Home » Hot Damn, Infiniti Is Getting A RWD Manual Sedan

Hot Damn, Infiniti Is Getting A RWD Manual Sedan

Infiniti Q50s Ts

It feels like an understatement to say that things aren’t great at Infiniti right now from a product perspective. With the brand’s compact crossovers bowing out soon with no immediate replacement, new cars are seriously needed. How about one that promises fun? That’s right, Infiniti is reportedly working on a new Q50, one that brings back something missing from the Infiniti lineup since 2015.

It’s easy to forget that Infiniti was absolutely crushing it in the 2000s, and the G35 walked up to the E46 BMW 3 Series and gave it a fat lip on picture day. A standard 3.5-liter V6 with outputs ranging from 260 horsepower in early sedans to 298 horsepower in later Rev Up models, a notchy six-speed manual transmission, available reclining rear seats in sedans, a capable chassis for the time with multi-link suspension at all four corners and intensive use of aluminum arms, and a base price that undercut the German competition. I actually owned a G35 sedan with a six-speed manual and it was a blast, and now the brand seems willing to channel some of that greatness.

Vidframe Min Top
Vidframe Min Bottom

Automotive News reports that a next-generation Q50 was teased by the brand at a dealer convention in Las Vegas on Wednesday, and not only is it on-track for a 2027 arrival, it’s sticking to a classic formula, and I’m not just talking about the claim that “Infiniti teased the low-slung model in a video that revealed a swoopy profile, slender headlights and Skyline-styled circular taillights,” because what’s allegedly under the hood is stuff we’re all familiar with:

According to people familiar with the vehicle, the Q50 will switch to rear-wheel drive and be offered with a manual transmission. A Red Sport performance trim is being considered.

“The new Q50 is a visceral car with a twin-turbo that screams,” one of the people said. “It’s not practical, but it is fun.”

Offering a row-your-own gearbox would make a ton of sense considering the FM platform has already offered the VR30DDTT three-liter twin-turbocharged V6 and a six-speed manual transmission in the Nissan Z, and a 2019 SEMA build by Concept Z Performance found that Nissan’s CD009 six-speed manual gearbox pretty much bolts up to a late-model Infiniti Q60. With nothing else in the segment this side of a BMW M3 or Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing offering a stick-shift, it would be a unique selling point for Infiniti.

Infiniti Q50 2016 Engine Bay
Photo credit: Infiniti

However, just because it sounds like Infiniti is cooking with leftovers doesn’t mean there’s no possibility of adding a bit of kick to the seasoning mix. A source told Automotive News that “the Q50’s engine could be tweaked to deliver more than 450 hp,” a spicy number that would put the next Q50 closer to the V8-powered Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance on output and keep it competitive against German rocketships like the BMW M340i and Audi S4.

 Infiniti Q50s 022.jpg (1)
Photo credit: Infiniti

Of course, there’s still some trepidation to be had here, because by 2027, the components purportedly underneath would be really old. Could a new car on what would then be a 26-year-old platform with an eleven-year-old engine be good? Well, with the right tuning and steering hardware, it might be. An original G35 is still a fun car to drive, whereas the softer previous-generation Q50 lost a good chunk of its grandfather’s immediacy while gaining optional and unwelcome steer-by-wire that was originally mandatory on the fastest trims.

003 2005 G35 Sedan Source
Photo credit: Infiniti

If the next Infiniti Q50 is to be a hit, it’ll need to stick to the formula that made the G35 successful: performance, value, and luxury, in that order. Infiniti doesn’t really have the hardware to compete with the latest sports sedans on refinement, but it absolutely has the ingredients to beat them on thrills. I guess we’ll know in two years whether this is just a Gen X nostalgia play or the next great enthusiast sedan.

Top graphic image: Infiniti

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ADDvanced
ADDvanced
7 months ago

I despise the idea that anything old must be bad.

The original aircooled 911 was in production for 35 years, with incremental improvements throughout.

Absolutely nobody would say it sucked because it was old. Meanwhile car manufacturers are criticized when their platforms get old, like Chrysler with the Challenger or their Caravan. Why? As long as the company is doing subtle tweaks to make it even better, why does it matter?

Cerberus
Member
Cerberus
7 months ago
Reply to  ADDvanced

As long as the product remains good and/or offers something nobody else does, I don’t care about being new. I’d even prefer older if it means greater durability, serviceability, and cheaper costs or offers better connection and less tech nonsense.

My Other Car is a Tetanus Shot
Member
My Other Car is a Tetanus Shot
7 months ago

Swan song of the VQ, Infiniti sports sedan, and maybe Infiniti itself.

