- IL offers an early look at an Infiniti M coupe photo illustration.
- Nissan officials have discussed the possibility of building an M coupe.
- If Infiniti goes ahead with the coupe, it would likely be offered as an M37 and M56.
SANTA MONICA, California — Inside Line has learned that Nissan executives have discussed the expansion of the 2011 Infiniti M lineup from solo sedan to a three-model offering as well — sedan, coupe and ultimately convertible, too. This is a necessary move if the Japanese automaker intends to seriously compete in this segment, but then, we're not telling Nissan anything it doesn't already know.
Remember that Mercedes just finished the redesign of the E-Class sedan, coupe and convertible, and BMW is rapidly approaching the launch of its redesigned 2011 6 Series lineup, which will also include a coupe, sedan and drop top.
Infiniti first showed its sexy Essence concept car at last year's Geneva auto show, and there's no doubt that the showcar's design philosophy has already been considered as dressing for the possible future M coupe. And the computer renderings illustrating the promising design of the M coupe draw heavily from the Essence, including its unusual B-pillar and front fender side vents.
If Infiniti goes ahead with the project, it would probably be offered in both M37 and M56 variants, which would match the E350/E550 range closely, both in power and price. The M56 sedan already carries a competitive yet underutilized 420-horsepower 5.6-liter V8 engine, and is a well-suited opponent to the 342-hp Mercedes E550 coupe. And at $58,000, the M56 sedan is priced just $3,000 above the E550.
BMW has not yet announced final pricing and specs on its new standard 6 Series lineup, but the 500-hp V10-powered M6 currently starts at a cool $102K.
Inside Line says: Infiniti's M coupe is more than a model that's being considered, it's a car Infiniti needs to become a real player. — Kelly Toepke, News Editor
Add A Comment »
frankieman says:
04:09 AM, 05/17/2010
A new M series car? First its the M56 and now an M Coupe? How about a G56...coupe and sedan? I love my G37, but 420 HP vs 328 would make a big dfference in overall performance of the G series cars. Is it really necessary to have a M56 Coupe?
icecubefosho says:
03:14 PM, 05/16/2010
I think some people aren't realizing this is a fake... Perhaps y'all should put RENDER: (insert title of car here) instead of just saying Early Look, which deceives people who don't feel the need to read the article, or don't comprehend it.
In fact its very annoying that y'all do not state these are renders in the title.
alex38 says:
01:18 AM, 05/16/2010
The Essence coupe is an impressive speciment and the M coupe is a textbook case of yet another car company watering down a concept to the point where it is only MODERATELY better than an Altima Coupe.
The concept gets away with that funky curve in the glass panel but it simply does NOT work in the production version. Not a great effort here imo
sportyaccordy says:
07:33 PM, 05/15/2010
This thing is an absolute whale... Nissan needs to abort mission and look to coupes like the Jag XKR & even the controversial 6 series for some basic lessons on coupe proportions. These concepts have me begging for the sedan
zackd44 says:
06:14 PM, 05/15/2010
hopefully this will lead to a maxima coupe to go against the accord coupe
albook says:
05:12 PM, 05/15/2010
The E550 coupe has 382 horsepower- by no means unfit.
kernals12 says:
05:00 PM, 05/15/2010
this car builds on the styling of the already ugly m sedan
johnmarco says:
09:03 AM, 05/15/2010
In what sense is the M sedan's V8 under-utilized?
zoomzoomn says:
07:57 AM, 05/15/2010
Too much lost in translation to a production model. All that makes the Essence sleek and sharp is lost on the actual car. Enlarging the tail lights to the actual car's fuller figure would go a long way to helping the overall look.
kshankar says:
05:00 AM, 05/15/2010
What Infiniti should do is to produce the Essence coupe, have it powered by a 550 HP version of the GTR engine, build it in limited numbers and price it at $100K(above the GTR). I am sure there will be buyers and its still priced nearly $300K less than the Lexus LF-A.
A true halo car.