Nissan is planning to create a performance line for its Infiniti brand. The company has already taken the first step towards this goal by filing for trademark protection for the names Infiniti Performance Line and IPL. Autonews reports the application to include mention of the brand’s use of “high-performance motor vehicle parts” in its performance segment, including “turbochargers and superchargers for engines, cat-back exhaust and muffler systems, shifter knobs, suspension parts, brakes, sports seats and off-road headlights.”

Although Infiniti remains mum on the subject, there have been statements issued in the past that seem to pertain to the establishment of a performance brand. If this plan pursues, this is expected to improve the standing of the brand in the market.

Full report here.

Oh, this is painful. For us, at least. This helpless Nissan GT-R was locked up inside a Nissan dealership in Gainesville, Florida when it was discovered charred crisp. What do you think could have happened? If someone was stupid enough to throw a cigarette butt under it, that might have been enough to stark a fire. With enough flammables, of course. Say, dripping gasoline? Oh, what the heck! It’s a total mystery. Painful, nonetheless.

Source: Jalopnik

Inside Line reveals that Nissan is considering a coupe and convertible version for its Infiniti M sedan model. If the said move pursues, a move that would be necessary if the brand is to remain competitive in the market, the coupe and convertible are expected to be offered in the M37 and M56 variants. The E-Class of Mercedes Benz and the 6 Series of BMW are the foreseen competitors of the upcoming vehicles.

What do you get when you have an angry mob of Nissan GT-R owners who are asking for a warranty replacement of their failed transmissions? You get a whole line of badmouthing from a pissed-off Nissan executive that couldn’t resist clobbering GT-R owners with his own brand of PR.

Unfortunately, the terms he used violated Nissan’s policies on employee Internet activities and thus were edited or deleted somewhat. But here’s what Nissan had to say:

“Nissan does not condone the comments made by this particular employee. While seemingly well-intentioned, many of the remarks are regrettable and do not represent the company’s views. Nissan’s policy regarding internet commentary is that an employee’s personal opinion must be preceded by a disclaimer that identifies their remarks as such and not necessarily the views of the company.”

Who’s this jackass executive, you might ask? Well, we might as well say it since he identifies himself openly in the said forums. He’s none other than Chip Goetzinger, Assistant to the Chairman of Nissan North America. And you can look at his comments right here and judge for yourself.

Was he right in defending his company and the GT-R? Or was he just too harsh on GT-R owners? You decide. Hey, it’s a free country. And Mr. Goaty, that’s no way to talk to your customers!

Source: Jalopnik

People view luxury cars in different ways. But all the different definitions all boil down to what kind of car gives you the biggest grin, regardless of reason. For some people, it might be a Rolls Royce. For others, it would be a Nissan GT-R. Between these two, despite the difference in comfort and performance, there lies a similarity, and it’s usually none other than the service costs involved in owning either of them.

Take for instance the $2,000 regular service cost for a regular GT-R. For some people with the bucks, that’s loose change. But wait till you’re faced with a repair bill hiking up to almost ten times that amount. Ridiculous? Yes. Affordable? Maybe. But mind the circumstances. The driver of this Nissan GT-R found the hard way just what it means to own a luxurious sports car.

For him, it means having to shell out $18,355 in repairs. What happened was he was following, perhaps too closely, a tow truck which happened to be following another car which hit the brakes hard. The tow truck was able to avoid hitting the car, but the GT-R driver wasn’t so lucky. Despite the potential of his car, he couldn’t prevent it from tapping the tow truck’s hitch. It cracked his front bumper ever so slightly, but the chain reaction is what really mattered. The pedestrian safety system got triggered, raising the hood and totaling the hood hinges, hood rams and the system’s electronic computer. Include the price of the bumper and the bill instantly shot up to almost 20 grand.

So the moral of the story? Unless you’re a professional race car driver with loads of money, try not to drive an ultra-high performance sports car too near anything in traffic. It takes more than a good car to prevent accidents from happening.

So there you have it, folks. Another ridiculous traffic incident involving a sorry driver and his helpless Nissan GT-R.

Source: GTR Owners Club

Here’s a painful reminder that no matter how good of a driver you may think you are, you should always respect a car until you get a feel for it.

The driver of this Nissan GT-R learned this the hard way when he lost control of his R35 and slammed into a Credit Union ATM in Vancouver, Canada. Fortunately, no one was hurt, except for the R35, the building and the driver’s ego. Police reports say the car almost hit innocent bystanders while skidding out of control at horrific speeds.

Meanwhile, earlier this year, another R35 met its demise in the hands of a famous celebrity in the Philippines. This incident happened just a few hours before dawn. Police reports say the R35 was rounding a dark, narrow bend when it lost traction. Since the GT-R is known for its highly-advanced stability and traction control systems, the crash only proves that a good car doesn’t automatically make you a good driver. The crash spared the life of the actor, who was on his way home from taping a show, but unfortunately killed his personal assistant who was riding shotgun, without his seatbelt fastened.

Both of these cases show that if you can’t handle the R35, you’re better off keeping your hands off it. Even if you can afford it, you’ll only be putting yourself at risk, including other people. You don’t want to be labeled as a rich kid trying hard to be a cowboy, and miserably failing.

This serves as a warning to the general public as well, and applies not only to super cars or sports cars, but basically all types of contraptions on wheels. Every time you hold a steering wheel, you should be responsible for every one around you, not just your ego Never, ever drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, obey traffic rules, never use your mobile phone and always, always fasten your seatbelts, including your passengers’.

Source: Jalopnik, GTR Blog

The latest Infiniti FX models are now out in the market. The FX has received significant changes and additions for 2010, from the exterior to the interior.