Sure beats the drone of their variable displacement four-cylinder attached to the CVT in a QX55.

Forrest
Member
Forrest
7 months ago

Make the Red Sport a track day special with an oil cooler and a diff cooler. Put the biggest front brakes that will fit under 19 inch wheels. Massage the suspension a bit. Come close to the performance on-track of a Camaro SS 1LE. I want that.

Give Me Tacos or Give Me Death
Give Me Tacos or Give Me Death
7 months ago
Reply to  Forrest

What will actually happen is a spoiler, some badging, and a bit of (probably fake) carbon fiber trim in the interior.

Forrest
Member
Forrest
7 months ago
Reply to  Forrest

An other idea. This could be the Crown Vic of our day. Ok, the size is more Taurus than Panther-body, but it’s a relatively big sedan, it’s an ancient design, and the bugs have probably been worked out by now. They should make a version with cloth seats and luxury nothing. Keep the V6 and manual though. I don’t know who would buy them new, but people on this website would happily buy them
used in 10 years.

FormerTXJeepGuy
Member
FormerTXJeepGuy
7 months ago

Interesting announcement on the heels of the cancellation of the Acura TLX. Also the IS sounds like its not long for this world, and the ES is going more EV. Add to that the demise of the LX Charger (speaking of sedans selling well on 26 year old bones) and yeah, there may be a niche for this if they get the styling, performance, and price right.

Old Rusty and Somewhat Broken
Old Rusty and Somewhat Broken
7 months ago

I totally agree with this. Infiniti is about to rule what’s left of the mainstream sport sedan market if they can manage to keep their head out of their ass and do this right. All the performance and fun of an Audi S5 or BMW M340i for $10k less and better reliability and they will have plenty of buyers. 450hp Z motor with a 6 speed sounds like a great start.

The Acura is leaving because even the Type S couldn’t keep up with the Audi or BMW and their idiot dealers wouldn’t sell one for the right price. The IS is actually a decent car, but it’s a bit small and not really fun to drive except in ridiculous V8 F format.

Ron Gartner
Ron Gartner
7 months ago

I like Infiniti coupes and sedans, it’s just a shame they are all old and tired compared to the competition. Add to the fact they are a bit boring to drive, it’s just not a compelling buy for an enthusiast. If I could get the newer Q60 coupe with a stick it would be in my garage. I know I’m a rare outlier, but I do really love their looks. Same applies to the RC 350 F Sport.

Luxobarge
Member
Luxobarge
7 months ago

Could a new car on what would then be a 26-year-old platform with an eleven-year-old engine be good?

If you could go through the Guardian of Forever, buy a new car from 2000, and bring it into the present day, it will still be pretty competitive.Gas mileage might not look so great, the tech would be out of date (hope you still have CDs!), and you’d have to provide your own backup camera. But it would still do 90% or more of what you wanted it to do with no problems. So I don’t think that, “Oh, but the platform is old!” is a serious objection today, when cars are built better than ever and most of the advances are coming from add-on technology instead of the drivetrain or frame.

Last edited 7 months ago by Luxobarge
Data
Data
7 months ago
Reply to  Luxobarge

Man in your reality I would travel back to the 80’s/90’s and get me a minty MR2, first or second generation.

Hoser68
Hoser68
7 months ago
Reply to  Data

Get a late 1st gen where Toyota discovered zinc or a late second when the undiscovered rear bump steer.

PersonallyI would want the first gen. Assuming I can get back the body shape I had that fit into one back in the day

Hoser68
Hoser68
7 months ago
Reply to  Luxobarge

Can confirm. I daily an 04 Camry stick. It drives as good as any rental I get, only with worse fuel economy and no backup camera yet. I had a new low mileage Corolla as a rental and couldn’t wait to go back to my 21 year old Camry

Urban Runabout
Member
Urban Runabout
7 months ago

Scrap the Infiniti brand and just call it a Nissan Skyline GT.
They might even sell some that way.

Last edited 7 months ago by Urban Runabout
PhilaWagon
PhilaWagon
7 months ago
Reply to  Urban Runabout

This. The Skyline model name carries more recognition than the entire Infiniti brand name.

Benny Butler
Benny Butler
7 months ago
Reply to  PhilaWagon

I wouldn’t go that far. In car circles I’d say it definately carries more respect. But in the general population I think you’d be hard press to find too many average people who know what a skyline was. And how the name has bounced around from S, C, R and V bodies.

Eric Gonzalez
Eric Gonzalez
7 months ago
Reply to  PhilaWagon

Nobody outside of car enthusiasts like us knows what the hell a “Skyline”, “Silvia” or “Fairlady” are. Just because we’re part of a community that has heard those names for ages doesn’t mean everybody does.

