So you wanna buy an Infiniti G35?

"G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3" (gbodyman) 12/03/2018 at 14:35 • Filed to: Infiniti, Infiniti G35, G35, Buyer's Guide

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After a little over a year of G35 ownership I figured I should put out a buyer’s guide to spread the word on these awesome and underrated cars that many enthusiasts disregard because of their current image.

Why you should want one

The G35 is best explained as 90% of a BMW with 10% of the maintenance costs. It offers most of the dynamic prowess of an E46 but is roughly the size of an E39. They’re practical, cheap, reliable and reasonably quick. Pretty much everything under the skin is shared with the 350Z so the aftermarket is huge and Infiniti made tons of them so they’re easy to find in pretty much every region of Canada and the US. They’re great daily drivers that are also reasonably good at autocross, drifting and open lapping, plus they have some nice amenities. Automatic climate control, heated seats, Bose stereo, reclining rear seats on most sedan models.

Year-to-year changes

2003 : Available as a 6MT RWD coupe, an automatic RWD coupe and an automatic RWD sedan. Sedans are rated at 20 fewer HP and 10 fewer lb-ft than coupe models but dyno results for stock sedans and stock coupes and stock 350Zs are pretty much identical so the horsepower “gap” is imaginary . 2003 sedans cannot be tuned using UpRev.

2003.5 : The 6MT RWD sedan joins the fray and the ugly trunklid handle on the sedan disappears. Xenon headlights become standard equipment. 6MT sedans can be tuned using UpRev although automatic sedans continue to be non-compatible.

2004 : The automatic AWD sedan joins the fray. The 6-speed RWD sedan gains a viscous limited-slip differential in place of the open diff. The biggest news is that all 2004 models can be tuned using UpRev software.

2004.5 : Revised manumatic mode for automatic cars with downshift rev matching , new shift knob on automatic cars.

2005 : Sedans get a new front clip, new headlights, new side skirts, new taillights and a new rear bumper. 6MT cars get the revised CD009 transmission and the RevUp engine that bumps output to 298 HP, although torque drops slightly to 260. Automatic sedans now match the output of the automatic coupe models. Sport package and 6MT sedans get new 18" wheels and sport package and 6MT coupes get new forged 19" wheels. The viscous limited-slip differential is now standard on automatic sport package cars. Sedans get bigger brakes while Brembo brakes are no longer available on coupe models. All models get a new dashboard, console and gauges as well as other minor interior trim changes. The tape deck goes away but knobs for volume and temperature are added. Bluetooth becomes optional and leather becomes standard. The navigation system gets revised and sport package and 6MT cars get alloy pedals and orange stitching on the steering wheel. Intelligent key becomes available on automatic models and sedans get an exterior trunk release button.

2006 : Coupes get new headlights with projector elements, new taillights and a new spoiler. Sport package and 6MT coupes get a new front bumper and new side skirts. 6MT coupes also now have available active rear-wheel steering. All coupes get an exterior trunk release button and minor interior trim changes.

2007 : Pretty much a carryover year for the coupe. The sedan moves on to the V36 generation.

What goes wrong

Pretty much all G35s suffer from oil consumption, although some are more affected than others. Early 2005 6MT cars had soft piston rings which can lead to excessive oil consumption as the miles pile on. Owners of 2003-2004 6MT often complain of crunchy or even failed synchros. The stock head units on 2003-2004 cars aren’t especially reliable and a bezel with a separate climate control panel is needed in order to retrofit an aftermarket head unit. The wiring harness leading from the body to the trunklid is frail and can be easily pinched and frayed or even cut just from opening and closing the trunklid. The bushings in the front suspension compression arms are substandard from factory and often wear out prematurely. Polyurethane is most likely your best bet as spherical bushings can be very harsh. Some owners have experienced rear axle click that’s usually remedied with additional lubrication of the CV joint collars.