The FX35 comes in a rear-wheel drive and an all-wheel drive version, powered with a 303-horsepower 3.5-liter 24-valve DOHC V6 engine. Meanwhile, the FX50 comes standard in an all-wheel drive and is backed by a 390-horsepower 5-liter 32-valve DOHC V8 engine.

Among the additions to the said models are the following:

• Bluetooth Hands-free Phone System
• Standard USB Connection Port (for iPod and other devices)
• 2-GB Music Box hard drive

The prices of the said models range from $42,400 (FX35 RWD) and $43,850 (FX35 AWD), to $58,400 (FX50 AWD).

Check out egmCarTech for complete details.

THE NISSAN SKYLINE undoubtedly is the fastest Japanese production car currently available. It’s also one of the cheapest super cars you can buy (if you can’t afford a Porsche). So if you’re a gear head just like the rest of us, then you might be interested in knowing that a successor to the current R35-generation Skyline is in the works.

Coming from Nissan’s Vice President for Global Planning Andy Palmer himself, the next generation R36 Skyline will make its debut no later than 2013. He held back from revealing more details about the R36 other than the fact that it will carry over the current twin-turbo V6 the current R35 generation has. Palmer couldn’t stress any further Nissan’s commitment to its GT-R program, saying that the world is too small for both the Skyline and its current contender, the Porsche 911 GT2.

No wonder Nissan set up its own testing facility right next to the infamous Nurburgring track in Germany. Both Nissan and Porsche have been knawing the ‘Ring demolishing lap times just to prove who’s boss.

So which would you prefer – a 911 or the R35? Both cars have their own merits, with Porsche offering more luxury in terms of comfort, while falling short of heart-pounding adrenaline as compared to Nissan. In my opinion, an Ayrton Senna-certified NSX would suffice at a much smaller price.

It’s not as comfy nor as fast as the two rivals, but is without contention, still a world-class super car by any benchmark.

Source: Autoblog

The Tokyo Motor Show is nearing, and among the rumored vehicles in the works right now for the said show is the second upgrade to the Nissan GT-R. The GT-R had been introduced in the Tokyo Show back in the year 2007, and it received a performance upgrade in the form of the GT-R SpecV that was launched January this year.

There are rumors online that for the coming Tokyo Motor Show next month, Nissan is planning to introduce a more luxurious version of the GT-R, dubbed the SpecM. These rumors have been here for too long, but there’s no confirmation from Nissan yet.

What is available at the moment is a photo rendering by the Carmode magazine of the GT-R SpecM. The upcoming model is said to pack the SpecV’s aero kit and wheels, although the car will have a softer suspension and more options for customization to cater to luxury car lovers.

[Source: Carscoop]

[Photo: Cars Top Ten]

The Infiniti QX56 is still here! There was some news last December that say it might be dumped together with two other Nissan models, the Armada and the Quest, but it’s a good thing that did not happen.

The 2010 QX56 is now offered in two-wheel and four-wheel drive versions. Read the following press release for more details:

Source: Nissan via Auto Blog

Infiniti Announces Pricing on 2010 QX56

Infiniti today announced pricing on the 2010 Infiniti QX56 full-size luxury SUV, which is on sale now at Infiniti retailers nationwide. The QX56 is available in two-wheel and four-wheel drive models, both equipped with a standard 320-horsepower 5.6-liter DOHC V8, 5-speed automatic transmission, leather-appointed seating and a long list of luxury and technology features. The Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the 2010 Infiniti QX56 2WD is $56,050 and $59,150 for the Infiniti QX56 4WD.*

About the 2010 QX56

The 2010 Infiniti QX56 continues to offer an outstanding combination of refinement, roominess, advanced technology and power – providing maximum utility and all-season versatility in a stylish, fully equipped full-size luxury SUV. The QX is anchored by an advanced drivetrain, featuring a high-strength steel frame and standard 5.6-liter V8 engine rated at 320 horsepower and 393 lb-ft of torque. Its sophisticated body design is marked by a distinctive chrome “waterfall” style grille, High Intensity Discharge (HID) xenon headlights, Infiniti-style LED taillights, power sliding moonroof and power-operated rear liftgate.

Inside, the exceptionally roomy QX interior features class-leading 2nd row legroom and seating for up to eight with the optional 2nd row split bench seat. Occupants are treated to an array of standard and available technology and luxury equipment, including leather-appointed seating, an Infiniti Hard Drive Navigation System with 7.0-inch LCD screen, XM® Satellite Radio and XM NavTraffic® with real-time traffic information (XM® subscription required, sold separately), 12-speaker Bose® Premium Audio system with Burr-Brown DAC and 9.3GB Music Box Hard Drive and power-folding 60/40 split 3rd row bench seat.

Optional features include a Technology Package with Intelligent Cruise Control and front Sonar System for parking; and an Infiniti Mobile Entertainment System (MES) with DVD player, 8-inch color screen, two wireless headphones and remote controller. A Tow Package (standard on QX56 4WD) is also optional on QX56 2WD.

The QX’s 4-wheel independent suspension includes an auto-leveling rear suspension. Maximum towing capacity (when properly equipped) is rated at up to 9,000 pounds. A 5-speed automatic transmission with tow mode, 4-wheel power-assisted disc brakes and 9-spoke 20-inch chrome-finished aluminum-alloy wheels are standard on both 2WD and 4WD models.

About Infiniti

Infiniti offers a full-line of luxury performance automobiles that inspire at every turn, including the G Coupe, Sedan and first-ever Convertible, M sedan, EX and FX crossovers, and the QX full-size SUV. More information about Infiniti and its Total Ownership Experience® can be found at www.InfinitiUSA.com.