That’s precisely one if the biggest mistakes a car manufacturer can make.

If you don’t believe me, ask Mitsubishi how well the new “Eclipse” sold.

PhilaWagon
PhilaWagon
7 months ago
Reply to  Eric Gonzalez

New Eclipse didn’t sell poorly because no one knew what it was; it sold poorly because it was garbage.

Eric Gonzalez
Eric Gonzalez
7 months ago
Reply to  PhilaWagon

Both things can be true at the same time.

PhilaWagon
PhilaWagon
7 months ago
Reply to  Eric Gonzalez

Ha, true.

The NSX Was Only in Development for 4 Years
The NSX Was Only in Development for 4 Years
7 months ago
Reply to  PhilaWagon

If they renamed Infiniti into Skyline, first of all, they’d lose what sliver of recognition that name has for the general public. No normal person knows what in hell a ‘Skyline’ is and they’d just wonder why they’d want a car named after a fast food chain that puts chili on spaghetti.

The extremely small number of people who do know what a Skyline is would be seething with rage that their beloved Skyline nameplate is now being used on bland crossovers and other things.

PhilaWagon
PhilaWagon
7 months ago

I’m agreeing with the post which says to rename it a Nissan Skyline. Not to rebrand Infiniti as Skyline. Quite different things.

Edit: I enjoyed the Skyline Chili reference! It’s been a minute.

Last edited 7 months ago by PhilaWagon
Cars? I've owned a few
Member
Cars? I've owned a few
7 months ago

You guys are making me want to fly to Cinci just to try it out. I wish I had known about it when I was there for work.

The NSX Was Only in Development for 4 Years
The NSX Was Only in Development for 4 Years
7 months ago

There’s also at least two locations in Columbus, FYI.

Cars? I've owned a few
Member
Cars? I've owned a few
7 months ago

Well, my son did a year at TOSU, but that was a decade+ ago. I took him to orientation and visited once, ironically after finishing a project in Cinci.

Benny Butler
Benny Butler
7 months ago
Reply to  Urban Runabout

I would understand it, but there’s too much GT-R confusion with skyline over here now. People would think it was a disappointing R36.

Xx Yy Zz
Xx Yy Zz
7 months ago
Reply to  Benny Butler

To avoid that they should build a GT-R version, with awd and 600 HP – and a manual transmission, to give it a reason to exist in the age of 1000+ HP EVs.

Taargus Taargus
Member
Taargus Taargus
7 months ago
Reply to  Urban Runabout

Wow. That’s actually a genuinely good idea.

William Domer
Member
William Domer
7 months ago
Reply to  Urban Runabout

Or shitcan Infiniti and rename the enterprise Skyline. I’m so over made up doofus names. Acura. WTF is that. Lexus sort of works but not really.

Dan Parker
Dan Parker
7 months ago
Reply to  Urban Runabout

Or call it a g35/37/40, I’d wager more potential buyers would recognize that than skyline. The whole everything is a Qxx is some of the dumber re-rebranding I’ve seen.

Xx Yy Zz
Xx Yy Zz
7 months ago

My advise to Nissan: do it. Make it one that makes the journalists write positive reviews, how good it is to drive.
At the same time, build a crossover on the same platform. That should be still good to drive (compared to other similar crossovers), but a bit comfier than the sedan, to be more fitting to the taste of the average people.

Urban Runabout
Member
Urban Runabout
7 months ago
Reply to  Xx Yy Zz

You mean like the FX?

Xx Yy Zz
Xx Yy Zz
7 months ago
Reply to  Urban Runabout

I don’t know how good those were, Infiniti never got really poular here (and I think it’s the same for the whole of Europe), but those were at least somewhat special, compared to their “Rogue-based” current lineup.
So maybe yes?

Luxobarge
Member
Luxobarge
7 months ago
Reply to  Xx Yy Zz

Then build a wagon out of it, with a diesel engine and a manual transmission, available in brown. You’ll sell like two of them, but everyone will remember.

Urban Runabout
Member
Urban Runabout
7 months ago
Reply to  Luxobarge

Nissan did build Skyline wagons from the 2nd generation in the 60s to the seventh gen in the 80s – and later the Stagea derivative – – so it’s not totally out of character for the brand.

Anoos
Member
Anoos
7 months ago
Reply to  Urban Runabout

It’s out of character for the US. I don’t think they have ever offered an Infinity wagon, and I don’t think they’ve had a Nissan wagon since maybe an old Maxima or Stanza in the 80s(?).

