GT-R not as exclusive as first thought?
We were under the impression that Nissan had dropped the Skyline tag from the new GT-R to emphasis the fact it is a stand-alone sports car and new from the ground up.
But now rumour has it that Nissan is looking at the possibility of creating a high-performance four-door saloon based on the GT-R’s exotic hardware.
The car may even be rebranded as an Infiniti, Nissan’s premium brand.
One problem Nissan faces with the car is its price.
Extensive work will need to be carried out to the GT-R’s platform architecture to make it a four-door.
However, the platform could be stretched to make room for more doors, while retaining the existing suspension pickup points and engine mountings, it is claimed.
The car would share most of the GT-R’s mechanical hardware including the 473bhp twin-turbo 3.8-liter VR38 V-6 engine, all wheel drive, and the rear-mounted six-speed DSG-style auto-clutch transmission.
The issues lie with the new body shell – there would need to be extension revisions to the carbon fibre front structure.
All the extra work could leave the saloon costing £3,000 more, although at an expected £54,000 in the UK (half that for the US) the car is hardly expensive for what it is.
Having spent so much time and effort rebranding the GT-R as an exotic supercar, it is unlikely that Nissan will simply stick a couple of extra doors on and leave the styling the same.
Calling it an Infiniti and giving it a more subtle appearance could make it Nissan’s answer to AMG E-Classes and BMW’s M5.