaker systems has once again partnered with Infiniti to provide audio enhancements throughout the line. From a level of just sweetening the sound, to providing 5.1 Surround Sound, the Infiniti line does manage to sound slightly like a concert hall. Additional sound emanates from two small two-inch speakers located on either side of the front seat’s headrests. These manage to free up sounds that get caught in the back, causing the audio playing to be that much more live.

Cruising up California Highway 29 through the heart of Napa yields amazing views of rows and rows of vines interspersed with yellow-flowering mustard plants. Placed there to “flavor” the dirt, they affect the final essence of the grapes destined for fine wines. Pulling off 29 to Oak Knoll Road, presents a canopy of trees extending over the roadway, leading up to the entrance of Trefethen Family Vineyards. A road that seemingly goes on forever, it finally leads to the Visitors center. The Center’s manager, Julie Goodwin, greets us as old friends, and lets us sample some of the best wines in America. Hang around to see John Trefethen, the patriarch of the family. A road racer, and someone his wife Janet calls the biggest juvenile delinquent she knows, he regularly competes at Infineon, Laguna Seca and Road America.

Infiniti also took the time to debut their new G37 sedan and G37X coupe with its new Atessa E-TS all-wheel-drive, that it shares with the G37X sedan. Found in other models within the line, it places the Gs into a whole new sphere that feels, uh, quattro-like. Powered by Infiniti’s 3.7-liter V6 with 330-horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque, the “intelligent AWD,” as Infiniti calls it, puts power to the pavement in a manner that is naturally biased towards the rear wheels, but as slippage occurs, it can move that balance forward by up to 50-percent.

The transmission was not short-changed during the off-season: We loved the feeling of chopping through the twisted and gnarly Napa Valley mountain roads with the X chomping up and down the cogs of the seven-speed automatic. Once again, the Drive Sport (DS) mode carried the day, and pumps out an inspiring soundtrack as it “huffs” to downshift before entering a turn. If you like taking control of things with your own hands, opt for the six-speed manual gearbox and G37S Sport 6MT package.

The G37 Sedan also received some love for the new model year, with the addition of the new VQ37 3.7-liter V6 engine which is clocked at 328 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque. It also gets to dip into the corporate parts bin for the new 7-speed automatic tranny with Drive Sport (DS) mode or a close-ratio six-speed manual gearbox. Other new features include a larger brake package with four pots and 14-inch platters up front, and dual pots with 13.8 discs in the rear.

The G37X sedan was a smooth operator running alongside the Taittinger Vineyards fields in the Carneros Appellation of Napa, California. The Taittinger family ventured to the states to try their hand at making some sparkling wines (don’t say Champagne-It is only made in France) using California grapes from the Carneros region. Cruising past their faux Chateau, with the all-wheel-drive powering through the sweeping left-handers, its steering system was giving great driver feedback. It was the type of driving that really inspired confidence in the product, letting you know that it was capable of handling what you tossed its way.

With production already underway, the line of 2009 Infinitis are now on sale. Look for more extensive reviews as Leftlane has a chance to spend some quality seat time in these rides.

Words and photos by Mark Elias.

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