Following in the footsteps of nearly every other luxury automaker, Infiniti is introducing a sub-brand of sportier, factory-tuned vehicles. Its version of BMW’s M or Mercedes-Benz’s AMG is called Infiniti Performance Line, or IPL. The first vehicle to get the IPL treatment will be the G coupe, but Infiniti promises that eventually IPL will spread to a number of cars in the lineup. Likely IPL candidates are the M and G sedans, and maybe even the FX. We’d call chances slim that there will ever be an IPL version of the QX56 full-size SUV.To merit the IPL badge, the G gets a number of modifications. Under the hood of the IPL G Coupe is a 348-hp version of Infiniti’s high-revving 3.7-liter V-6. Regular G37 coupes get by with 330. In terms of output, the IPL engine is nearly identical to the 350-hp V-6 from Nissan’s NISMO 370Z—both engines make an identical 276 pound-feet of torque at 5200 rpm. A true dual exhaust is fitted (each cylinder bank gets its own exhaust path) that Infiniti claims reduces back pressure some 30 percent over the normal Y-pipe configuration. As in the regular G coupe, buyers can choose a six-speed manual—with a short-throw shifter in the IPL—or a seven-speed automatic with paddle shifters mounted to the steering column.
