New Cars That Need a Four-Door Version (That'll Sell)

"Satish Kondapavulur" (becauseCAR) 10/11/2013 at 00:51 • Filed to: MY STUPID LISTS

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Sports sedans and wagons are my jam. There's nothing like having a car that can hang with Boxsters on twisting roads (no doubt the drivers were feathering the throttle in fear of an intermediate shaft failure), take my friends grocery shopping (this is what happens when having a car in college, though I never did get girls with it), and transporting the contents of my sister's dorm room (never have I seen so many boxes full of shoes).

That's why I like my Jetta 2.0T.

Before I lose all credibility because I wrote my Jetta 2.0T is a sports sedan, I'd like to point out that cars with four-doors far outsell two-door cars. The Mercedes S-Class outsells the CL-Class. The 3-Series sedan outsells the 3-Series coupe. I've never even seen a CTS coupe on the highway. Therefore, sedans sell more than coupes, so I came up with a list.

But sports sedans can do so much more for automakers, like increase sales so they can make more performance cars. Enable dads not to give up their Miata for a Camry. Provide a backseat for makeout sessions. And most importantly, carry a bunch of people home from the local watering holes (because I was responsibly always the designated driver).

Author's Note: Product planners of major car companies and Lotus, take notice. Please build these. They'll be amazing and best of all, they'll sell. If you need any help justifying these to the bean counters, this unemployed writer with way too much time on his hands is happily here to help.

Nissan GT-R

The GT-R is a supercar trying to be a grand tourer. There's no other reason to explain the back seats and usable trunk. And a company that had the resources to create the Murano CrossCabriolet presumably should have the wherewithal to create a four-door version of its supercar.

Before you say the Juke-R exists, keep in mind that its price is insane and I think it's ugly. (There's a reason they made about 20 of them.) A sedan would make the GT-R more comfortable and give the Panamera Turbo S a run for its money. Most importantly to Nissan, it would set the record for the fastest sedan around the Nürburgring. I think that's reason enough for them.

Scion FR-S

There are no compact rear-drive sedans available for under $30K, yet somehow we have a full-size one (the Dodge Charger with the Pentastar V-6). And Toyota needs to get more sales of cars off the FR-S platform. Naturally, they should make a four-door (I wouldn't be surprised if it was in the cards).

Scion would be so much cooler because they'd have a four-door that wasn't a front-drive hatchback. New dads selling their small sports cars would buy this in a heartbeat, because babies need to be comfortable too. After all, why should the WRX and Lancer Ralliart have that market? Rear-drive is so much better.

Lotus Evora

As if this list wasn't going to become more controversial, I've decided the Lotus Evora should have four doors despite a mid-engine layout. Having driven it, I found it incredibly cramped. (And I'm only 5' 10".) I would hate to sit in the back seat.

So I propose that Lotus stretch the Evora and make a four-door version, with RX-8 doors. Yes, I know Lotus probably doesn't have the money. It goes against the philosophy of Colin Chapman. And it's mid-engined. But how cool would a mid-engined sedan be? It would bring a lot more people into the Lotus experience and undoubtedly sell more cars.

Honda CR-Z

I actually like the Honda CR-Z. The chassis is tuned quite well, the manual transmission has good feel, and it has Honda quality. Those are all the good things I have to say about it. The bad: no rear seats (those shelves make me weep because of the lost potential), it's relatively slow, and I think the electric motor just weighs down the car.

But it has to be a four-door hot hatchback if Honda wants to really make the CR-Z something special. The CR-Z gas engine could be tuned for more performance, while the electric motor could provide a KERS-sort of boost. In fact, it would be good enough to play with the Fiesta ST and 500 Abarth. All while still getting decent fuel economy and actually being a performance hybrid car, like it was meant to be.

Ferrari FF

I don't care what Luca thinks; a four-door FF has to happen. When Rolls-Royce is setting sales records for cars that cost more than an FF and 458 combined, I'm sure the super-rich could pony up some cash to buy a four-door Ferrari, to demonstrate .

In fact, the FF has the option of a rear entertainment system and Ferrari ensured the back seat could seat normal people comfortably. Perhaps Ferrari didn't provide rear doors because FF owners need a captive audience to explain why the ownership is worth the depreciation hit.

