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Back in April '06, we reported on the disappointment expressed by Infiniti dealers over the decision to make the new GT-R exclusively a Nissan. But retailers of the company's premium brand, now branching out of North America and into markets in Asia and Europe, may have their prayers answered as Nissan considers creating an Infiniti derivative of the supercar.
The report comes from an interview with Nissan's design guru Shiro Nakamura in the January issue of Britain's Car magazine. "We have developed the platform and the transaxle powertrain – an Infiniti version is a future possibility," says Nakamura. "I have not done a study yet, but we are thinking about it." Promising words, though hardly the kind of confirmation dealers can bank on at this point, especially ones in the U.S. But with Infiniti dealers worldwide split over the direction of a potential new Q sedan, a GT-R derivative could do wonders as the brand's new flagship model, positioned above the G37 coupe, which is sold in Japan as the Nissan Skyline.
[Source: Car magazine]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Rick Cavaretti @ Feb 11th 2008 10:34AM
Oh no, not more 'badge engineering'.
MemphisNET @ Feb 11th 2008 10:41AM
What's the point. 10-30k more (my guess) and a better interior, and probably less performance (handling) because it needs to be more luxurious?
How about this - make more GT-R's and ship them to Infiniti dealers unchanged. Sure it says Nissan, but anyone dropping 70k isn't going to sneeze because of the name.
SPF @ Feb 11th 2008 10:45AM
Doesn't really make any sense to me.
Gooch @ Feb 11th 2008 10:51AM
I think this would work only if they could rebody it, make it look different from the GT-R. It's very difficult to do, with hardpoints already established and tooling costs, etc. -- unless these considerations have already been factored in and Nissan has managed to keep it secret (which I don't think would be too hard to do, given the utter hoopla over the GT-R).
So, unless it's just a rebadge, it probably wouldn't work.
TBlueMax @ Feb 11th 2008 10:52AM
Would make perfect sense to stuff the GT-R powerplant into an Infiniti 4-door coupe (i.e. CLS) and market it as the performance/luxury halo for the brand without competing with the Nissan GT-R.
John R @ Feb 11th 2008 10:56AM
That is a great idea for a new Q.
[Fix the reply button, por favor!]
Franz @ Feb 11th 2008 1:06PM
That's the best idea I've heard in a long time.
Longhorn @ Feb 11th 2008 10:52AM
Good idea IMO.
Could probably lure Porsche buyers with an Infiniti version as opposed to Corvette/Shelby/Challenger crowd.
And Infiniti needs this.
It already lacks a proper flagship.
John R @ Feb 11th 2008 10:53AM
Speculation is fun.
How about a detuned GT-R to ostensibly make some 380/400hp (pruely for the insurance brokers, but in actuality 415/420hp), provide a better interior and ride comfort.
Doesn't necessarily need to be AWD, RWD might be more fun. Set the M3 as a benchmark and price it as such.
The End. Roll Credits.
why not the LS2LS7? @ Feb 11th 2008 12:16PM
Insurance companies use actuarial tables to select insurance rates, not HP ratings. And masquerading a 420HP car as a 400HP car is nutty anyway, because a car isn't going to be in fewer accidents just because it has 5% less HP anyway.
John R @ Feb 11th 2008 10:55AM
That is a great idea for a new Q
FSM @ Feb 11th 2008 10:56AM
As a rule, I don't like silver cars, but this stainless steel is hawt. Its too bad more cars aren't offered like this.
brn @ Feb 11th 2008 11:01AM
The Infiniti dealers need to mellow a touch. No one cared that there wasn't a Lincoln version of the Ford GT.
The kind of people that would buy the GTR, aren't looking for an Infiniti badge. They're looking for a GTR. While Infiniti customers think performance is cool, they're not looking at GTR class performance.
why not the LS2LS7? @ Feb 11th 2008 12:19PM
Acura dealers were angry they didn't get the S2000 though. And Cadillac has their own Vette.
This doesn't seem like a terrible idea.
Corey W. @ Feb 11th 2008 11:14AM
The point is moot, whatever version you make, it can't outperform the company's flagship sports car. So it would be just a detuned version of the GT-R. Die hard Infinity buyers don't want that...
Jeremy @ Feb 11th 2008 11:16AM
I don't care if you call it a Datsun. Someone just please give it an interior that doesn't look like an 80's Camry. It is quite possibly the ugliest interior I've ever seen.
mark @ Feb 11th 2008 11:38AM
Has anyone yet commented in any of these threads that the GT-R is butt-ugly? To me it is a modern iteration of the worst aspects of '70s Japanese design. Ugliest performance car since the Porsche Cayenne.
John R @ Feb 11th 2008 11:48AM
Sounds like you haven't seen it in person.
TriShield @ Feb 11th 2008 11:45AM
Stupid idea.
That'd be like having a Chrysler Viper or a Pontiac Corvette in the US.
BAMF @ Feb 11th 2008 3:05PM
haha.... maybe you missed this -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Firepower