Bucko
Bucko
7 months ago
Reply to  Anoos

Ironically, when it came down to buying my first new car in 2004, the G35 6MT was the runner-up and the only other car I test drove. But I ended up buying the diesel manual wagon (in blue). Had they offered a G35 wagon, the outcome may have been different.

Slosquirrel
Slosquirrel
7 months ago
Reply to  Bucko

Was this diesel manual wagon an MK4 Jetta TDI?

Urban Runabout
Member
Urban Runabout
7 months ago
Reply to  Slosquirrel

My Sis had a Blue one after her Red one was wrecked by a texting driver.
She loved that little wagon until everyone learned it was a gross polluter.

Bucko
Bucko
7 months ago
Reply to  Slosquirrel

Yup. First new car. Still own it.

Drive By Commenter
Member
Drive By Commenter
7 months ago
Reply to  Xx Yy Zz

That is brilliant! Much like the Tesla 3 and Y that share lots of components to keep costs down.

Racer Esq.
Racer Esq.
7 months ago

I had a 2005 6MT G35 sedan in blue, basically the car pictured, and it was a great car, but the V6/turbo-4 Mustang and Camaro got so good that it kind of killed that market for Infiniti (if anyone was too much of an image snob for a Mustang or Camaro they were probably too much of an image snob for an Infiniti and were going to get a BMW anyway). Now that the Camaro is dead and there is no stick on the base Mustang this market may be back.

Last edited 7 months ago by Racer Esq.
Ron Gartner
Ron Gartner
7 months ago
Reply to  Racer Esq.

I didn’t believe your last line and had to go look. That’s crazy that Ford killed off the manual Ecoboost!

Racer Esq.
Racer Esq.
7 months ago
Reply to  Ron Gartner

They didn’t even ask me first.

G. K.
G. K.
7 months ago
Reply to  Ron Gartner

That’s too bad! The EcoBoost + 6MT was a fun, well-balanced sports car.

Even more appalling is that, unless you get the Performance Pack on the EcoBoost + 10AT, you lose paddle shifters. And there’s no manual gate on the shifter, so you have no way to control your gears. This was the case on the prior S550 and the current S650. Pretty inexcusable for a sports car, if you ask me.

Fruit Snack
Fruit Snack
7 months ago

“Swoopy profile” So it’ll still be butt-ugly like all Infinitis for the past 20 years.

Taargus Taargus
Member
Taargus Taargus
7 months ago

I live in a place where there aren’t a whole lot of luxury cars, we don’t have a lot of dealerships nearby, as the closest semi-major city is 45 miles away. But they still exist and are a daily occurrence.

I never, ever see modern Infinities. Like, ever. I’m a religious reader of this site, but even then I’m usually confused as to what models are even left, what the fucking names of those models ever were (lol, thanks Johann), and who is actually buying them. Acura also struggles but at least those have the tagline of “fancy Honda” that a lot of people can get behind as an experience. Fancy Nissan just doesn’t have the same cache as it used to.

Carbon Fiber Sasquatch
Member
Carbon Fiber Sasquatch
7 months ago

I live outside Columbus Ohio and I very rarely see a new Infiniti myself. I see more G35 and G37s than new Q50 or Q60s

Data
Data
7 months ago

I am fairly certain everything is named with a Q and if it is QX it is a crossover. An meaningless alphabet soup, not unlike Acura or Cadillac before they stole Infiniti’s Q and stuck it on the end off all there BEV’s; which sound like new drug names.

Ask your doctor if Celestiq is right for you.

TDI in PNW
TDI in PNW
7 months ago
Reply to  Data

I had (and LOVED) a 2002 Q45, a time when Q meant something for Infiniti. It meant top of the lineup, it was their S-Class. Why they decided to dump the “G” name and give everything a Q still makes zero sense to me.

Bucko
Bucko
7 months ago

Go to any National, Avis, or Hertz lot and you will see where they reside among a sea of Altimas and Malibus

Cerberus
Member
Cerberus
7 months ago

Who in this space even thinks of this company anymore? It would have to be seriously good to pull buyers, which it won’t be, particularly if it’s got that steer-by-wire BS.

Protodite
Protodite
7 months ago
Reply to  Cerberus

I honestly forget about Infiniti all the time

C Mack
C Mack
7 months ago
Reply to  Protodite

Guessing this is first step to start trying to turn that (common) reaction around. Remember Cadillac launching the CTS (and V, etc) really lit a new fire under the brand

Urban Runabout
Member
Urban Runabout
7 months ago
Reply to  Protodite

Same
Except when I watch “Toy Story”

TimoFett
TimoFett
7 months ago
Reply to  Urban Runabout

Toy Story inspired me to go beyond Infiniti.