Luca, I implore you, for the love of God, make a four-door FF . People will want it instead of it being relegated to lists like !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . I'll even take full responsibility if it doesn't sell, but trust me, it won't be.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

What cars do you think need a four-door version?

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! runs !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , named because "Clunker.com" was $82 at auction and would've taken 30% out of the balance of his Eagle Vision for LeMons fund. In between contemplating cross-country runs, he spends much of his time attempting to convince others that his MkV Jetta 2.0T Wolfsburg is indeed a sports sedan.

All images courtesy respective manufacturers and cover image courtesy Flickr.

GhostZ > Satish Kondapavulur 10/11/2013 at 01:34

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They won't make a four-door FF, because even if it is better than every other car in the world , it's still a 4-door Ferrari. People buy Rolls Royce because they expect a 4 door car and they want it to do a certain job fantastically.

Ferrari's last attempt at a 4-seat large GT (with less sporting pretensions and more comfortability) was the 612. It didn't go over too well, and by 2010, it was mostly forgettable. The FF was innovative and creative over the boring 612 (which I love to death, but let's be honest, it wasn't the most interesting Ferrari built, especially next to the Enzo and 599) and offered some new things that no one had been able to get in a Ferrari before. Now imagine if they had made it a 4 door too.

A 4 door luxury car from Ferrari would go over pretty bad, I think. Let them make a $400,000 4-door Maserati with the FF's drivetrain. Then we might have some traction!

Let the prancing horse stay sporty and small. Let its bigger rival-turned-cousin take the burden of a bigger car.

Satish Kondapavulur > GhostZ 10/11/2013 at 02:08

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When Rolls-Royce is setting sales records, I think the market exists for a four-door Ferrari from the same people. Especially those who buy the Aston Martin Rapides. And a $400,000 Maserati won't sell, especially if the Maybach didn't.

People will buy anything with the Ferrari badge, but having four-doors would actually make it useful and they would certainly sell plenty. And Ferrari offers a rear-seat entertainment system, so they do care about rear passengers, so why not go full circle and actually give them doors?

Tom McParland > Satish Kondapavulur 10/11/2013 at 08:28

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I'll give you another one Hyundai Genesis coupe.

I know they already make a Genesis sedan but it's not really a related car. If Hyundai could give us a nice turbo 4 or V6, RWD, sedan with a manual trans for the 25-35k range it would be great 3-series alternative. It already looks good, it already has a back seat, just streatch the wheelbase a tad add two more doors and BOOM! Sells like hot-cakes.

Of course they won't do this because it would cannibalize Sonata sales within the same price range, and if they sell it for more there is no point because folks will just buy a damn 3-series.

carcrasher88 > Satish Kondapavulur 10/11/2013 at 09:01

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"The CR-Z gas engine could be tuned for more performance, while the electric motor could provide a KERS-sort of boost."

Screw tuning the existing engine, just throw in the K24Z7 from the Civic Si (201 hp), or at least the 185 hp version found in the CR-V.

That should be adequate to give the GTI and Abarth 500 a run for it's money.

Then, put a bit more power in, and bring the Si-R nameplate back, as a Focus ST rival.

hike > Satish Kondapavulur 10/11/2013 at 09:11

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Isn't the CR-Z just a two door Insight?

Also, the FR-S was the first thing that came to mind when this list was mentioned. A cheap fun RWD sedan would be pretty awesome. It would probably be to confusing for normal folk walking into a dealership to buy a small sedan though.

Satish Kondapavulur > hike 10/11/2013 at 11:14

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You're right about the CR-Z, but it would work so much better as a hot hatchback, like a Fiesta ST.

I don't know about the small sedan thing though. People are buying those Mercedes CLAs and the next A3 offered here will probably have a sedan version.

Satish Kondapavulur > carcrasher88 10/11/2013 at 11:16

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I want that to happen.

SpeedSix > hike 10/11/2013 at 14:14

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2-door Honda Insight?

hike > SpeedSix 10/11/2013 at 14:29

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The other one

SpeedSix > hike 10/11/2013 at 14:38

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Yes, I believe the Honda CR-Z is based on a shortened version of the platform underpinning the current Insight. Personally, the only hybrid I really would buy is the 1st-gen Honda Insight.

dr861 > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 12:44

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New mustang... oh wait... they already did that:

Eyaare > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 12:58

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Shit, wait.

