RE: What is Infiniti doing in F1?

RE: What is Infiniti doing in F1?

Author
Discussion

TheHeretic

73,668 posts

254 months

Tuesday 25th September 2012
quotequote all
Crow555 said:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but is that the one that's sold as the newest Nissan Skyline in Japan? (NOT the GTR!)
Yup... Infiniti g37 is the same car as the Skyline 370GT

Nick Young

Original Poster:

250 posts

249 months

Tuesday 25th September 2012
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xRIEx said:
I haven't tried a G37 and I'm not missing out.
Lol, fair point that if you have the 370z you have the same engine smile

rocketdogbert

136 posts

149 months

Tuesday 25th September 2012
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Never new who or what Infiniti was before now, couldn't really have cared less, never bothered to google either.
I must be in the minority of petrolheads

John

wooooody

918 posts

236 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
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Not usre they even know Infinity in Japan? Was there last week & all the cars I'd recognise as Infinity brand were badged Nissan. Quite a few around though.

Flew on to Dubai after that, there were plenty of Infinity badged Coupes there, probably as many as there were Cameros.

Edited by wooooody on Wednesday 26th September 10:22

Ozone

3,039 posts

186 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
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IIRC Infiniti have moved their HQ to Hong Kong recently. Having spoken to the top man at Infiniti, a good guy called Andy Palmer, they are looking to the Chinese market and going for a younger market with the F1 link.

Angry Paul

19 posts

145 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
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This is actually a fairly straightforward one isn't it?

Infiniti is Nissan's 'Lexus' or 'Acura' and has been around in the States and elsewhere since the late 80's, early 90's. Renault and Nissan have been partners since late 90's.

Nissan want Infiniti to get more exposure Europe. Renault supply Red Bull with engines. Red Bull want to distance itself from the Renault factory team - which I'm sure Renault would want to as they are doing quite nicely again.

You want to sell cars in Europe, you get involved in F1 and where better than a current top team? Simple...

PhilJames

234 posts

192 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
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This isn't news this is an advert for Infinity. Hardly a piston heads car.

Nick Young

Original Poster:

250 posts

249 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
quotequote all
PhilJames said:
This isn't news this is an advert for Infiniti. Hardly a piston heads car.
Why is it not a 'Piston heads' car? I'd have thought a 320bhp V6 RWD sports coupé, or perhaps the worlds fastest accelerating hybrid generating 364bhp for example was very much a piston heads car!

Porkie

2,378 posts

240 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
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Luca Brasi said:
Who actually buys this stuff in Europe, I hardly ever see one.
I think thats the point mate wink


P.S I enjoyed the article. Thought it was really interesting smile

grasum

51 posts

196 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
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Infiniti have got involved in sponsoring in the premiership !

Dave Hedgehog

14,541 posts

203 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
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daft name and ugly cheap looking cars imo, ideal for the USA

TheHeretic

73,668 posts

254 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
quotequote all
Dave Hedgehog said:
daft name and ugly cheap looking cars imo, ideal for the USA
Never sat in one then?

dvs_dave

8,581 posts

224 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
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Had an Infiniti Fx35 (the SUV thing) the other day as a rental. Decent car to be honest, lots of gadgets, was plenty quick and it handled well (same platform as the 370Z), although I thought the ride was rough and it's not all that roomy inside. And the exhaust note is deliberately loud which gets tiresome. The secondary build quality (i.e. stuff beyond what you see and touch regularly) didn't appear overly sturdy either, thin body panels etc. and was a little "cost cutting" in appearance.

They also look even worse in dark colours and without large wheels which will ruin the ride even more.

Not sure I'd buy one over an X5 or ML for the prices they're charging either.

TheHeretic

73,668 posts

254 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
quotequote all
Nick Young said:
PhilJames said:
This isn't news this is an advert for Infiniti. Hardly a piston heads car.
Why is it not a 'Piston heads' car? I'd have thought a 320bhp V6 RWD sports coupé, or perhaps the worlds fastest accelerating hybrid generating 364bhp for example was very much a piston heads car!
hehe How true. A manufacturer that makes nothing smaller than a 3.7 V6, and a chassis that is used on the 370z, and it is 'not PH'. Amazing badge snobbery on PH, even with the applicable info. They do a beefy M sedan, with a 5.7 V8, the G coupe and sedan with the 3.7. Nice solid quality range.

Dave Hedgehog

14,541 posts

203 months

Thursday 27th September 2012
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TheHeretic said:
Dave Hedgehog said:
daft name and ugly cheap looking cars imo, ideal for the USA
Never sat in one then?
no need, the outsides look cheap and nasty

dele

1,270 posts

193 months

Thursday 27th September 2012
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Nick Young said:
All I can say is that anyone that hasn't tried a G37 coupé with it's glorious 3.7 V6 is missing out! smile
Or just get the 370z with the same engine which is probably a better steer wink

Nick Young

Original Poster:

250 posts

249 months

Thursday 27th September 2012
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dele said:
Or just get the 370z with the same engine which is probably a better steer wink
Not if you need 4 seats it's not! smile

loudlashadjuster

5,082 posts

183 months

Thursday 27th September 2012
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I'm probably in Infiniti's target demographic somewhere (early 40s, professional(ish!), currently pilot a Merc) but from the examples I've seen I have absolutely zero interest in them.

As others have said, they look brash and ugly and that alone is enough to strike them off any list I'm making. F1-washing the badge isn't going to sway me either.

Not a case of badge snobbery as I'd happily consider a Lexus, Skoda or most other decently engineered cars.

nadirv8

139 posts

214 months

Thursday 4th October 2012
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Luca Brasi said:
Who actually buys this stuff in Europe, I hardly ever see one.
Good question. I've not seen one before, yet by contrast have seen a couple of Mclarens.