Where Are They Now?: Infiniti IPL G

In a world filled with RS this and Turbo that, and the assortment of varying letters that follow vehicles, it’s nice when a company branches out and tries something new, like Hyundai’s new N-Line, that’s a letter we haven’t seen before. Infiniti tried that for a while too, with the IPL cars, or Infiniti Performance Line. The IPL package was available on both the G37 Coupe and Convertible, which was an interesting move considering both of these cars were not selling that well to begin with.

So what did the IPL package include? To start with, 348 horsepower and 276 lb-ft of torque coming from a variant of the VQ37VHR. This engine features Nissan’s VVEL (Variable Valve Timing) system, which brought the redline up to 7400 RPM. An upgraded exhaust with larger tips, a stiffer suspension, mild body kit, 19 inch wheels were also included. All of this included for $9,000 over G37 Sport variants of the coupe and convertible. Prices started at $51,200 for the coupe, and $61,450 for the convertible.

If you ask me, I’d say that’s worth it, but to dish out nearly $60,000 on an Infiniti isn’t necessarily the greatest choice, sure the VQ engine family is just shy of indestructible, but $60,000 also could’ve bought you a C63 AMG with a fire-breathing, earth-shattering 6.2L V8. A Cadillac CTS-V with it’s 556 horsepower 6.2L V8 was also an option for the same amount of money. So was the IPL a viable option in the world of horsepower? No.

Maybe performance wise? With a zero to sixty time of five seconds flat for the coupe, that’s not bad. The C63 AMG did the sprint in 4.3 seconds, the Cadillac had a 3.9 second run. So it was also a lot slower than it’s competition, for the same price.

Well, the IPL is gone in name alone, with Infiniti coming up with the Red Sport lineup instead, but it would’ve been nice to see the IPL badge continue on, because I personally think they had something going there.

I personally think it’s a beautiful convertible, especially with this white and red combo. The icing on the cake is that, they are going for reasonable money. Reasonable of course meaning about $20,000-$25,000, but hey, it’s unique. There’s not a lot of these on the road, and that means you’ll stand out a lot more than if you chose a typical German hardtop. Though $20,000 also gets you a Cadillac XLR, so choose wisely.

What do you think of the IPL line? Should Infiniti still be using it, or should it be put to rest like the Black Series? Comment Below!