When you think about it infinity is just an 8 that is to lazy to stand up.

Urban Runabout
Member
Urban Runabout
7 months ago
Reply to  TimoFett

Figure eight is really great…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCGNUo-XQJ8

Hugh Crawford
Member
Hugh Crawford
7 months ago
Reply to  Protodite

When I do remember Infiniti, it’s mostly trying to remember whether it’s spelled funny or pronounced funny.
They should have just called it Datsun.

Ishkabibbel
Member
Ishkabibbel
7 months ago
Reply to  Cerberus

I’m in the market and I won’t consider Infiniti or Nissan due to the current state of the company.

Cerberus
Member
Cerberus
7 months ago
Reply to  Ishkabibbel

That’s a good point, too—it’s not just the product, it’s whether the company has a future. If the company was in solid shape, but the product was the same, would you consider them?

Ishkabibbel
Member
Ishkabibbel
7 months ago
Reply to  Cerberus

I’d consider Infiniti, yes (I was less than wowed by a Pathfinder I drove for a week this summer). I’d even consider them if the Japanese government had found them a suitor. But with their fate hanging in the wind, their (otherwise rather impressive) 4 and 6 year warranties don’t mean much to me.

Edit to add: “Consider” means I’d at least go to a dealer and test drive a car. They’re up against some stiff competition in the mid-size 3 row SUV space that I’m shopping and they’d by no means be a “given”.

Last edited 7 months ago by Ishkabibbel
NephewOfBaconator
NephewOfBaconator
7 months ago

So are they gonna do the thing that carmakers do where they only offer the manual in the poverty spec without popular options being available?

Or are they gonna do the other thing that carmakers do and only offer the manual in a full-zoot limited production trim that dealers will treat as if it were a Bugatti warranting a hefty markup?

Cheap Bastard
Member
Cheap Bastard
7 months ago

A poverty spec luxury sedan? That might be exactly what the enthusiast ordered!

Max Power
Member
Max Power
7 months ago

The new Integra is the opposite. Have to step up to the top trim for the manual.

Anoos
Member
Anoos
7 months ago
Reply to  Max Power

I think it was the same on the Civic while they still offered a manual. Or maybe just the Civic Sport, that’s the one I was shopping for last year.

Thirdmort
Thirdmort
7 months ago

It’s a funny predicament. There isn’t enough demand to warrant the complexity and development cost for manuals on every trim option, so which do you do? Go after the people who complain about manuals being too expensive or complain that they can’t get their manual with any options?

If you go for both, you lose money on everything. If you go for one, you have the other group mad. Lose Lose

Nsane In The MembraNe
Member
Nsane In The MembraNe
7 months ago
Reply to  Thirdmort

Watching manuals go from the base option to something that’s paywalled behind the highest trims in the last 10-15 years has been depressing

Bucko
Bucko
7 months ago

While I would love to see every model available with a manual, if they are going to restrict the manual, put me in the camp of preferring the paywalled top-level trim.

Andreas8088
Member
Andreas8088
7 months ago
Reply to  Bucko

Yeah, same. I was always annoyed that I could only get a manual transmission if I gave up all the goodies! I’m happy to pay more for the good transmission. (Though, obviously, I’d prefer it was available to anyone.)

Thirdmort
Thirdmort
7 months ago
Reply to  Andreas8088

Whoops. Wrong reply

Last edited 7 months ago by Thirdmort
BBecker
BBecker
7 months ago
Reply to  Thirdmort

What do they have to develop? The safety systems and architecture are the same either way, auto or manual. They can’t option manuals with or without sound system upgrades, heated seats, leather, sunroof, etc. without added development costs?

Thirdmort
Thirdmort
7 months ago
Reply to  BBecker

Calibration cost for each powertrain variant costs a few million. Then there’s gov emissions certification and crash testing for the different variants too to get them certified for US road use. Then there’s the integration engineering development, even with carryover parts. Those safety systems are very finely tuned and often times were developed only for autos. There are other hidden costs like tool life and other supply chain costs changing over time. Those are just off the top of my head.

Ranwhenparked
Member
Ranwhenparked
7 months ago

Launching new models? Waste of money – just give the lower trim levels of the Armada a different name and keep selling that forever —– Chrysler, probably

PhilaWagon
PhilaWagon
7 months ago

Something tells me Infiniti may not be as successful at the “cooking with leftovers” method as Porsche. A 930 911 this thing is not.

Spikedlemon
Spikedlemon
7 months ago

This would have been news 10 years ago or even 5 years ago.

So much can change before next Tuesday when the wind changes.

