The high-performance G37 IPL coupe and convertible, both available with a manual or automatic, are new this year. Our brief drive left us nonplussed. On the track, there was little to distinguish the IPL coupe from a G37 coupe — despite its revised engine management and improved airflow, which bumps output 18 hp and 6 pounds-feet of torque. Infiniti says the suspension gets unique performance tuning, and the coupe's optional 14.7:1 steering ratio, limited slip differential and 19-inch wheels are standard here. It's hard to fault the similarities: Comparing stick-shift to stick-shift, the IPL runs just $550 over an equivalently optioned G37 coupe. But one could also question if this variant needs to exist at all when competing brands' performance lines go so much further.

At the other end is the G25 sedan, which we have yet to test. Its 2.5-liter V-6 makes 218 hp but just 187 pounds-feet of torque. It comes standard with the automatic, and all-wheel drive is optional.