Infiniti G37 Coupe S gets into Rally Guise for the Needs of the Spanish Rally Championship

To answer your first question, no, Infiniti is not going to compete in a European rally. What the company is doing is to supply a G37 Coupe S as a safety car for the Rallies Championship of Spain. The so-called ‘Infiniti Work Car Zero’ began its duties in the Rally of Villajoyosa on April 1. It is based on the G37 Coupe with power coming from an all-aluminum 3.7-liter V-6 engine that produces 320HP and 360 Nm (265.5 lb-ft) of torque at 7,000 rpm, and is linked to a six-speed manual transmission.

The Infiniti Car Zero is very close to standard specification with only a few modifications necessary for rally duty, such as the Vimesa roll bar, Bilstein dampers, Galfer brake pads, additional lights , siren, communications equipment and a GPS.

Sparco supplied the racing seats and seatbelts, the fire extinguishing system and equipment for the drivers. Finally, the car rides on high performance Michelin Pilot SuperSport tires.

"Infiniti is a brand that offers high performance products and impressive technology, values that lend itself to motorsport support”, said Polo Satrústegui, general director of Infiniti Spain and Portugal.

“The agreement with the Spanish Federation allows us to collaborate with the important task of providing event safety. And to extend Infiniti brand awareness,” added the official. Nissan's luxury brand Infiniti also supplies a safety car for the GT Championship of Spain.

The G37 Coupe S safety car will be driven at all Spanish rally events by Marc Blazques, World TT champion for Nissan, with Salvador Belzunces as co-pilot.

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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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