Rad Barchetta
Member
Rad Barchetta
7 months ago

Add it to the list of things that are “only two years away!”

Taargus Taargus
Member
Taargus Taargus
7 months ago
Reply to  Rad Barchetta

I feel like new vehicle models have somehow turned into raw NBA prospects from overseas. In that they are often “two years away from being two years away”. And also about as likely to actually happen.

Lbibass
Member
Lbibass
7 months ago

As others have said: I think this is too little, too late. Maybe a decade ago this could have worked better, but unless they make it an absolute looker, and really, REALLY undercut on price, I have a hard time believing people will want to buy these. At least the platform and engine are old, so they’ll (hopefully) be at least a little bit more reliable than most of the other Nissans that have come out recently.

Nsane In The MembraNe
Member
Nsane In The MembraNe
7 months ago

I think it’s way too late for Infiniti and that the market for this is smaller than they think it is but I’ll be damned if I don’t respect the Hail Mary. I assume it’s the manual from the Z. If that’s the case I hope they’ve worked on it…numerous folks have complained that 2-3 shift in the Z is a grind-ey disaster.

The NSX Was Only in Development for 4 Years
The NSX Was Only in Development for 4 Years
7 months ago

Surely this will completely turn around Infiniti’s fortunes – car enthusiasts are never wrong about this kind of thing.

Nsane In The MembraNe
Member
Nsane In The MembraNe
7 months ago

The people who actually want this will buy a total of like 3. Everyone else will go lease a German sedan or get the automatic. It’ll go away, and we’ll all lament that they don’t make cars like they used to anymore, as the prophecy foretold.

Spikedlemon
Spikedlemon
7 months ago

Or shop for a WRX, instead.

Nsane In The MembraNe
Member
Nsane In The MembraNe
7 months ago
Reply to  Spikedlemon

Nah everyone hates the current WRX

Spikedlemon
Spikedlemon
7 months ago

Sad hatchback noises.

Nsane In The MembraNe
Member
Nsane In The MembraNe
7 months ago
Reply to  Spikedlemon

The GR Corolla really stole the WRX’s lunch money. I see way more of those than I do the current WRX.

Spikedlemon
Spikedlemon
7 months ago

Regional.

WRX, GolfR, and CTR each vastly outnumber the GR Corolla I see on the road.

Younork
Younork
7 months ago

I would say that Subaru needs to fire their entire exterior design team, but they keep selling boat loads of the things, so I must be wrong somehow. Adding more ugly on top of last gen’s ugly seems to be a viable strategy for Subaru.

Xx Yy Zz
Xx Yy Zz
7 months ago

I think a manual for a sport sedan is more about giving buyers the impression, that what they have is a car made for real enthusiasts: it’s also available with a manual transmission! (While they buy it with an automatic, because they want to use it as a normal car.)

Mr E
Member
Mr E
7 months ago

Yes, we’ll all buy one. Used. In 5-10 years. 🙂

Finalformminivan
Finalformminivan
7 months ago

Yea this is cool and all, but a performance car made for automotive journalists will not save infinity.

The NSX Was Only in Development for 4 Years
The NSX Was Only in Development for 4 Years
7 months ago

… that’s my point.

Mr E
Member
Mr E
7 months ago

Infinity will go on forever. Infiniti? Probably not.

(sorry)

Taargus Taargus
Member
Taargus Taargus
7 months ago

If Infiniti is going to die, they might as well make a couple hundred manual equipped sports sedans for us to buy errantly ten years from now. Go out with an enthusiast-enabling bang versus a uncompetitive crossover-blob whimper, I say.

Nsane In The MembraNe
Member
Nsane In The MembraNe
7 months ago

From a business standpoint it’s incredibly stupid. From a vibes standpoint it rules.

Taargus Taargus
Member
Taargus Taargus
7 months ago

And also helpful from a legacy standpoint.

Pontiac may have died, but it went out with a couple of products like the G8, that were not only good, but stood for what Pontiac’s supposed mission statement was. Cars like the G8 make people look back at the death of Pontiac as a travesty, versus a mercy killing. Imagine if Pontiac spent their final five years building nothing but the Pontiac Torrent. We would have been begging for it to be euthanized.

It’s not sound business, but if you’re going to go down with the ship, do what is noble and right.

Nsane In The MembraNe
Member
Nsane In The MembraNe
7 months ago

I remember rolling around in my friend’s G6 hard top convertible in college. We’d put the roof down, find whoever was the most sober out of the bunch, cram as many people in as we could, and cruise around town. Good times. This is what I will choose to remember Pontiac for until the end of my days.

