Infiniti Badged Four-Door GT-R Confirmed

There have been rumours circulating for some time but we can now confirm that Nissan is indeed working on a four-door version of R35 GT-R. The extra two doors will be accompanied by an Infiniti badge when the Saloon makes its way to market, leaving little uncertainty as to the car's intent.

Wave goodbye to the g-force inducing 3.8L twin-turbo V6; the Infiniti variant will be a luxury affair so power output will be scaled back. Nissan has opted to go with the same 5.0L V8 used in the Infiniti FX50 SUV but with the small-block V8 tuned for around 313kWs.

While the FM platform will undergo radical modifications to accommodate the sheet-metal - so much so that the new platform will receive its own PM or Premium Mid-ship designation - the GT-R's ATTESA-ETS AWD system and six-speed dual-clutch gearbox will carry over. Expect revisions to shift times and intensity, but from our own experience we're confident that the GR6 can provide the smooth unobtrusive shifts required in the 'softer' Saloon.

With a 0-100km/h time expected in the five-second bracket and a top speed of over 270km/h, the Infiniti Saloon will be pitted against the likes of the Porsche Panamera and BMW M5. With such worthy competition, Nissan will be working hard to ensure there's ample luxury to match the performance.

No pricing information has been unearthed just yet, but we do know the Saloon is expected to arrive in 2011 and is destined for the US and Europe outside of Japan. No word on local availability but with the grey-import market humming along quite nicely, that shouldn't be a problem.