Infiniti eyes bolder subbrand

"What is absent from our product structure today is a line of really thoroughbred, high-end performance cars…," remarked Infiniti president Johan de Nysschen.

What's absent at Infiniti is attractive exterior styling. They're really good cars that look...well...see for yourself in the pictures :-(

Looking forward to it in next generation with new engine and new platform, and get rid of that drive by wire shit!

I would focus on the core brand and sales, before Goshen kills it.

Indeed! The brand is so small to begin with it is ridiculous to talk about a sub-brand.

Infiniti has no direction. A couple of issues need to be addressed for the brand. For one thing their venerable VQ series V6 is thirsty as hell. I have an 07 G35X sedan as my daily driver and my 05 SL500 gets way better gas mileage (city and highway).
They need to wrangle in their idiosyncratic driving dynamics. They use alot of throttle tuning to feign aggressive driving feel...it comes off as an on/off throttle response - not linear. I know they had yet to remedy that in the latest iteration of the M. While I am intrigued by the prospect of the Eau Rouge line - I have some trepedation at what a 500HP rear wheel drive Q50 would drive like...it has the propensity to drive like a tuner car if they don't get serious about tuning all aspects of the vehicle. Styling wise...Q50 is handsome, the suvs are hideous - save for the former FX, it is atleast interesting; and the M is inoffensive.

What's absent from Infiniti is good styling and good cars.

I think they'd do fine if they learned could get 400hp out of that Eau Rouge (BMW and Audi do just fine with that figure). They also need a corresponding 500hp version of the M, with a down-tuned version of the GTR's motor, and an 8-speed transmission. Ditch the stupid drive-by-wire too, as other makers are already getting better results out of electric steering. They can fire their "Director of Performance" as well - obviously he has no impact on the brand, be it perception or actual performance.

I hear they have turbo fours coming soon, and am thinking they'll soon have turbo sixes. They'd better, if they don't want to implode. The mileage sucks.

Johan De Nysschen has been given a mandate, make this division competitive and I'm sure has given him the tools he needs to make that happen. It won't happen over night and I hope it never happens, I don't like any car Nissan or Infiniti makes. They're Tier II at best because there is no pedigree or heritage, just like Lexus. Their styling is just "too much" its not pretty. Their SUV's with that krazie rear zig zag pillar looks different just to be different... UGLY!