Satish Kondapavulur > Eyaare 10/12/2013 at 12:59

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Ha!

Satish Kondapavulur > hike 10/12/2013 at 13:01

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The CR-Z is a two-door Insight, but they really could make it into a hot hatch while the Insight is a Prius competitor.

Gmonster > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 13:02

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Your Jetta can keep up with boxters in the twisties? Lolwat???? Did the guy have a flat tire ???? Or did he not realize you were behind him "racing"?

Audaz > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 13:15

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C'mon Nissan, you can do it... again!

hike > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 13:15

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That's what they should do. It should compete more with the FR-S than the Prius. It could still get 30+ MPG and be sporty.

rude80y > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 13:17

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I'm kind of surprised Nissan don't do an Infiniti-badged four-dour. I remember news-rumours from a few years ago that, if it were to be made, it would be called 'Infiniti R50' or 'R38'. The articles should still be available if you google it.

The World of Vee > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 13:18

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A four door GT-R would be akin to the VW Phaeton, an upmarket luxobarge from a volume seller. While the car would probably be good, there's zero indication that it'd sell. The GT-R sells because of the same reason the Vette sells, pedigree despite the volume badge.

You won't see a 4-door ferrari anytime soon either. Ferrari sells enough cars to not have to go down that route, every performance marque that makes a 4 door is completely self-serving, they know that high water badged 4 doors sell no matter what. But Ferrari sells enough 2 doors to not have to bother.

stigshift > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 13:20

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If I had that Ferrari 456 Giardiniera at the top of this post, I would have a lambswool wash mit made to fit my tongue. And that car would be very clean.

tobythesandwich > hike 10/12/2013 at 13:29

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Honda has been told dozens of times. While the CR-Z fails in terms of sales, they still keep bothering with their terrible hybrid system.

Which is sad because the only problem with the CR-Z is entirely related to it's drivetrain. It's underpowered, slow, and heavy because of it.

tobythesandwich > carcrasher88 10/12/2013 at 13:30

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The CR-Z would even be great with the basic SOHC it has.

The problem is it has 150-200lbs of batteries and hybrid bullshit weighing it down.

tobythesandwich > Audaz 10/12/2013 at 13:32

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They've made a Skyline sedan for some time:

AthomSfere > The World of Vee 10/12/2013 at 13:33

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Also, don't forget. Ferrari wants to sell less cars with more premium. I like that!

tobythesandwich > rude80y 10/12/2013 at 13:34

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Nissan doesn't want Infiniti upstaging the GT-R. We already get the Skyline as it is.

Infiniti is just a very localized brand. It's pretty much only for NA. If Nissan had taken Infiniti worldwide like Toyota did with Lexus, then we could see the argument to be made.

techinsanity2011 > The World of Vee 10/12/2013 at 13:34

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A 4 door gtr has been done I think. Just not with the new one.

Jalopinator > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 13:36

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And so do I.
But thats why it never will :((

Sunhawk-II > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 13:39

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a four door toyobaru would be significantly heavier and need more power. you would also need to put wider tires on it. it would end up costing over 30k.

a 4 door GTR could take sales from infiniti.

lotus shouldn't make a 4 door ever

CRZ needs to DIAF

mdensch > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 13:39

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My take: You've got this all bass-ackwards. The automotive world is already full of 4-door sedans, performance, economy, family, et al. What the world needs more of are sporty, 2-door coupe versions of some of these more competent sedans. I'm looking at you Fusion, Impala, ATS . . . .

Clauss Von Sacher-Masoch > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 13:39

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i would like to see you make the same article for 4 door cars who need 2 removed! i already have a great and obvious list!

donutb0y > GhostZ 10/12/2013 at 13:39

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Maserati can be the answer to a 4-door Ferrari.

PlayerWAN > carcrasher88 10/12/2013 at 13:41

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Or better yet, the K20A from the JDM Civic Type-R.

222HP, 8600RPM Redline. Call it the CRZ Si.