OrigamiSensei
Member
OrigamiSensei
7 months ago

Yeah, by the time Saturn was put down it was nothing but a soulless husk of badge engineering with no semblance of the original vision.
Signed, guy who drove an SL2 for 16 years.

Anoos
Member
Anoos
7 months ago

Is it? I don’t ever see Infiniti SUVs on the road, so it’s not like they’re raking in the dough in that segment.

This may not save them, but they have to try something and this project is something they should be able to complete cheaply.

Nsane In The MembraNe
Member
Nsane In The MembraNe
7 months ago
Reply to  Anoos

I see them everywhere, I think it’s a geographic thing. Believe it or not they’re quite popular in the DC area.

Anoos
Member
Anoos
7 months ago

I definitely see more Wagoneers than Infinitis of any type, and it’s not like Wagoneers are terribly popular. Some days I see more Ineos Grenadiers than Infinitis.

if I do see an Infinity, it’s usually a not new sedan with rolled fenders and terrible camber.

Box Rocket
Box Rocket
7 months ago

I keep forgetting Infiniti exists.

I’m not sure this will help, but I respect the effort.

So many of the “entry level luxury” brands could shutter and most probably wouldn’t notice as bloated as the segment is. Acura; Audi (the gap between VW & Porsche in the VAG pecking order is less than it used to be, and audi doesn’t have much of an identity beyond “fancier VW” ); Buick (especially with their ugly crop of models imported from east Asia) and Gmc by extension – Ford does fine with two brands, gm could/should do the same; arguably Chrysler; aforementioned Infiniti; Lancia (though we don’t see them in the US); and Maserati off the top of my head.

The NSX Was Only in Development for 4 Years
The NSX Was Only in Development for 4 Years
7 months ago
Reply to  Box Rocket

 Buick (especially with their ugly crop of models imported from east Asia) and Gmc by extension

I’m sorry but thinking it would somehow be a good idea for GM to shutter Buick and GMC is madness.

Protodite
Protodite
7 months ago

I kinda get the point on some of the brands, Buick just doesn’t have any identifiable brand character in the US and hasn’t for a long time, but the suggestion of GMC is whack. GMC is definitely a sleeper luxury brand, especially with Denali spec and I’d bet does a whole lotta business

The NSX Was Only in Development for 4 Years
The NSX Was Only in Development for 4 Years
7 months ago
Reply to  Protodite

Buick just doesn’t have any identifiable brand character in the US and hasn’t for a long time

Whether you think they have any “brand character” or not, they’re selling tons of cars and are doing better than they have in years. You don’t shutter a brand because you don’t like their vibes.

Taargus Taargus
Member
Taargus Taargus
7 months ago

Buick is doing a lot better, and GM should soldier on with it, but it’ll be interesting to see what they do about 3/4 of their lineup being imported…

The NSX Was Only in Development for 4 Years
The NSX Was Only in Development for 4 Years
7 months ago

Honestly their MSRPs are reasonable and they sell so many cars they can probably afford to raise their prices a little and be just fine. They only need to tough it out another 3 years or however long it takes for the thing to happen.

Box Rocket
Box Rocket
7 months ago

They are indeed doing better, inexplicably. They must have absurdly-good lease deals for folks to be driving those fugly robo-shark cars off the lot. The trax corporate twin isn’t much better – I keep thinking they’re Nissans or Hyundais, so the copycat role has somehow reversed to gm being the mimic – but the name is better-known. They also look nearly the size of an equinox now, which itself looks about the size of a blazer.

Taargus Taargus
Member
Taargus Taargus
7 months ago
Reply to  Protodite

If someone was to report on here that GMC is the most profitable brand in the entire automotive world, I wouldn’t even bat an eye. GM sells an absolute crapload of GMCs, which are just expensive Chevys. I get that doesn’t appear to have a real purpose, but as long as people are throwing wads of cash at GM for GMCs, they’d be insane to move on.

Box Rocket
Box Rocket
7 months ago

Not really. They could slap Denial (deliberately using the anagram) badges on a chevy and no one would know the difference. The narrow-minded folk who gravitate to those don’t even recognize there are different models, they expect them all to be a Yukon with shiny grilles, even on the terrain and acadia (I’ve witnessed this countless times, it’s almost sad).

GM could easily borrow Ford’s very successful recipe for their top trims: King Ranch and Platinum serve Ford trucks’ (sub)rural and (sub)urban luxury customers respectively. High Country is chevy’s copycat King Ranch, so Denial does what it already is doing as the urban-focused dark-interior shiny-baubled-exterior trim counterpart to Platinum. Both still chevy-branded, but tailored for specific customers without needing to support a redundant brand.

