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WMW contemplating Infiniti in Conwy

12/12/2010

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By Huw Thomas

Conwy was ‘Centre of Operations’ for WMW in 2010. Infiniti global communications director Wayne Bruce and newly-appointed UK press officer Jean Kelly brought the company’s latest cars to The Quays at Deganwy in December - the fourth event held by the Group in the County Borough last year.

Queen of the North Wales coastal resorts, Llandudno and the ‘Colwyns’ (‘Bay’ and ‘Old’) accompany jewel in the crown, Conwy itself. A modern marina development The Quays and Deganwy look across the estuary westward to the magnificent late 13th century Conwy Castle and its remarkably intact walled town.

Even in the depths of Winter the view is stunning.  Thomas Telford’s 1826 road bridge is all-of-a-piece with the Mediaeval architecture and railway bridge, twenty years later, blends in. Old fishermen’s cottages grace the harbour front lending an historical backdrop to the contemporary craft lying at anchor before them.

Contemporary craft is quite the Infiniti thing of course.  Stylish EX and FX SUVs together with G Series models were there. Star billing however went to the new M Series saloons - 3.7-litre V6 and the key new diesel 3.0-litre V6 Renault-Nissan Alliance powerplant much modified for Infiniti with a view to smoothness as well as an effortless torque-a-plenty response.

Toyota’s Lexus (larger models, at least) are frequently described as Japan’s answer to Mercedes-Benz whereas BMW is the usual ‘benchmark’ for Infiniti.  Recently some motoring writers have been talking of “Japan’s Jaguar” and this might not be too wide of the mark. Next to some pretty svelte maritime machinery, Infiniti’s latest creations looked pretty much at home.

Latest additions to Infiniti’s Reading and London dealerships have been Birmingham and Glasgow. Bristol is imminent by all accounts and first-in-Wales location Cardiff hopefully not too far off. North Wales will have to wait, Greater Manchester, probably, the closest it will get in the immediate future.

Conwy, however, recorded the highest UK house-price rise (13%) in the UK for 2010 according to the Halifax County House Price Survey reported in the Financial Times. This might provide a fleeting attraction to Infiniti’s number crunchers but residential property values would still have to double (almost) before reaching those of Surrey. Nonetheless, Mercedes and BMW dealerships have been here for quite some time – and seem to be doing good business.

This romantic part of North Wales was a fitting location for ‘Inspired Performance’ and the ‘Adeyaka’ of grace and pace.  Welsh chivalry, subsumed into the Bardic tradition, survived Edward I and the defeat of the Welsh Princes.  Culturally, this is an area rich in historical resonance – and the cars were good too.
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