The World of Vee > techinsanity2011 10/12/2013 at 13:46

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No no, that's a Skyline GTS. The Skyline is the same car as the Infiniti G35/37 and they are extremely common cars that cost between 30 and 50k. They're most certainly NOT GT-Rs.

haventech > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 13:51

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I can't believe I'm the first one to think of this:

The 4 Door `Vette!

Melo_pt > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 13:51

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Four-door GT-R? I don't think that a lot of people on that market would value the Ring time over the granite suspension and zero badge recognition.

techinsanity2011 > The World of Vee 10/12/2013 at 13:59

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what's the difference between trim levels?

ranwhenparked > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 14:01

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How about cars that need a 3-door (eg shooting brake) version?

rpps1227 > The World of Vee 10/12/2013 at 14:02

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They actually made a limited edition 4-door Nissan Skyline GTR (R33) back in the mid-1990s:

.

Satish Kondapavulur > Gmonster 10/12/2013 at 14:12

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He was going easy on the throttle. I think he was afraid of an intermediate shaft bearing failure. The only fix for that is getting a brand-new engine for your Boxster.

And it was more like me keeping up.

Satish Kondapavulur > Clauss Von Sacher-Masoch 10/12/2013 at 14:12

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I'm sure everyone does! That's way too easy.

Satish Kondapavulur > mdensch 10/12/2013 at 14:14

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But coupes don't sell as well as they used to. Look at the CTS coupe, the Mercedes CL, Altima Coupe, and I don't even see that many Accord Coupes on the road anymore.

Satish Kondapavulur > rude80y 10/12/2013 at 14:16

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I've seen those articles too. But I think Infiniti doesn't have the brand recognition around the world, even though they sponsor Red Bull Racing.

I think it would work a lot better as a Nissan and sell to nonconformists who need four-doors.

Satish Kondapavulur > The World of Vee 10/12/2013 at 14:19

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A four-door GT-R would definitely sell more than the Juke-R. And people would buy it to beat M5's on the highway. In fact, I could totally see a lot of four-door GT-Rs sold in Russia.

That's totally true about Ferrari, though. They do sell the cars. But having a four-door FF would solve the depreciation issues substantially.

Satish Kondapavulur > Melo_pt 10/12/2013 at 14:20

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I think it would have as many buyers as a CTS-V or an M5. Maybe 2,000 a year, perhaps.

Enjoy > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 14:20

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It's obvious. What more needs to be said?

4X > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 14:20

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No. Just... no.

Satish Kondapavulur > haventech 10/12/2013 at 14:21

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Considering the engineering challenges they went through making the C7 from the ground up, I don't think GM is going to commit resources to a 4-door Vette, despite offering a CTS-V wagon.

Satish Kondapavulur > Sunhawk-II 10/12/2013 at 14:24

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I think a four-door Toyobaru would add another 300-400 pounds and the other mods, but if the Charger and Lancer Ralliart can come in under $30K, I'm sure a sedan could as well. And I actually think the sales volume for a sedan would be much higher.

Infiniti has nothing to play with in the price range of a GT-R, so no sales stolen.

Lotus makes no money making two-doors, and they always have to be bailed out. A four-door would solve their problems once and for all, like Porsche and the Cayenne.

No! I like the CR-Z!

Satish Kondapavulur > ranwhenparked 10/12/2013 at 14:26

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Let's see...

Numerous Aston Martins, the Ferrari F12, the Mustang, Camaro would be cool, but nothing would be spectacular like a Mercedes SLS Black Series Shooting Brake.

BlackLab > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 14:27

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Why? The whole point of 2 door vehicles is that they are purpose built for performance. They are saying - I don't care about the people in any backseat. Heck I don't even really have one - this car is about handling and performance. This is why 2 door cars look better. And this is why they are usually sporty.

Why does anyone need a 4 door GT-R. If you can afford one of those you can afford an A8L backup car or something for taking the whole family around.

Union of Smog Techs of CA > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 14:31

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911 with an aircooled V8:

Wait, that's too much trouble, lets just do this instead:

GTO62 > The World of Vee 10/12/2013 at 14:32

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A fake GT-R wagon has been around since 2009 based on the Nissan Stagea M35. It hasn't gained any traction so far...

