I imagine this car will be really good when it comes to production. Nissan’s worst car is still pretty good.

You understand that, fluffer-boy?

Who else believes your crap about the “RX” and “TL” being anything other than a gussied up mommy wagon and commuter coffin, respectively.

I won’t even dignify your last typed turd with a response

I call ‘em as I see ‘em, and my word is the law

Good side: The interior is AWESOME.

Bad side: The exterior. Dunno what people are raving about, it looks like a little Infiniti with every bad Toyota and Lexus cue piled on top of it.

“Meh” side: I still don’t get the fascination with the VQ engine. Granted, the HR version is incredible, but unless a production model of this concept gets the HR engine, it will be decidedly average. The DE engine that is supposedly so great in the Altima is very lackluster. When I can outpace a 270hp 3,200lb Altima in my 260hp 3,500lb G6, then you know Nissan needs to learn something about torque curves in their mainstream cars.

Most folks inside Nissan won’t hesitate to admit that the Maxima has lost its way a bit. It’s a car that once sat proud as a sporty alternative to the Camry or Accord, and for a while, Nissan even called it the Four-Door Sports Car (a “4DSC” sticker adorned one corner of the rear window on models in the early nineties.) Now, the car sits awkwardly on top of the Altima that, in some ways, is actually a better car.

That will all change in 2009 when Nissan will dig into its past and make the Maxima a four-door sports car once again. We haven’t seen the future Maxima, but has been described to us as “unlike anything we’ve ever done” by more than one Nissan insider. Expect a concept version of the car to debut next winter at a major auto show as part of Nissan’s fiftieth anniversary celebration (which will also include the production GT-R and a new Z-car.) It should be an aggressive, MERCEDES-BENZ CLS-STYLE car sharing some cues with Nissan’s other halo vehicles. The new Maxima will use the same VQ engine family found throughout the Nissan/Infiniti range, but to prevent the car from cannibalizing G35 sales, it will most likely remain front-wheel drive. A diesel model is also planned, and it could end up being the high-performance range-topper. We’re excited.

hello new maxima

Many of you think this could be the next Maxima, but I don’t. The Maxima is supposed to be a fairly sporty car, but this concept is pure luxury, to my eye. If they hadn’t just redone the Altima, I’d say this could be it. Maybe a new range-topper for Nissan?

But I do agree with some of you that this definitely looks like a Nissan, and not an Infiniti.

And I agree with many of you that the concepts coming out of Japan the last several days are pretty weird, but keep in mind that they’re for the Japanese market, and their tastes are WAY different from ours. But as weird as each of them has been, I’ve seen elements of each of them that looked useful.

Suicide doors are nothing new, ultra-lux cars, some compact coupes, and trucks have had or still have these doors. Exotic Sports cars have them to stand out or be closer to race cars or even aircraft. Extended cab P/U trucks, and some Compact coupes have them to make the cab or back seat, respectively, more accessible.

It’s just a matter of developing hinge systems to allow the doors to open and close safely and securely. Not a difficult thing to do. But I’m sure at least four people will read this and three will respond saying, “‘crazy doors’ are stupid!”

I doubt we’ll see them everywhere, Not everyone will welcome it (change and the different scares them). But you know, if it did happen, anything to not be “the car from company A that is just like the car for company B”.

This is one sweet car!

Mi Si: This should be sold as a Nissan.
Aston: these days, nissans look liek appliances. But the datsuns are unanimously beautiful

The 4 seats, The coupe profile a la CLS, the rear suicide doors, The Opel’ish Panorama windshield. I wouldn’t be surprised if these ended up in a Maxima in 2009.