GT-R Going Upscale: Next Generation Skyline to be sold as Infiniti in U.S., sources say

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LOS ANGELES - The next-generation Skyline GT-R, a high-performance sports car, will be sold as an Infiniti in the United States, say two sources familiar with Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.'s plans.

The current generation is sold under the Nissan brand in Japan. Company executives have been debating whether to sell it in America as a Nissan or an Infiniti.

The most recent GT-R concept was shown at the Tokyo Motor Show in October. The production model will be shown at the Tokyo show in 2007.

The sources say the vehicle will be either a 2008 or 2009 model with a sticker price of about $65,000. They say Nissan has targeted annual U.S. sales of about 1,500.

The automaker showed only the car's exterior at the Tokyo show and has not said much about the powerplant. But one source says the Skyline GT-R will have all-wheel drive and two turbochargers, and produce more than 400 hp.

"It will be wicked; faster than a bullet," he said.

Asked to comment on the vehicle, Frederique Le Greves, head of public relations for Nissan North America Inc., said, "No decision has been made on whether it will be a Nissan or Infiniti when it comes to the United States."

Some company executives fought to put a Nissan nameplate on the GT-R in the United States because it is known as a Nissan globally. The car appears in many popular racing video games in the United States, such as Sony PlayStation's Gran Turismo.

But a source says in-house studies show that the expected clientele does not want to shop for such a high-end vehicle at a Nissan dealership.

Infiniti dealer John Capps says the Infiniti dealer group has been lobbying for the GT-R. Capps, owner of Plaza Motor Co. in St. Louis, and former chair of the Infiniti dealer council, says "it would be a wonderful halo car."