Posted this on myg37 as well... don't think it carried over to here?

Don't think its a repost.
Some is kinda old news to us here on the forums, but still some interesting new stuff:

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/27/e...r-development/


"Shiro Nakamura, Nissan's global design chief, revealed that plans to expand the Infiniti lineup could include a small vehicle to slot in below the current G, a two-door high-powered flagship and some form of people mover that would fill the gap left by the EX and FX CUVs.

Since the GT-R will find its way to U.S. shores sporting a Nissan badge (and rightfully so), Nakamura maintains that a halo car, either a coupe or convertible, would fit well into the Infiniti lineup. Although details are scarce, the idea of installing a modified version of the GT-R's twin-turbo V6 into Infiniti's flagship shouldn't be out of the question.

On the other side of spectrum lies an entry-level model that would sport a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine in favor of the 3.5-liter or 3.7-liter V6s that populate the majority of Infiniti's models. It stands to reason that the 200 HP QR25DE four-pot powering the Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec-V would be a good fit, and if Infiniti decides to continue with a focus on RWD vehicles, we smell a sales sensation.

Nakamura is quick to point out that, "These are just ideas we are thinking about." But if Carlos Ghosn's optimism for the brand is matched with the right amount of R&D dollars, there's little doubt that good things could be on the horizon."

 

Shiro Nakamura is the **** yo!

 

I think Infiniti should come out with a RWD or AWD VQ35HR powered wagon. And I'm not talking about that mini me SUV EX35.

Time to bring the Stagea theme over here:
http://www.cars-directory.net/galler...3581406_p.html

Like this but better looking:

 

Good post

I particularly love this part.

 

I think it's gonna be a g37 drop! It would also be nice to have a M-coupe to compete with the 645 Bimmer.

 

I have to agree...a G with a factory twin turbo would not be a suprise.

BMW put a TT in their 335 just to keep ahead of the G37.

It would just be natural to put a TT in a Infiniti as well.

Infiniti won't stop until they have supercar performance in their Halo
cars as well.....

No doubt they will also leave room to mod for the tuner crowd.

 

It would never work in SUV crazy America. American's shy away from wagons because of their "stodgy" image which is a shame IMO. The Magnum worked because it hit the streets before the Charger and because it sells at a lower price point than an Infiniti Wagon would. Higher line marques have a more difficult time moving a decent number of Wagons here in the US. It's the whole reason vehicles like the EX, FX, X3, X5, RDX, MDX, ML, XC90 etc... all exist.

Here's what Infinit's new models could consist of IMO:

A sub G Sedan i.e. a new entry level model. However with Infiniti's naming scheme, they'd need to use a letter other than G. The problem is finding a letter that sounds good and isn't already taken by Mercedes-Benz. A, B, C and E are out. D and F sound whack. Perhaps resurrecting the J moniker on a new entry level RWD Sedan or Hatch with either a 200hp 2.5L 4 banger from the Sentra SE-R under it's hood, or the 220hp VQ25HR 2.5L V6? Both could be tuned for a bit more power say 250-275ish horses or so? Keeping the car RWD would be a must IMO.

A replacement for the discontinued I35. As much as I think the I35 was a lame *** rebadged Maxima with a leather interior, and as much as I loathe the poseur badge ****** who actually buy the ES350, both cars sold/sell to their respective target buyers because they provide midsize sedan interior volume at entry level sedan price to folks who don't care about drivetrain layout or engine output. The problem is selling a FWD boat when you're trying to portray a BMW Killer image. Lexus has always placed luxury ahead of sport so the ES has no problem fitting into its lineup. With Infiniti going straight after BMW and converting it's entire lineup to RWD in the past 5 years, it'd be hard to justify taking a step backward and selling a FWD boat simply to "bolster sales" because "Lexus has a winner with the ES."

An SUV to slot between the FX and the QX. I say call this sucker the JX and market it as the spiritual successor to the QX4. Infiniti already has the perfect candidate for this would be rebadge job. The current Nissan Pathfinder. And with the '07 Pathfinder getting an optional V8, things couldn't be more simple for Infiniti. Spiffy up the interior, gussy up the exterior, and put this sucker into showrooms. Should give the GX470 a run for it's money and Infiniti something to sell with a 3rd row other than the behemoth that is the QX56. People are already whining about Infiniti not offering a 3rd row in the FX, but even if they did offer one, it'd be a jump seat like the one in the X5. What Infiniti needs is a proper upright boxy SUV to get the job done that's smaller and more affordable than the QX56, but a bit larger and more functional (in terms of interior volume) than the FX.

