Infiniti dealers are pissed and rightfully so:



NEW YORK -- Infiniti dealers were incensed last week by Nissan Motor Co.'s decision to sell the high-performance GT-R sports car under the Nissan brand.

Infiniti lacks a sports car, and dealers desperately wanted the GT-R as a halo for the brand. It goes on sale in the United States in spring 2008.

Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Nissan Motor, said this week at the New York auto show that every country except the United States wanted the redesigned model to be a Nissan. The U.S. unit could not prove that branding the car an Infiniti would generate more sales or profits, he said.

"I was very neutral" about the matter, Ghosn said.

The decision bothers dealer Ed Lennon, chairman of Infiniti's National Dealer Advisory Board. Lennon, owner of Circle Infiniti in West Long Branch, N.J., says the company never promised the vehicle to Infiniti. But he says the U.S. executive team favored the vehicle's becoming an Infiniti in this country.

"We thought that Ghosn would abide by the regional needs, but that didn't happen," Lennon says. "Now they need to tell us where we're going. We're very disappointed. We truly counted on that vehicle to be a halo for us."

Infiniti sells four car and two SUV models in this country. Sales are down this year on every model except the M sedan. For the first three months of this year, overall sales were down 9.0 percent to 29,187 units.

In November, Infiniti dealers are expected to get a redesigned G35 sedan, the marque's sales leader. The FX crossover was freshened earlier this year, but dealers say the company is mum on any other future products.

"We're limited; we're not a complete Tier 1 brand," Lennon says.

Jack Collins, chief product planner for Nissan North America Inc., acknowledges that the Infiniti lineup is narrow.

"There is more room for us in the luxury crossover segment," he says. "We have no convertible for the G35. That is another obvious opportunity. Our biggest constraint is manpower. We have the capital but not the manpower" to develop new products quickly.

Ghosn says Infiniti has more product now than it ever has, adding, "We will be giving them more product in the future."

The GT-R concept was shown at the Tokyo Motor Show in October. The production model will be shown in Tokyo in 2007.

The GT-R is expected to sell for an estimated $65,000, with targeted sales of about 1,500 in this country. Sources say it could make more than 400 hp.

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/p...LOG06

 

Lennon is crying way too much and so are the other dealers imo. Planning to sell only 1500 units in the states represents such a small % of their sales they should be more worried about whats happening to the Q.

 

Give me a break! I can't believe they are whining that it won't be badged as a Infiniti car. We are talking about the GT-R. It shall remain a Nissan forever. The current Nissan Skyline (Infiniti G35), now..that doesn't count.

Infiniti is a luxury brand of Nissan, I don't foresee any real good luxury that will become of the GT-R. Just a raw sports vehicle.

Looking forward to it, But man...that price tag.

The previous Skylines will always hold higher priority in my heart then this new one though.

 

if Infiniti wants a halo car they can get the President. That suits Infiniti much better than GTR. Infiniti dealers should stop putting all their hopes on 1 single car. Concentrate on selling their current lineup is what they should do.

 

No, it actually does not make sense. 1,500 cars is a lot for 65k Nissan. Kids are not buying 65k cars. Luxury buyers are buying 65k cars.

What I find funny is Ghosn saying it is only NA wanting it to be branded as Infiniti... duh! NA is THE biggest car market for cars in this price range. They will sell total of 50 in Europe. Who would not want luxury brand image with 65k car?

How is someone going to go into Nissan dealership to buy and service 65k car? doh!

 

To me it seems people were spending ~50k for a 300zxTT back in 1990, so 18 years from then it seems feasible they can sell 1500 NISSANs at 65k. I think that if it is sold as an Infiniti it loses its tuner/enthusiast appeal (somewhat). It's not bred to be a luxury car but rather a performance machine. Deep down everyone knows an Infiniti is a Nissan anyway, so why not sell the car here the same way it will be everywhere else in the world? People who are going to buy this car are NOT people who intend to buy a G35 coupe and decide maybe they will wait for the GTR. Thats like someone intent on buying a GTO but holding off for a C6 Z06. The car will sell itself under any brand. The GTR is an icon, a legendary Japanese sports car, I fail to see how whether it wear Infiniti badges or Nissan badges would make a difference.

 

It's going to be a V6 TT!!

From CarandDriver.com

Spied: 2009 Nissan Skyline GT-R

Nissan's 450-hp all-wheel-drive supercar is coming to America. We catch it lapping the Nürburgring.
BY PETER LYON

Will the fabulous Skyline GT-R come to the U.S.? The answer is yes. At the 2006 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS), Nissan president Carlos Ghosn announced that it indeed will come to America as a Nissan (not an Infiniti). The production car’s official debut will be at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show.

The latest Skyline GT-R prototype, pictured above, differs from ones seen previously. This one has a pair of small air vents in the hood and four large exhaust outlets in the rear. Past prototypes had no vents and just two tailpipes. The car in the photo obviously uses Infiniti G35 coupe sheetmetal, substantially modified to fit huge tires and a large front air dam. The real GT-R will look a lot like the Nissan GT-R Proto concept that debuted at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show.

Nissan considered a V-8 for the next GT-R but has opted instead for a specially developed twin-turbo V-6, due to its lower weight and explosive power potential. A limited-edition 2005-model GT-R Z-tune, fitted with the now superseded twin-turbo straight-six, generated over 500 horsepower, showing the potential of this car. Britain’s Cosworth is helping Nissan extract more than 450 horsepower from the upcoming 3.7- or 3.8-liter V-6 while still meeting emissions laws.

The next GT-R will be configured with a rear-mounted transaxle. This fact raises a critical and as-yet-unconfirmed question about the GT-R: Will it employ rear- or four-wheel-drive? One company insider we spoke with puts the chances at 50:50 right now. Rear-wheel drive has become more viable with recent advances in traction- and stability-control systems, and it is inherently lighter. The Lexus LF-A and the next Acura NSX both are expected to employ rear drive. On the other hand, the GT-R has employed rear-biased four-wheel drive since 1989, and it’s become an integral part of the GT-R’s mystique. And given the power the next GT-R will have, more accelerative traction would be preferable to electro-nannies stealing the fun. If the GT-R does get four-wheel drive, it could use a revised version of the ATTESA four-wheel-drive system found in the R34 GT-R or a radically new in-wheel electric motor four-wheel-drive system. Driven wheels aside, it is rumored that Nissan has contracted with world-famous Lotus to help with fine-tuning the car’s track performance. As for the transmission, we can expect the GT-R to be fitted with a seven-speed setup with steering-wheel paddles and two pedals.

Even though the GT-R will employ a purpose-built body, chassis, and engine, one senior Nissan official says there is still a chance the new GT-R will share part of its name with the Japanese version of the G35, the Skyline. Whether it’s called the Nissan Skyline GT-R or just the Nissan GT-R, the 2009 model is expected to cost $75,000 when it goes on sale in the U.S. in the spring of 2008.