Plus then gm could report their sales numbers under just chevy and caddy, which would strengthen both brands. Which is probably why they wouldn’t and haven’t bothered, because gm adores having brand bloat.

Last edited 7 months ago by Box Rocket
The NSX Was Only in Development for 4 Years
The NSX Was Only in Development for 4 Years
7 months ago
Reply to  Box Rocket

Not really. They could slap Denial (deliberately using the anagram) badges on a chevy and no one would know the difference. The narrow-minded folk who gravitate to those don’t even recognize there are different models, they expect them all to be a Yukon with shiny grilles, even on the terrain and acadia (I’ve witnessed this countless times, it’s almost sad).

There is a noticeable uptick in quality from Chevy to GMC. I’m not a GM person whatsoever, but it’s hard to deny that GMCs are nicer places to be.

Box Rocket
Box Rocket
7 months ago

They’re made on the same manufacturing lines. A High Country is essentially indistinguishable in material quality from an equivalent Denial and even an escalade. It’s down to just which interiors are installed in which vehicles.

Lockleaf
Lockleaf
7 months ago
Reply to  Box Rocket

Ummmm, Buick is doing better now than it has in many many years. Those “ugly east asian” models are drawing younger American buyers than Buick has seen since they tried to selll the Reatta to young adults. They are seeing growth when many brands are seeing declines. Those ugly models are SAVING Buick.

Data
Data
7 months ago
Reply to  Lockleaf

I looked at Buick recently, but no hybrid immediately removed any interest.

Box Rocket
Box Rocket
7 months ago
Reply to  Lockleaf

I’m quite aware, and I am genuinely befuddled by it. I suspect they appeal to folks who think an Urus looks appealing (it doesn’t). I also suspect gm is going crazy with lease deals on them, and/or they have a financing approval algorithm setup similar to Mitsubishi, Kia/Hyundai, and Nissan: Pulse and a realistic-looking ID? Approved!

Don’t be deceived by percentages though. Having double or triple digit percentage growth may just mean sales were abysmal previously, and they’re back to “normal” levels.

Ash78
Ash78
7 months ago

Y’all know me, still the same old G. But I’ve been low-key, hated on by most of these drivers with credit scores in the low 3’s, mad at me because all they see is a sea full of Q-80s!

Did y’all think I’ma let my rep slip, let my sales dip? Bro, please, you better sign up for the next tease. Who you think brought you power in the high 3s, prices so low that you won’t sneeze, made you forget about the Bimmer 3’s, Mercedes C’s, told all the Germans they could check deez?

Now who wants to f*ck around with G and turn G back to the old G?

LTDScott
Member
LTDScott
7 months ago
Reply to  Ash78

This is not the place I’d expect a Dr. Dre parody about Infinitis, but I’m here for it.

Ash78
Ash78
7 months ago
Reply to  LTDScott

That was a mid effort (as my kids would say), but the timing was 100% right for the car 🙂

Shooting Brake
Member
Shooting Brake
7 months ago

That would be extremely cool. But if they don’t have a mainstream compact luxury crossover they will be in trouble (ok more trouble). But I for one have zero problems with a new car using old bones if the bones are good and the car is fun. We have waaaaaaay to much focus on new new new as a society.

Last edited 7 months ago by Shooting Brake
Arch Duke Maxyenko
Member
Arch Duke Maxyenko
7 months ago

I don’t think Infiniti will still be around in 2027

Michael Beranek
Member
Michael Beranek
7 months ago

I love the idea, but isn’t this just a Kia Stinger with Renault build quality?
On the other hand, if this car convinces Stellantis to make the Six-Pack Charger available with a manual, I’d love it more.

Bjorn A. Payne Diaz
Bjorn A. Payne Diaz
7 months ago

No manual in a Stinger. AND they don’t make it anymore.

Michael Beranek
Member
Michael Beranek
7 months ago

Oh, was it the Hyundai version? Gee-something?

Bjorn A. Payne Diaz
Bjorn A. Payne Diaz
7 months ago

You’re right! The Genesis G70 had a manual but only in the 2.0t. But I don’t think that exists anymore either; the manual that is.

Last edited 7 months ago by Bjorn A. Payne Diaz
Michael Beranek
Member
Michael Beranek
7 months ago

That’s it. H & K tend to just blend together inside my brain.

Pit-Smoked Clutch
Member
Pit-Smoked Clutch
7 months ago

If the Stinger ever came with a manual, I’d probably own one.

WaitWaitOkNow
Member
WaitWaitOkNow
7 months ago

Preach.

Spikedlemon
Spikedlemon
7 months ago

It’s Nissan build quality. That’s far far worse.

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