A successor to the Q45. IMO Infiniti currently does not have the ability to sell a 7-Series/S-Class/A8/LS competitor. They need to bolster their lineup and build value for a few more years and then reintroduce the Q once the marques credibility has been established. I say take these next few years to develop a 5.0-6.0L V8 to put into this new Q-Ship and when the time is right, launch the all new Q50 or Q60 complete with every gizmo and gadget you can imagine. I'd want Infiniti to go the sporty route a la Audi S8 and BMW's previous gen E38 7-Series rather than attempt to build a barge like the LS460 or the S-Class.

And finally, as for a halo coupe, not just a halo coupe, but a halo range. Infiniti should go straight for BMWs M Division with some performance oriented machinery of their own. How about a G37R? Or how about a G37 S-Tune/R-Tune. Yes I know those are Nissan terms, but a red R seems so cliched.

 

I don't see a future for a rear wheel drive Sentra SE-R rebadged as an Infiniti, but I would love to see them bring over a wagon. Preferably one with a manual tranny, rear and/or AWD, and make that available with a good motor, not just an entry level motor like Lexus did with their IS. I'd trade in for a Stagea any day!

Better yet, it would be nice to see them come out with something that can rival with the Lexus GS. And the M just doesn't cut it btw... neither does the Q for some reason.

 

I think a wagon would work. As Subaru, BMW, Volvo are all fairly successful with their wagon sales. Hell I'd drive a 540I wagon!

 

Yes but there are some things to consider. With Volvo and Subaru, Wagons appeal to their customer base. Folks who buy Subaru wagons are concerned with cargo capacity and functionality and don't care about "looking cool" while they "sit up high" in an SUV. With Volvo wagon buyers, your typical customer is a soccer mom or dad who wants a functional vehicle that's safe and isn't prone to "rolling over." And once again these folks are generally concerned with practicality and function over form. Although the XC90 and Tribeca exist for folks who are the exceptions to these rules.

As for BMW, yes they sell a few wagons here and there, but not so many that BMW is thinking of killing off the X5 and X3 anytime soon. It's obvious that BMW doesn't sell as many wagons as they'd probably like to when you consider the slim model line they offer customers here in the States. No 335i Touring is offered here, just the base 3.0L motor in the 328i and 328xi Estates. Same thing with the 5-Series. Just the twin turbo 535xi Touring is offered here, there is no lesser "base" engine. In the UK, both the 3-Series Touring and the 5-Series Touring are offered with no less than 10 engine options each. Obviously BMW trims their Wagon offerings here in the US because they simply don't sell enough of them to justify bringing over their entire range.

Infiniti has the right idea. Yes wagons are making a comeback, but right now the market for them is so small that it's worth it to build a compact CUV and take advantage of the current boom in the small CUV market right now while they see how the wagon market develops over the next few years.

 

Well infiniti went after BMW 3 series customer base. I don't see why they can't do the same going after Volvo, Subaru etc.. Nissan/Infinti's workhorse VQ35 or VQ35HR would be a great motor option for a FWD/AWD wagon. All the chassis and drivetrains needed are already available.

 

You've got a good grasp of the current market for wagons and respective target market for the competitors brands.

I agree with what you've said. I think Infiniti would be better served now to focus on leaving that market to others and focusing on expanding the range of model offerings in the current lineup.

 

Expand into what? IMHO a wagon would be exactly that.

It would be a risk, yes. But look what happened when Subaru finally brought teh WRX over. They neither had the image or purchasing base to do so. But they did and now WRXs represent 40% of their sales.

 

You're comparing apples to oranges. Everyone and their mom knew the WRX would be a hit. No purchasing base? Yeah right. The Gran Turismo fanboys were salivating over this car before it even hit our streets, and that was AFTER seeing the car's new bug eye look. On the other hand, I haven't heard of many people begging Infiniti to do a wagon in recent years.

 

I don't think a significant % of WRX buyers were video game players.

If "everyone" knew an AWD hatch was going to be so popular, Nissan could have imported the Sunny GTi-R back in the early 90s. As could have Mitsu with their EVO.

No one begs for a wagon period. But wagons sell. So I'm not sure what your point is.