The World of Vee > rpps1227 10/12/2013 at 14:34

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Very true, but it wasn't a volume product (and by volume, I mean even today's gtr production numbers) It's a rare car even in Japan and this was back when a GTR was closer to Supra money, not 911 money.

The World of Vee > techinsanity2011 10/12/2013 at 14:35

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To put it in layman's terms, the GTS is the Ralliart Lancer to the GT-Rs Evolution

Or you could say the GTS was the M-Appearance package

make sense?

Gmonster > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 14:38

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Yeah. I don't really think this means your Jetta can keep up with a boxter ... Or a Nissan Altima... It's like saying you can keep up with a Bugatti that is driving the speed limit. It don't mean anything.

Regarding your request for a four door frs, they need to fix the power deficit first.

Giant Lobster Monster > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 14:39

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The 4-door FR-S is coming for sure.

http://www.ft86club.com/?p=2902

Doug DeMuro > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 14:40

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Dude. I'd buy a four-door GT-R all day long.

The World of Vee > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 14:42

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A four door GT-R would have to be sold as a limited production model, there's no way it would sell in the numbers that the Panamera or S/7/A8 sell. The Juke-R was a tech demo that was released just for kicks. Case in point, there's only Twenty (20) of them in existence, surely you're not trying to pass that off as a proper production vehicle?

The 4-Door GTR wouldn't be big enough to be a Panamera/S/7/a8 fighter and it'd be too pricy to rival the 5 and E. I'll say it again, a veritable supercar/sports car with a volume badge is something people will buy, but a luxury vehicle based off a super/sports car appeals to a different subset of people than those just trying to buy a sportscar. The GT-R is probably no one's daily driver (obviously there will be some) The people who tend to be able to afford a GT-R will already have a big luxobarge to drive. The only way to get a super/sport car cum sedan to sell is to convince those clientele to replace their current luxobarge for this one and to attract new buyers who're looking to make the jump from 60k car to 100k car. In that demographic (40+ professionals) the badge matters A LOT. If the badge didn't matter, the best car ever made in that segment, the VW Phaeton, would a) still be in production and b) would have sold in droves.

It's a cool idea, but the GT-R 4 door just isn't something that could be justified for a maker like Nissan. MAYBE as an infiniti, but even Infiniti's clout is pretty low at the moment.

The World of Vee > GTO62 10/12/2013 at 14:43

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exactly. I mean yes, that's an aftermarket car but still it's an extremely niche product no matter how you slice it

Mr. J > rpps1227 10/12/2013 at 14:44

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Do like! R35 front clip looks great on the Stagea too. More of this would be fantastic.

Mr. J > Doug DeMuro 10/12/2013 at 14:46

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Did someone call for a modified Stagea?

techinsanity2011 > The World of Vee 10/12/2013 at 14:51

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I think so.

458nny > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 15:04

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I hate every single one of these as a four door. Four doors would ruin the lines on these cars, especially the FR-S and the Evora. That said, you are probably right; they would likely boost sales. There is a reason those ugly a$$ Panameras are everywhere now.

nmalinoski > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 15:06

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The CR-Z needs a gas engine more than it needs a 4-door body.

Atomic Buffalo > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 15:06

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M5, AMG E, CTS-V — these are your four-door Nissan GT-Rs.

Cadillac ATS, BMW 3-series, Lexus IS — these are your four-door Toyobarus. (They're not under $30K because people will pay over $30K.) BTW, there's no way in hell a four-door version of the FR-S comes to market under $30K. Not when the two-door is $26K today and underpowered.

Porsche Panamera, Maserati Quattroporte — these are your four-door Ferrari FFs, i.e. why Ferrari doesn't make one.

Lotus Evora and CR-Z — the reason these don't exist is they can't. Adding two doors ruins the reasons they exist and are liked in the first place.

I'm shocked you didn't ask for a four-door Corvette while you're at it :)

And of course the one you didn't ask for that actually does need to be built: a four-door off the Mustang platform. Hot Rod Lincoln!

Anyway, another interesting-to-think-about but ultimately doomed list. Thanks again for the mental exercise.

