Nissan has big plans for its award-winning GT-R supercar. In 2011, we can expect to see not one but two offshoots of the GT-R, namely a four-door Infiniti as well as a Porsche Cayenne-rivaling GT-R SUV, both dropped onto modified versions of the GT-R platform.
Honda plans to reveal an all-new two-door Beat, powered by an upgraded 800cc engine. First landing in showrooms in 1991, the front-wheel-drive Beat convertible was an instant hit. Honda also has not yet delayed its redesigned S2000 coupe, which is slated for a late 2011-early 2012 debut.
When the all-new NSX was canceled recently, observers in Japan immediately turned to Lexus's V10 LF-A. But as Toyota did not pull out of F1, the latest word from a colleague close to Lexus is that Japan's biggest carmaker still wants to bring its first true supercar to the market. But that won't happen for at least another 12 to 18 months, and when it does, it will be priced at the equivalent of about $340,000.
News out of Toyota City also reveals that the V6 Supra replacement is still in the pipeline and is set for an early 2011 debut.
To finish off this list of newcomers, an all-new 1.0-liter supercharged Nissan Micra and the electric-powered Mitsubishi i-MIEV are both slated for launch in July, while the all-new Subaru Legacy, seen in concept form in Detroit, is set for a May debut this year.
Inside Line says: Despite some cuts, there are still plenty of new models to look forward to in the coming months. — Peter Lyon, Correspondent
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