Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn may have dismissed the notion of an Infiniti sedan based on the GT-R as "online blog speculation", but that won't stop the automotive press from churning out renderings just the same. Following an earlier sketch commissioned by Motor Trend comes the computer rendering you see above, predicting what a GT-R-derived Infiniti sports-sedan could look like. The rendering comes courtesy of Japan's Top Car magazine, and does a good job of translating the GT-R's styling into an even bigger, more commodious package.
If they built it, the four-door GT-R would certainly have the looks to stand its ground against the likes of the Aston Martin Rapide, Porsche Panamera and the eventual production version of the BMW Concept CS. And with GT-R underpinnings, it would most definitely have the performance to match.
Ghosn recently told reporters at the Geneva Motor Show that the idea of a four-door super sports sedan based on the Nissan GT-R is "online blog speculation". Uh, you talking to me? Of course it's speculation, but we're from America and if two doors is good then four must certainly be better, right? Actually, no, we're fine with the GT-R fulfilling its purpose as a personal road rocket with room for two. And no blog started the four-door GT-R rumor, that would be Motor Trend, which, on authority from a "senior Nissan source", went so far as to commission renderings of the imaginary model, as well.
Infiniti will likely, however, field a successor to the discontinued Q45 that's more suited to take on its German competition, a charge that's all the more relevant considering Infiniti's impending penetration into the Western European market. Such a flagship model would likely be powered by the new 390-horsepower 5.0L V8 that debuted in the also-new FX50 in Geneva. Hopefully the next Q will be more competitive than the model that no one noticed disappear from the market two years ago, but don't expect a four-door GT-R. It doesn't sound like Ghosn wants one at the moment and the brand is more in need of a new top model to replace the M35/45 that's hardly suited for the job.
MotorTrend supposedly has it on good authority from a source within Nissan that the automaker is looking into producing a four-door version of the Nissan GT-R. The model, which would be badged an Infiniti but wouldn't carry over many of the design elements of the two-door GT-R, might be exactly what disgruntled dealers here in the U.S. want. Although it's possible, it won't be easy since the FM platform would have to be stretched within an inch of its life to accommodate an extra set of doors and usable rear seats. However, the new model could still utilize the same suspension pickup points, and, more importantly, the turbocharged 3.8-liter powerplant, all-wheel-drive system and rear-mounted dual-clutch gearbox.
It's likely that the four-door flagship wouldn't benefit from all the carbon fiber body panels as the coupe, instead using a steel body. That won't do it any dynamic favors, but it would continue to keep the GT-R at the head of the pack while giving Infiniti a new super sedan to do battle with AMG, BMW's M lineup, the IS-F and Audi's RS-line of products.
However, we don't buy Mike Connor's assertion that a "four-door GT-R would have about as much credibility in Japan as a four-door Corvette would here in the U.S." Ummm... Mike, they made one. Actually, they made quite a few, and aside from the four-door R33s and R34s having a considerable following in Japan, we want one here, too.
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.
