Comments on: Infiniti G37 Drop Top In, Cadillac CTS Convertible Out

By: whatdoiknow1

whatdoiknow1 — Fri, 16 May 2008 14:36:09 +0000

But the fact that they insist on going toe to toe with BMW is sad

Justin,

Lets be fair here and admit that Nissan/ inifinti has proven to the world that BMW truly has NOTHING on them outside of more “chicy” image! The current G series and the Nissan GT-R do much to make a statement that compared to Infiniti BMW is not that big of a deal anymore.
NOw if you are a big fan of BMW you will see it a bit differently but if you a neutral the price advantage of an Inifinti is bigger deal than being able to go throught the cones 1 or 2 mph faster.

A converitible G37 Coupe is not a mistake. You are missing the point that a G37 conv. will most likely be the “hottest” looking car in this segment! Based on the current designs a g37 conv will be far more dramatic (in a good way) than a 3 series conv can ever be. That alone will drive the sales of this thing.

Yes, Inifinti does have it sights squarely on BMW! But today BMW is vulnerable. Like it or not that G35/37 represent a very big problem for BMW simply because they are DAMN good cars and the first real serious competition for their 3 series. In the future I do not see how BMW will be able to reestablish or expand the gap between the two. There is a price ceiling for the 3 series and BMW is there already.

By: Michael Karesh

Michael Karesh — Fri, 16 May 2008 14:35:29 +0000

Lexus is doing one, so Infiniti has to : )

GM is is “let’s cut everything that isn’t guaranteed to make a pile of money or boost our CAFE” mode.

By: Justin Berkowitz

Justin Berkowitz — Fri, 16 May 2008 03:26:23 +0000

Cadillac is making the right decision here. The convertible market is not big, and the XLR has been a failure. Coupes and convertibles are hard to sell. The market for them is fickle. BMW and Benz do it well because they are so well established and because the 3-Series is a beheamoth in the market. Audi's A4 cabrio sells OK; why? Because it's a real 4-season car – FWD and Quattro satisfy snowbelt people that want a drop top they can feel comfortable driving in the snow. For Infiniti I think this is a mistake, but at least it's cheapish for them. That FM platform under the G is also in the 350Z and FX and EX and M. But the fact that they insist on going toe to toe with BMW is sad

By: Tummy

Tummy — Fri, 16 May 2008 01:42:19 +0000

You mean FIVE hundred thousand SLKs. Mercedes just sold it’s 500,000th one.

Two convertibles for Cadillac wouldn’t be too bad. Mercedes has the expensive SL and the cheaper SLK and CLK, why not a 40k CTS type convertible in addition to the XLR?

By: solo84

solo84 — Thu, 15 May 2008 23:21:40 +0000

infiniti’s quiver of arrows get sharper and sharper…looks great.

By: DragDog

DragDog — Thu, 15 May 2008 21:34:07 +0000

I’d like to see a big four-seater Cadillac convertible — a take on the boats you see in parades and car shows. Bonus points if it’s available in pink.

By: CarShark

CarShark — Thu, 15 May 2008 21:12:31 +0000

@quasimondo:

What law says a brand can only have one convertible? The CTS would be nowhere near the same price and have four seats to the XLR’s two. Where the overlap?

By: quasimondo

quasimondo — Thu, 15 May 2008 21:07:22 +0000

Cadillac doesn’t need a droptop CTS. It already has the XLR.