In what could be the first time a GT-R was redesigned into a Skyline, Nissan is considering a four door GT-R for Infiniti. Previous iterations of the Skyline spawned the GT-R variant - run-of-the-mill Skylines were shortened and added considerable upgrades to turn it into the Godzillas we all loved. But if Nissan pushes through with the plan, it’ll be the first time that a GT-R is the mule for a future “Skyline”.
Maybe it wont be as much a Skyline as the current Infiniti Skyline is. Possibly it will carry a different nameplate and be marketed towards a different crowd. Or it may just be the future replacement of the current Skyline. Whatever Nissan decides on, fanboys all over will be happy if it rolls off the assembly line. And considering the concept art below, a stretched GT-R looks pretty good. Although the first picture sort of resembles the Chrysler 300 - sort of, and is reminiscent of the R34 Skyline sedan.
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| (Images Courtesy of MotorTrend) |
Shortening the chassis of a car is not as hard as compared to lengthening it. That’s why small pick-ups are based on big trucks or SUVs and not the other way around. Hopefully the same suspension components and transmission, or maybe even beefier components, can be used. The 3.8 Liter Twin-Turbo power-plant found in the GT-R could still be used, but since it’s an Infiniti, and with a longer wheelbase, Nissan could always fit the 4.5 Liter V8 found in the Infiniti M45. Hmmm 4.5 Liter Twin Turbo High-Rev V8 anyone? You could probably imagine the kind of horsepower and torque produced by a monster like that!
Since Nissan is still thinking about adding another new vehicle to the Infiniti line-up, the four door GT-R may arrive at dealerships before the end of the decade if plans go into production soon. Which is interesting because the Porsche Panamera, which looks like it was based on an existing 2-door sports car design, will be out around the same time. It too may use a 4.5 Liter V8 engine. So is Nissan thinking of going up against Porsche again? They already gained the upper hand when the GT-R lapped the Nurburgring faster than Porche’s 911 Turbo. Maybe they think they can repeat history against the Panamera? Who knows…but it is an interesting coincidence.
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