DickNixon1972 > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 15:34

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Scion would be so much cooler if it wasn't Scion and the FR-S were a Celica and Toyota stopped that charade of a 'youth car.'

Also, the CR-Z has a 4-door companion; its called the Insight and neither of them are worth anyone's time or much of anything at all. Cheap auction re-run fodder that no one likes. Can't give a low-mileage CR-Z away for $11k with 25k miles.

DickNixon1972 > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 15:36

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The Insight IS a Prius competitor and it fails because IMA is garbage vs Synergy Drive. The CR-Z is dead weight. Just put a real gas motor in it, dump the IMA garbage, cut the sticker price to actual transaction prices of where these sleds truly sell at and eek out whatever possible lemonade that's left from this tired, rotten lemon.

isnewton > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 15:39

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Disagree, disagree, disagree, disagree, and disagree. If you want a car with 4 doors buy a car with 4 doors that doesn't look like an ugly shitbox. Down with shooting brakes.

Satish Kondapavulur > nmalinoski 10/12/2013 at 16:12

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Totally agree. Preferably the one out of the Civic Si.

ksmay71 > stigshift 10/12/2013 at 16:14

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Wow. Much too graphic. But very creative.

Satish Kondapavulur > DickNixon1972 10/12/2013 at 16:14

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I find that interesting about the CR-Z. Send it out to Northern CA. It'll find a buyer.

Satish Kondapavulur > Giant Lobster Monster 10/12/2013 at 16:18

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Fantastic!

Satish Kondapavulur > Gmonster 10/12/2013 at 16:19

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I was being tongue-in-cheek. :)

Satish Kondapavulur > Union of Smog Techs of CA 10/12/2013 at 16:19

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I want one.

The-Ever-Socially-Apathetic TBAL > The World of Vee 10/12/2013 at 16:26

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Autech (A subsidiary tuning arm of Nissan, a la IMPUL) made a 4 door GT-R BCNR33 in very limited numbers in 1998. They also made 5 NISMO 400R sedans.

They ALSO made the 260RS Stagea, which was a wagon version of the Skyline with full GT-R internals.

Look it up!

The World of Vee > The-Ever-Socially-Apathetic TBAL 10/12/2013 at 16:30

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I'm not denying that there were some gtr sedans made but they weren't volume models which is (what I assume) there point of this article.

It's cool when they make a 20 example autech gtr but that's not something you can go to a showroom and buy one.

Same with the stagea

Gmonster > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 17:00

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And I was being lag a dick, actually. I love inline 4 turbos. Drive Saab 90ot and SPG for years. Your 2.0t is a worthy successor. I deserved a "fuck off"

Union of Smog Techs of CA > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 17:02

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It will kill you, but yeah, me too.

The-Ever-Socially-Apathetic TBAL > The World of Vee 10/12/2013 at 17:17

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The Autech 260RS Stagea was built in pretty high numbers actually.

Melo_pt > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 17:32

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...Except that it would cost more than both of them. And even the GT-R doesn't sell 2000 cars worldwide.

The World of Vee > The-Ever-Socially-Apathetic TBAL 10/12/2013 at 17:58

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Well I'll retract about the stagea. But on the whole it is a niche product at best.

Odin the S60RD > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 17:59

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If they made a 4 door BRZ I would own my first non-American vehicle.

deanmachine14 > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 18:44

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I disagree with all of them (sorry I just do). I'd argue the opposite is a lot more needed, there aren't enough 2 door cars on sale today.

Satish Kondapavulur > BlackLab 10/12/2013 at 18:51

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But you can scare more people with a four-door GT-R...

J "oppo" Zeke > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 18:55

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If Rolls is planning (and they are) an SUV, Porsche has one that made the company billions, Lamborghini is getting one...

...why not a 4-door Ferrari? Why be the last iconoclast in the room when the Chinese in particular are banging down the doors of any hyper luxury marque that offers a massive back seat?

I totally agree, and could care less about what the purists say at this point. I mean look, the gated shifter is gone already, who cares about door counts at this point?

J "oppo" Zeke > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 18:58

0

Better than a 4/2/whatever door would be a technology that allows crash safety and the entire damn side of the car to open.

