Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn today announced that the next generation of Nissan’s GT-R performance car will be available in North America and badged as a Nissan model, consistent with its global branding. Previous reports had suggested it would be sold as an Infiniti. The new GT-R was previewed last year in concept form as the GT-R PROTO (pictured). Traditionally, the Nissan GT-R has not previously been offered for sale in North America. The GT-R will debut in production form at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, the company said today. It is scheduled to go on sale in Japan in Fall 2007, followed by the U.S. and Canada in Spring 2008. More details on the launch of the GT-R will be available at a later date.
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04/12, 11:25 AM
posted by:
Anonymous
with nissans current pricing practices it will surely start around $42,700 not exactly 10k over the z roadster but enough to make a point that its a better car to those who arent in the know
04/12, 11:26 AM
posted by:
Heydn
Good!
04/12, 11:36 AM
posted by:
Scott
Why did this take so long to come here again? !
04/12, 11:41 AM
posted by:
BT
2008…. gives the kids with junk to save up for the next 3 years to get one…
I don’t think $42,000 would be a good price guess…. if it comes with a twin-turbo 450hp engine the price won’t be that low. But I have no idea of what speculated engines will be available.
04/12, 11:46 AM
posted by:
Scott
I hope they keep with the small displacement FI I6 and don’t go with a bigger V8 or such
04/12, 12:06 PM
posted by:
Andre Neves
Im waiting for the Next M3, but if the production version looks good, then i’ll have to reconsider.
04/12, 12:15 PM
posted by:
johnny
the first poster is not thinking. GT-R is all about porsche killer not slot above Z. expect 70+ with V8. this is why the nissan branding is surprising since no one drops 50+ in a nissan dealership.
i’m struck at what a GT-R could do for infiniti but it has always been a nissan product. the branding to infiniti would be in many ways a lie since everyone would know its a nissan everywhere else. the g35 has this problem too but its a bit different, i know.
perhaps this decision indicates that the GT-R will be truely a car for the people with the know? i think it solidifies the idea that nissan is the japanese 3’s bad boy.
04/12, 12:19 PM
posted by:
Zerome
This beasts suspension was tuned by Lotus… and it has the legendary GTR name to it. This thing will just tear close to anything on the road. M3, probably… not sure about the M5 or M6.
Besides, the SLR from MB, I don’t think they have anything in their stable to challenge this thing. Not sure about the upcomming R from Audi, too soon to know.
Has there been an anouncement of the offical stats of this Godzilla?
04/12, 12:26 PM
posted by:
junkie
A Nissan…
What’s next, a $70,000 Volkswagen? Er…nevermind.
Tough to argue their thinking since it’s a Nissan globally. Folks in the know, enthusiasts who will buy this car, won’t care if it’s a Nissan or Infiniti, methinks.
Having it badged as a Nissan may also help keep the wealthy non-enthusiasts from being interested in this. They can stick to thier Carerra 4 automatics and the like…no flame intended.
04/12, 12:29 PM
posted by:
Chris G
So you go to an Infiniti dealership to buy the G35 coupe, but you go to a Nissan dealership to buy the next step up? Confusing. Although the Skyline is and always will be a Nissan, our G35 is the same as Japan’s Nissan Skyline.
04/12, 1:33 PM
posted by:
Brian
This is very good news…I mean Infiniti GT-R just never sounded right
04/12, 1:50 PM
posted by:
Jan Esteban
YES! The GTR HAS to be a Nissan, and for the enthusiasts. V8, V6TT, AWD or F/R, just bring it below $60,000. So I wasn’t PLANNING on selling my 350Z but…
j!
04/12, 2:08 PM
posted by:
od
who cares! infiniti nissan same **** different names everyone knows that.
04/12, 2:25 PM
posted by:
Adam
I THINK that you guys are misunderstanding this move (in reference to the step up from the Infiniti G35).
