Most US-based custom car builders have, at one point or another, imagined showcasing their hard work at the annual SEMA Show. For builders outside of the United States, it’s the sort of dream that only a few will realise.
Christian Magass of Magass Design in Gothenburg, Sweden has a goal: SEMA 2023. And this is the 2010 Infiniti G37 Coupe (aka G60) he hopes can take him there.
Christian is a design engineer who’s spent the majority of his adult life building cars. For a long time they were exclusively European makes, but in 2021 he finally decided to dip his toes into the Japanese pool. I’m very glad he did.
Let’s start with the obvious upgrade: the front end. What the original G37 lacked in looks, Christian’s car makes up for with a 2022 Infiniti Q60 facelift. How much better does this look?!
But it’s just the start. Custom steel work has widened the Infiniti coupe by 90mm in the front and 120mm at the rear, with the extra width blended into the bumpers for a seamless look. Speaking of bumpers, the G37-spec rear now benefits from a perfectly integrated Mercedes-AMG C 63 diffuser.
The diffuser is not the only cross-manufacturer upgrade though. See the bulky G37 door handles? No you don’t, because Christian has replaced them with flush-fitting Tesla Model 3 equivalents.
Like the roof, the trunk lid has been customised with carbon fibre laid over steel, but before that happened a modified duck tail spoiler was added at the rear.
Although Christian knows his way around bodywork modification, his speciality is custom paint, and the Infiniti’s exterior finish is testament to his skills with the gun. The main colour is BMW Isle Of Man Green (with a little extra Magass Design flair), but you’ll also find Volkswagen Black (with a subtle green pearl) and Renault ENV Yellow in the mix. Christian didn’t skimp on the gloss, applying a minimum of five and up to nine coats of Standox VOC Xtra Clear depending on the area.
Yep, it’s painted underneath too. I really wish the car could have been displayed suspended in the air, so everyone could properly see the wonderful work Christian has done here. SPL front upper control arms, SPL rear camber links and rear mid links have found their way onto the G37, but the low ride height and ultra-low stance when parked comes courtesy of an Air Lift Performance 3P/3H air suspension system.
The combination of air ride and those custom-widened fenders (with carbon fibre inner liners) allows the Infiniti to swallow up a large wheel and tyre combination. Wrapped up in Nexen N’Fera rubber, the 19-inch Weds Kranze Vishunu 3-piece wheels – with green anodized bolts from Pood Kustoms – haven’t escaped Christian’s custom touch either. The wheels’ inner barrels feature a unique hexagon design, with real depth achieved through no less than eight coats of paint and clear.
In the brake department, custom green-painted Akebono callipers are paired with slotted and drilled GKTech rotors.
You would have caught a glimpse of the GTHaus Meisterschaft cat-back exhaust system a moment ago, and that leads us under the bonnet to a very unusual looking VQ37VHR in the wire-tucked bay.
The Nissan 3.7L V6 came factory-fitted in the G37; what’s not factory is the R35 GT-R intake manifold that Christian adapted to fit it. This was, understandably, quite a challenge, but something achieved through 3D-scanning and, subsequently, a custom-milled spacer. The engine itself has been rebuilt with CP forged pistons and Carrillo rods, while the fuel system was upgraded with a Walbro Motorsport GST520 pump and Deatschwerks injectors. Retaining natural aspiration, Christian hopes to see more than 400hp on an E85 tune.
Exterior. Tick. Undercarriage. Tick. Engine bay. Tick. The interior? You already know that Christian has done something special in here too. For the most part, the cabin retains its original equipment, but everything has been customised to bring a whole new feel to the space.
From the dashboard to the door cards and seats – the latter featuring a combination of beige Alcantara and matching leather, trimmed by Thors Sadelmakeri – the G37’s interior has been elevated to a new level.
Out back, you’ll find a green-painted SRS Studio half roll cage. The steel bars have rendered the custom-trimmed back seat unusable for passengers, but it’s the perfect spot for the air suspension tank, which has also been upholstered.
Proudly displayed on the rear deck in a custom enclosure is the Air Lift Performance manifold and a glimpse of the system’s polished hard-lines.
The modernization started with the Q60 front end and continues into the cabin with a large Tesla-style display, which among other things controls the impressive audio system.
The G37’s boot has been decked out with the latest Stroker series audio equipment from Cerwin Vega, supplied by dBAkuten. There are 21 pieces to the setup, including eight 6-inch mid-bass speakers, six 4-inch tweeters, two 12-inch subwoofers, two 4-channel amplifiers and two monoblocks, all running through a Nakamichi sound processor.
Practicality is always an issue when you’ve installed a sound system of this magnitude, but as Christian has plans to get the Infiniti on track at some point, he designed the entire boot setup with easy removal in mind. With magnets securing the system, it takes just 15 minutes to remove.
Christian’s hard work has already been rewarded in Europe with multiple awards coming his way at the 2023 Elmia Custom Motor Show, and also the second place outright trophy at Tuning World Bodensee in Germany back in May. Crazily, he’s not finished yet, with more improvements planned for his Infiniti G37 over the coming months.
Will the SEMA Show happen for him? We really hope Christian can achieve his goal of getting the car to Las Vegas. In the meantime, you can check out his YouTube channel, which covers off pretty much all aspects of the build as it came together.
Alen Haseta
Instagram: hazetaa