What mods should you do

With the G35 being virtually identical to a 350Z underneath the aftermarket is simple huge.

A catch can is probably the best reliability mod that can be done to a G35 as most of the oil consumption is due to PCV blow-by. Other great reliability mods include polyurethane bushings in the front suspension compression arms and an oil cooler if any significant track time will be seen.

Many owners report gains of 10 horsepower or more from a cold air intake. Stillen makes a fantastic one, as do Z1 and Admin Tuning.

Non-RevUp G35s gain about 15 horsepower from a simple 5/16" plenum spacer. RevUp G35s benefit strongly from the MRev2 lower plenum and the 5/16" plenum spacer together, although the 5/16" plenum spacer by itself won’t really do anything for a RevUp engine.

The factory exhaust is very restrictive. It’s been dyno-proven that ISR has the best aftermarket y-pipe and fortunately it’s quite cheap. As for a midpipe and tail section that’s mostly up to personal preference. 350Z exhaust systems require a midpipe spacer to fit on G35s and the coupe tail section won’t fit on the sedan without irreversible modification. The coupe midpipe is very cheap, bolts right up to the sedan and offers a 25lb weight savings, flows better and has  a better tone. Test pipes are also good for an extra 6-8 horsepower although they’re not exactly legal.

A lot of owners have been really happy with BC Racing DS coilovers. They don’t cost an arm and a leg and the digressive damping makes them a lot more comfortable for street driving while still being good on the track.

Solid diff bushings really help with combating wheel hop and aren’t as uncomfortable as one might imagine. Best of all, they’re cheap.

The G35 doesn’t have a full-off mode for the VDC system but a simple SPST switch wired into the orange wire on the harness for the yaw sensor (mounted under the centre console) allows for full deactivation of the VDC system.

05+ two-piston front brakes bolt right up to pre-05 sedans and are a cheap upgrade that vastly improves braking performance.

RWD automatic cars strongly benefit from a 3.54 diff out of a 6MT car. Apparently it shaves almost half a second off the quarter mile time. A set of 4.08 rear gears in a 6MT G35 adds tons of pull in every gear. Not only will the car feel way faster but the gears will shave a significant chunk off the quarter mile time. Best of all it doesn’t require an ECU tune to maintain speedometer accuracy. Fair warning though, this may disable the cruise control if the difference in driveshaft speed and wheel speed is too high for the factory parameters.

G35s are great cars to do pretty much anything with. They do get some flak for being a car for the type of person who hacks off the muffler and resonator, throws cheap replica wheels on it and hangs around Planet Fitness, but they’re so much more than just another chadmobile. Hopefully this buyer’s guide sheds some light on one of the hottest used performance bargains right now.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/03/2018 at 14:46

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My dad and I are actually looking at 6MT G35s for a drift car/ dad’s winter beater. All the aftermarket support and knowledge you could want since it’s basically a fancy 350Z, but at half the cost of a 350Z. We wer e originally considering whatever happened to pop up but a reevaluation of the household car situation means that it would have to so a decent amount of street driving in addition to drifting.

Right now we are thinking a 2005+ Sedan with the sport package is the way to go. The limited slip is much easier to deal with on the street than a welded diff, the brembos are nice if it ever sees any track activities, and the extra power is nice, especially for drifting with the longer wheelbase. Having only drifted BMW 318s I’m a bit concerned about how that longer wheelbase would hurt driftability but we’ll see.

Nibby > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/03/2018 at 14:52

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“So you wanna drive like an asshole”

good writeup but sorry, the joke was waiting to be made!

E90M3 > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/03/2018 at 15:00

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!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Blacked out tail lights

Obnoxious exhaust

I’m assuming this because t his is how I see 99% of them.

Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks > E90M3 12/03/2018 at 15:00

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You forgot “cut the springs,” “cut the lateral links,” and “put far too narrow tires on the fattest rims you can find.”