Not going to happen with sheetmetal cars than weigh 3000+ lbs, but some day we're going to see the end of conventional car doors as we know it and have some sort of nanoparticle side material that just reconfigures to allow occupants in. Too bad it won't be in my lifetime.

Patrick Frawley > Doug DeMuro 10/12/2013 at 19:02

3

Four-door GT-R with an Infiniti badge would be an instant grand slam and Teutonomobile mass murderer. Unfortunately, Mizuno-san has made it very clear that such a vehicle is not to happen.

theonetruetom > Gmonster 10/12/2013 at 19:06

0

Cars like the FR-S are at their most fun (and best) when they're driven near or at the limit. Setting that limit higher (more powah) would be counterproductive as it would both drive the price up and make them more dangerous. It's fine as-is.

captdownshift > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 19:20

1

Focus st; europe is getting the st in wagon trim and we should too. Furthermore I want the 2.0l ecoboost available in the transit connect, the added torque only makes sense when hauling deliveries (although I'll yield to a slushbox in the transit connect verison)

SteveNellett > GhostZ 10/12/2013 at 19:20

0

Not that I could ever hope to afford any of these options, but a Ferrari FF as a shooting brake would be awesome!

Squabbler > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 19:27

1

Infiniti in the States, Nissan ROW.

JimEmery > DickNixon1972 10/12/2013 at 19:53

0

Agreed, and they should fix that hideous guppy-mouth grill while they're at it, and get rid of that beltline that kills visibility to the rear quarters. The CR-Z is hideously overstyled, IMHO.

HondaLoverThatSellsFords > mdensch 10/12/2013 at 19:53

0

Yes, this.

I would love to see the Fusion come out as both a Wagon, and a Three door liftback, or Shooting break (because I guess that's what we're calling them now), or a traditional coupe. Like a new Probe.

And for the love of God give us three door Focus and Fiestas.

I can thik of a few other cars that NEED to be hatchbacks...honda civic...cough cough...

ocbrad1 used to be iamhoff but is now just wandering around > The World of Vee 10/12/2013 at 20:21

0

When the current GTR first came out, there were a lot of rumors that it was going to form the basis for a new Infiniti flagship. I always thought that a 4 door GTR could make an excellent (pre-screwed up naming protocol) Q45. As @techinsanity2011 pointed out, Nissan has done 4 door Skylines in the past, so it wouldn't be a huge stretch to craft a halo sports sedan off of the GTR bones. And since the new naming protocol is Q#0 (Q50, Q60, etc), calling it the Q45 makes it that much more distinctive. Or not. Either way, I hate their new naming scheme but think that a GTR-based Q45 would be awesome!

KiwiCarNut > Atomic Buffalo 10/12/2013 at 21:11

1

The 4-door Mustang does exist. Sadly, it's scheduled for destruction... Goodbye, Ford Falcon!

Giant Lobster Monster > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 21:28

0

For sure. The BRZ is right in my ideal price range, but my girlfriend and I are expecting a baby this spring, so a coupe is a no go. Between the 4-door 86 and the next-gen WRX, things are looking up in that segment!

kirker > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 21:30

1

"Before I lose all credibility because I wrote my Jetta 2.0T is a sports sedan"

You won't lose cred if you drive a Jetta. You'll lose cred if you drive any Jetta besides a GLI, particularly any of the recent made-in-Mexico pieces of junk.

Owen Holmes > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 21:31

2

Nissan Stagea: GT-R wagon.

Atomic Buffalo > KiwiCarNut 10/12/2013 at 21:39

0

The best thing to ever happen to Lincoln could be the demise of the Aussie Falcon. Its disappearance could allow Ford to build a rear-driver that doesn't look like they bolted Fox hardware to leftover 90s Taurus bodies.

Sorry, that was mean. I just never saw a modern Falcon I liked, and I think it was a good thing that Ford never followed GM's lead trying to import them.

Well, except the ute. Because an ugly ute is still a ute.

Blakkar > Satish Kondapavulur 10/12/2013 at 21:47

1

Nissan/Infiniti had very early on brought up the idea of a 4-door sedan based on the GT-R. It would clearly have not been a fast or a harsh riding. It was consigned to the rumor pile along with the 240SX/S16 Silvia revival.