I feel that this is a step up in performance, not luxury. It will be/has been, a performance first machine. The Skyline is a step above the Z, not the G35 (discounting the G35 coupe which is a 350z with a different body). Therefore, keeping the Skyline a Nissan A) keeps with the cult following it has established in the Gran Turismo generation, B) keeps it under the radar to someone looking for a “prestige car” (the automatic Carerra people mentioned by Junkie).
Then there is option C) Rumors have places the SKYLINE as coming to the US with the smaller (3.0-3.5L) Twin-Turbo VQ (V6) based engine. Noone said that Infiniti can’t come out with at a later date a “luxo/sports coupe” (M45 coupe anybody?). This move leaves Nissan free to differentiate their product lines further between Nissan (Enthusiast Performance) and Infiniti (Luxury Performance).
Just my $0.03 (Increased due to Oil Prices)
-Adam
04/12, 2:53 PM
posted by:
Jae
Great comment Adam. I think the problem for badging it as a Nissan is that people don’t want to spend 50k+ on a Nissan. Well, everyday schmoes that is. Porsche, SL500 and M3 buyers could definitely see dropping 50k+ without blinking. The problem comes in the image. A MB buyer could buy the 100k SL500 or a 50k Nissan. At the end of the day its still a Nissan. No free loaner car, no special haughty car ownership club value etc, etc. I agree that infiniti will have to get a luxury version of the car , probably with better tuning/effecient v-6 and the Nissan will be saddled with the powerful yet inefficent v-8
Either way I may not be able to pass up the GT-R when it comes out
04/12, 4:35 PM
posted by:
junkie
“who cares! infiniti nissan same **** different names everyone knows that.”
If that were the case then we wouldn’t have Acura, Lexus or Infiniti.
Brands are important to people, especially as prices rise.
04/12, 4:44 PM
posted by:
johnny
as jae said, an infiniti GT-R might be interesting. z to g35c, it’d be an interesting car. but you’d have to wonder how they’d make it different enough so its not just badge marketing. in anycase, gt-r will be an enthusiast’s dream. a true car for the true believers. now it just needs to come out and start killing porsches.
04/12, 6:19 PM
posted by:
tim
I don’t think they’re going to rebadge a GTR into a different Infiniti model.
I think they’re going to build a halo model for Infiniti, similiar to the Lexus LF-A. The GTR is in a different class altogether.
04/13, 4:26 AM
posted by:
Andre Neves
“Great comment Adam. I think the problem for badging it as a Nissan is that people don’t want to spend 50k+ on a Nissan. Well, everyday schmoes that is. Porsche, SL500 and M3 buyers could definitely see dropping 50k+ without blinking. The problem comes in the image. A MB buyer could buy the 100k SL500 or a 50k Nissan. At the end of the day its still a Nissan. No free loaner car, no special haughty car ownership club value etc, etc. I agree that infiniti will have to get a luxury version of the car , probably with better tuning/effecient v-6 and the Nissan will be saddled with the powerful yet inefficent v-8
Either way I may not be able to pass up the GT-R when it comes out
Comment by Jae, posted on April12 at 2:53 pm”
Yeah but,
Ford GT: $150k+ for a Ford.
Dodge Viper: $70K+ for a Dodge
etc.
04/13, 7:20 AM
posted by:
Michael Spadaro
Just as I thought.
Here’s something most of you may not know: The G35 coupe and sedan are sold in Japan under the Skyline badge.
04/15, 4:48 PM
posted by:
lars ulrich
i really cant wait until i see them
04/15, 6:36 PM
posted by:
Kevin
Yes!
04/25, 11:26 AM
posted by:
Nissan Power
Just as a Corvette is a Chevrolet, not a Cadi… GT-R is a Nissan, not an Infinity.
Infinity is a name that goes with luxury cars (with a healthy amount of performance!), and the GT-R is NOT a luxury car… it’s a GT-R!
Nissan would be crazy to rebadge and sell it as an Infinity… that makes as much sence as GM rebadging and selling the Corvette as a Cadi… it’ll never happen!