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Nibby 12/03/2018 at 15:01

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Why would you be looking at a performance car i f you didn’t want to drive like an asshole? :p

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/03/2018 at 15:01

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You haven’t mentioned the most important part of the original G35s: the standard vape box.

I kid, part of why the stereotype exists is exactly because of what this car is: A good -looking performance coupe that is common enough to have depreciated into mass affordability and reliable enough to stay within said affordability.

E90M3 > Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks 12/03/2018 at 15:02

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True. 

Nibby > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/03/2018 at 15:02

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I dunno, I see plenty of 3 series drivers around here that do 5 under the limit

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks 12/03/2018 at 15:04

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I’m guessing you don’t know much about G35 suspension arms

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Nibby 12/03/2018 at 15:05

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A 328i is not a performance car

Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/03/2018 at 15:06

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I’d bet money I still know more than stance nashun !

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 12/03/2018 at 15:07

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TBH y ou’ll probably hate the factory LSD if you’re aiming to drift it. Because it’s a viscous LSD i t’s not very aggressive and it’s prone to overheating when beat on.

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/03/2018 at 15:07

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“They do get some flak for being a car for the type of person who hacks off the muffler and resonator,”

Hearing yours yesterday...

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks 12/03/2018 at 15:08

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I learned long ago that stance guys know almost  as much about suspension geometry as autocross guys, except instead of using that knowledge to go fast they use it to bottom out over pop tarts.

Nibby > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/03/2018 at 15:09

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A G35 is a performance car but a 328i is not...

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 12/03/2018 at 15:09

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Mine ’s still got a huge single chamber  muffler/resonator hybrid under the car. Technically legal is the best kind of legal.

Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/03/2018 at 15:10

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This is not an understanding of suspension geometry:

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Nibby 12/03/2018 at 15:11

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E90 328is run 14.6 in the quarter. Just saying

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > Nibby 12/03/2018 at 15:12

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Dontchya know? 300HP in a car is the magical number

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks 12/03/2018 at 15:17

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Absolutely it is. Static camber, c amber gain, caster, toe, spring and damper rates on static setups , etc. That GT-R is set up to have a specific stance when aired out yet still be streetable when aired up.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/03/2018 at 15:19

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Buyer's guide for an E39: Don't because you're going to love it and it'll break your heart every time something goes wrong with it

Chariotoflove > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/03/2018 at 15:20

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I cross shopped the G35 coupe with the RX-8 in 2004; they were my two finalists. I don’t regret my choice, but I often think about what if I got the Infiniti.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Chariotoflove 12/03/2018 at 15:24

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You’d have probably ended up with a less interesting albeit less fiddly car and way more speeding tickets.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 12/03/2018 at 15:25

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Oh man, don’t remind me of what it’s like to own an old BMW . I keep looking at E36s as a runaround car for when I’m on the west coast.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/03/2018 at 15:27

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I’m convinced that this is going to be the best car I’ll ever own and I  intend to be the last owner. I try not to think about the day when it eventually dies.

Chariotoflove > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/03/2018 at 15:32

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The thing I remember is that it was way easier to get in and out of the RX-8 because of the suicide door, and also that the cheap silver paint on the dash was beneath an Infiniti.  But you’re probably right.  I might also still be driving it.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Chariotoflove 12/03/2018 at 15:46

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I hear you. The thought of paying $35k for a car with that interior trim is almost laughable.

Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/03/2018 at 15:56

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Except it’s not streetable when aired up, will handle significantly worse than stock, and also is likely to blow the differentials . And that’s ignoring the hideous body “kit.”

Actually let’s not ignore the hideous body kit, because it’s trying and failing to mask that they fucked up the track width. So now they have completely fucked the chassis and the hypersensitive drivetrain because now the steering angle input and the axle outputs don’t match up! Now you’re doing real mechanical damage! Great job, A+!

