2011 Infiniti GT-R Sedan rumors resurface
Monday, July 28th, 2008 in Advanced Auto NEWS, Infiniti
In February, rumors broke that Nissan was considering building a four-door car based on the GT-R platform for its Infiniti luxury brand. Such a move would certainly please Infiniti dealers, who had been hoping the GT-R coupe would be badged as an Infiniti. Nissan executives have downplayed the speculation, but rumors resurfaced this week in the Japanese auto press, warranting a second look.
The August issue of Japan’s Car Top magazine is claiming the sedan project is on track for a 2011 launch. The majority of the R35 GT-R’s features are said to be planned for the sedan, including its 480 horsepower twin-turbo V6, all-wheel drive system, and rear-mounted dual-clutch transmission.
Such a sedan would likely be marketed as a “four-door coupe,” and in this case the title would probably be more appropriate than ever.
Rumors began five months ago when Motor Trend reported the Front Midship (FM) architecture would be adapted for an Infiniti four-door. According to the report, the platform has to be changed so much to accommodate two more doors and a usable backseat that Nissan refers to the Infiniti-badged GT-R’s platform internally as Premium Midship (PM).
If the four-door Infiniti version of the GT-R gets the green light, look for it to command a $3,000 to $5,000 premium over the Nissan version. The Infiniti version of the GT-R would also give the luxury marque a halo car, and allow it to compete with BMW’s M-division and Mercedes-Benz’s AMG.
2008 Infiniti EX35.
source: leftlanenews.com