Infiniti to Enter Australia’s Luxury Car Market in 2012 with FX, G37 and M Models

Infiniti continues to expand its reach around the world and has now confirmed plans to begin sales of its range of sedans, coupes and crossovers in Australia from the third quarter of 2012. The introduction in Australia follows the presentation of the premium brand in the UK, Western Europe and select Asia Pacific markets.

The Japanese company said it will create Infiniti Centres in each of the three major east coast capitals of the country in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. The initial lineup will include the FX sport crossover, G37 hardtop convertible and coupe, and the M luxury sedan.

"As part of Infiniti's worldwide expansion, Australia is a mandatory next step for the luxury brand," said Dan Thompson CEO, Infiniti Cars Australia. "In a little more than a year, the promise of luxury vehicles with a unique combination of inspired performance, attentive hospitality and unparalleled quality will become a reality for the Australian market.”

Kevin Snell, the Japanese firm’s newly appointed General Manager, believes Infiniti will act as a “clear alternative to the traditional premium makes” adding that the brand will target a younger buyer demographic aged between 30 and 40 years.

‘Infiniti customers are ‘‘quiet rebels’’. They’re rebellious of the mainstream and are typically looking for something different,’’ says Snell.

‘‘They’re more of an individualist-type customer who are passionate about design and technology. They are early adopters and risk-takers and don’t like traditional conversative status and want to stand out from the crowd. They might even be tired of an Audi, BMW or Mercedes their neighbour drives’’.

Nissan founded Infiniti in 1989, around the same time as Japanese rivals Toyota and Honda created their own premium divisions, Lexus and Acura respectively. Following its launch in the United States and then Canada, the brand has since expanded to Europe as well as China, Korea, Taiwan and parts of the Middle East. Currently, Infiniti has 340 dealers worldwide with the company forecasting more than 165,000 sales in the 2011 Financial Year.

Hat tip to Matt!

Source: Infiniti via Drive

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VIDEO: Moscow Street Drifting with Nissan 200SX Pickup Truck and Silvia

In today’s video find, we present a pair of daredevil Russian drifters swooping and sliding their way through the streets of Moscow, Russia in a Nissan 200SX ute [S13] and what appears to be a Nissan Silvia [S15]. The drivers are Evgeniy Satyukov and Geprgiy Stepanyan who took first and second place respectively in the ‘Russian Drift Series 2010’.

The creators of the film are quick to point out that “all the stunts in the film are performed by professionals on the blocked streets” and that viewers should “not try to do this on public roads”. Drift past the break to enjoy the video.

VIDEO

Nissan Joins Forces with Signature to Compete in the Le Mans Cup with a V8 Prototype

Nissan has entered a new two-year partnership with the French-based Signature Group racing team to field an open-cockpit LMP2-class sports car prototype in the new Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC). As part of the deal, Nissan’s Performance and Motorsports division, NISMO, will provide 3.4-liter racing versions of the its VK series of V8 engines, which can be found under the hood of the Titan, Armada and Pathfinder models.

The Japanese company said the Signatech Nissan racing team will compete in the entire 2011 season of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC) series.

The LMP2 racer will be driven by a pair of Frenchmen, 40-year-old open-wheel and sports car veteran Soheil Ayari and 25-year-old F3 and Le Mans Series racer Franck Mailleux, along with 25-year-old Spaniard Lucas Ordoñez, who is the winner of the inaugural Nissan and PlayStation GT Academy competition in Europe in 2008.

“Nissan is excited to see our new partnership with Signature kick off and we look forward to a very successful partnership with the team," said Jon Brancheau, Vice President Marketing Nissan. "I know our customers, fans and dealers will be following our progress at Sebring and will be anticipating our return to the Le Mans 24 hours."

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