On top of that, you’ve completely fucked the axle loading. The GT-R’s axles are not known for being stout. No, they’re known for the exact opposite . They are known for significant problems with the CVs and the front hubs. BAD ones. So now hubs that already fail along the lateral load lines in stock trim are being subjected to even greater lateral load. Brilliant! Which will also ratchet up the failure timeline on the computer controlled center diff that is already pissed off from fucking up the turning radius.

Aaaaand then there’s this shit:

Yep. Static. Driving on a whole...

... what, like three inches of contact patch with 100% of the load on the inner sidewall? Eh, call it four inches. Great use of those 12" wide wheels.

The only points I will give them with regards to ‘suspension knowledge’ is at least the whole thing doesn’t collapse under them. But hey, at least I know where to go if I wanna see a rusty XJ 4 cylinder lap a supercar.

Monkey B > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/03/2018 at 16:00

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those pictured and the coupe are the last attractive cars Infiniti rolled out in my opinion. They also have the visual staying power as the OG TL and E46's as they still look like a relevant design.

I kept seeing a high mileage but clean on on CL when I was looking for my last car but needed utility. I’d still consider one.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > E90M3 12/03/2018 at 16:11

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You missed dildo shifter! 

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Monkey B 12/03/2018 at 16:31

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I agree that the coupe has aged exceptionally well. It’s hard to believe its design was finalized in the year 2000.

Tapas > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 12/03/2018 at 16:32

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Well....I wish I knew enough about E39s to write a guide.

All I can contribute is

Find the cleanest and most well maintained example you can afford to save on future repair . This applies to all BMWs. And even then, keep like $2k saved up just in case.

Make sure VANOS is not an issue

Use Castrol 10W60 only, check oil and top up between oil changes

Fold down rear seat for best exhaust sounds.

Common rust spots are under the fenders, bottom sill of the gas filler and around the trunk release.

And finally, DO NOT turn off DSC on the M5s if you plan to drive on public roads in a spirited fashion.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Tapas 12/03/2018 at 17:15

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That's if your DSC works at all because these things eat wheel speed sensors for breakfast.

wafflesnfalafel > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/03/2018 at 19:32

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T hose 1st gen cars a beautiful and sound like angels.  Worked with guy that had one of those rare metalic blue 4dr models.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > wafflesnfalafel 12/03/2018 at 20:16

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Nice! That colour was only sold for two years on sedans.

dogisbadob > Monkey B 12/03/2018 at 20:34

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The OG TL is a cool car

The best part is that the 2.5 and 3.2 TL’s are completely different cars from the firewall forward.

MedNV > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 12/03/2018 at 21:43

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You want at least 2007 with an HR motor. I enjoy the sweet sounds from 5k to redline. 

NFSP G35 > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/04/2018 at 00:12

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Nice article. In a couple of months, I will have owned my 2003.0 Sedan for 10 years. It’s been a great car and I’ve more than doubled the 100k miles that were on the clock when I bought it.

I like your detail and year model breakdown, but I’d like to suggest a few edits:

The difference in HP & torque numbers between same year coupe and sedan with the same transmission is just marketing. This ‘gap’ in performance has been debunked on dynos by several different sources.

The Rev match downshift actually came a but early, 04.5 instead of 05, which is great because the 04.5 is less prone to oil consumption as you so accurately pointed out.

Kudos on mentioning the larger brakes on the 05+ models... To add further detail, they went from single piston to dual piston front calipers in addition to the larger rotor. As an added bonus (and usually cheap upgrade) the dual piston calipers will bolt right up to the older sedans, and they do provide a nice little upgrade to stopping power. This is just one of the upgrades I did and it was a very simple job with pleasant results.

