GTR Causing a Huge Buzz in Dealerships

[AZhitman]

Nissan's new supercar, the GT-R, goes on sale in June, but already it's creating buzz in the automaker's showrooms nationwide.

Dealers were allowed to begin taking orders for the $70,000, 480-horsepower sports car earlier this month, and customers are lining up to get their hands on the first ones, dealers say.

At Nissan of Rivergate in Madison manager Keith Reecer said about a half-dozen customers have expressed interest in ordering the car.

For Nashville-based Nissan North America, Inc., the GT-R will serve as a so-called halo car for the Nissan brand, helping drive traffic into showrooms to help generate more sales of everyday vehicles, said Rich Latek, the automaker's marketing director for crossovers and sports cars.

Even though U.S. imports of the Japanese-built GT-R will be limited to about 1,500 a year, the car is " intended to help re-energize the Nissan brand," he said. "While we already have the 350Z as our iconic sports car, the GT-R gives us an entry into a place we haven't competed before," he said. "It will go head-to-head against the new Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and the Dodge Viper."

Both of those vehicles are at least as expensive as the GT-R, while the 350Z costs about half as much.

"We anticipate the GT-R will help us sell other vehicles within the brand," Latek said. Automotive marketing experts agree.

"Halo cars are worth a tremendous amount to a manufacturer even if none of them are ever sold," said George Peterson, president of the marketing research firm AutoPacific. "They can just put it in the dealership, put floodlights on it, and people will come in to see it.

"Most of them won't buy it, but it will stimulate interest in the company's other vehicles. Already, Nissan has done a great job of priming the media with the GT-R, and that's exactly what they wanted to do."

While some people have questioned the idea of introducing such a high-performance car during a time when gasoline prices are soaring, Peterson said that's really not an issue for a vehicle such as the GT-R.

"I don't know if there is ever a wrong time to bring out a halo car," he said. "Even though gas prices are way up there, to the people who buy these kinds of cars, fuel prices are irrelevant. It's a real ego trip and image car."

He said the car will help sales of the 350Z, but also should boost interest in Nissan's premium sedans, the midsize Altima and Maxima.

"That's where it's really going to be important," Peterson said. "People will believe that the GT-R DNA also extends to other Nissan vehicles. And to some extent, they're right. The Altima has always been a very good car, and the new one is screwed together very nicely."

Nissan introduced the latest generation of the Altima for 2007, and it's ranked by Consumer Reports as the best buy among midsize sedans. The Altima is built in Smyrna and at the Nissan plant in Canton, Miss.

Not all Nissan dealers will get the GT-R, Latek said. Of the company's 1,070 U.S. dealers, 690 have been certified to offer the GT-R.

"We offered it to all of them, but some chose not to participate," he said. That's because Nissan required some investment on a dealer's part to be able to sell the GT-R.

And because it's such an expensive and exotic vehicle, each dealership had to designate one employee — usually the general manager — to handle all consumer inquiries and sales, Nissan said.

Each GT-R dealer also will have a specially trained master technician on staff to service the cars, the company said.

"A supercar as special as the new Nissan GT-R — and its owners — requires a truly exceptional level of care and handling," said Al Castignetti, North American vice president and general manager for the Nissan division.

"These certified GT-R dealers are making a substantial investment in their showrooms, service tools and technician training, helping ensure that the purchase and ownership of the new GT-R will be an exciting experience for our customers every step of the way."

It was consumer demand, as well as the desire to add a halo car to the Nissan brand, that persuaded the automaker to bring the GT-R to the United States, said Marty Hussey, Nissan's model-line manager for the car.

"We actually introduced the first GT-R in 1969, and it has been Nissan's flagship sports car in Japan," he said. "Even though it wasn't available here, it has always had a following in the U.S.

"With this new generation, and now that it is going to be a supercar, we thought it was time to introduce it here."

Under the hood is a twin-turbo, 3.8-liter V-6 engine. It's connected to a six-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission that is mounted in the rear to help balance the car's weight. All-wheel drive is standard.

The GT-R seats four people, and has an aerodynamic body made of steel, carbon fiber and die-cast aluminum.

The base manufacturer's suggested retail price is $69,850 (plus freight), and a premium model will sell for $71,900.