The last time the Infiniti G37 Coupe went head-to-head against a competitor in an MT test, it scored an upset victory against the longtime luxury sport coupe champ, the BMW 3 Series. That was approximately three years ago. Since then, the G has received several incremental improvements. So when we found both a 2010 G37 two-door and Cadillac’s new 2011 CTS Coupe in our garage at the same time — similarly equipped, at that — we decided to pit the two against each other in a good-old-fashioned vehicular duel.
The G37, meanwhile, focuses more on the sports aspect. It has sportier seats that feature adjustable bolsters in the back as well as the pad, along with a pad extender. It has column-mounted paddle shifters that feel like they were designed to be there from the start, as opposed to the Cadillac’s steering wheel-mounted “buttons” that come off as an afterthought. It has more power, too. Its 3.7-liter V-6 is good for 330 horsepower, while the Cadillac’s 3.6-liter mill puts out “just” 304 horsepower. (The Cadillac does enjoy a 3 pound-foot advantage in the torque department.) The Infiniti achieves slightly better fuel economy than the Cadillac, but it requires premium while the CTS gulps regular unleaded.