As far as other upgrades go, it’s worth noting that swapping the rear-end isn’t a terribly difficult job and as you mentioned it does help the car a lot, there is a trade off... At a certain point the ECM will start to notice that the ratio between the the drive shaft speed and the wheel speed is not exactly what it expects. The higher the speed the more the bigger the difference is. Once the difference gets out of a certain tolerance, it will disable the cruise control for the next 5 engine start/stop cycles. The further you deviate from the original final drive ratio, the lower the speed at which this happens. For me, it’s not a big deal because I only went from the stock 3.33:1 open to a 3.50:1 VLSD, and I have to hit nearly 90 before the cruise gets disabled. However a more dramatic change in FD ratio can cause this to happen at highway speeds and render the cruise useless for long trips.

Per the cold air intake mods, I’ve seen little to no proof of 10hp gains, though it will definitely sound tremendously better than the over muffled stock intake.

Also worth mentioning is the midpipe from the G35 coupe is a bolt on for the sedan which can be had for cheap or even free, sounds better, flows better, and is a weight savings of about 25lb!

Again, great write-up. I wish you many more years of G35 enjoyment! 

TheHondaBro > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/04/2018 at 01:24

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Almost a year with my G35 (V36) and I couldn’t be happier with it.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > NFSP G35 12/04/2018 at 01:48

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Thanks for the input!

I’m glad to hear that you have over 200k on yours! What colours and options did yours come with?

I’m happy to hear that the horsepower “gap” is fictional even for the 2003 automatic sedans . I don’t have a lot of experience with them primarily because everybody around me either went with the coupe, the 6MT sedan or the G35x.

Speaking of the G35x I’ll go back and edit in the morning as I completely forgot about how crucial front driveshaft inspection can be on them. Replacement front driveshafts aren’t expensive but the consequences of a u-joint letting go are catastrophic.

I forgot to move the downshift rev-matching from 05 to 04.5 in editing. My bad.

The cruise control issue with steeper rear gears totally slipped my mind. I guess t raffic where I live never really moves fast enough for me to use cruise.

I agree that m ost intakes don’t do anything . The gains with the AEM CAI and JWT pop charger are negl i gible at best. That being said, I’ve seen gains of around 7 wheel horsepower with the full Stillen intake (K&N filter, velocity stack and larger diameter polished zip tube)   and I’ve seen dyno results upwards of 12 whp for the Admin intake (the 3.5" diameter piping moves a lot more air and definitely requires a re-tune ) .

I’ll go back and expand upon the exhaust part with information on the coupe midpipe. I should also probably add a line saying that 350Z exhaust systems will require a spacer section due to the G35's longer wheelbase.

Thanks again for the suggestions! I hope your G35 brings you many more happy miles to come.

Tapas > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 12/04/2018 at 07:03

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Oof, didn’t know that.

I have had my power cut off several times when the light comes on so I think it’s keeping me in check.

Until one day it just doesn’t lol

NFSP G35 > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/04/2018 at 09:25

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Mine is Ivory Pearl with “Wheat” color interior and the AT (really wanted MT but settled because of the difficulty finding MT sedans here)

It wasn’t optioned very high, but has a moon roof, leather, and 6 disc cd changer (that broke when I bought it lol)

One other thing to mention about the exhaust, apart from the coupe's OEM midpipe, other 350z/g35 coupe exhausts don't fit the sedan 

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > NFSP G35 12/04/2018 at 10:42

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Ahh, nice! I’m guessing you most likely have the premium package. Those reclining rear seats are a real hit with passengers, eh?

NFSP G35 > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/04/2018 at 11:16

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Nope, not premium. It lacks the reclining rear seats, rear vents on the console, and auto up-down rear windows 

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > NFSP G35 12/04/2018 at 11:18

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Huh, weird. Was the leather a standalone option in the states?

NFSP G35 > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 12/04/2018 at 12:29

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IDK, I guess. The cloth interior ones are pretty rare here from what I've seen. 

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > NFSP G35 12/04/2018 at 14:14

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I’ve never seen one with cloth up here in Canada which is weird considering you could get an E46 with hubcaps up here .