Maxima Impact
Nissan's trying to sell its new big sedan as the "four-door sports car." We say: optimistic. Where we come from (planet Earth-it's not much, but it has brought us the EVO and the Skyline), sports cars don't have front-wheel drive, a continuously variable transmission (CVT), or lots of weight-adding extras like satellite navigation and sumptuously bolstered seats.
That said, the '09 Maxima (now in its seventh generation) makes a great daily driver for someone with perhaps more mature tastes and obligations. This car is based on the same platform as the Altima (both sedan and coupe) and the Murano. Pretty much anything with a 3.5L VQ-series V-6 in its nose is going to have some degree of fun and the Maxima's 290 bhp/261 lb-ft is applied to the road with an admirably moderate amount of torque steer. Nissan says it benchmarked the Acura TL while developing this car.
The CVT, usually the most hateful of all transmissions, is actually...OK. Still, no substitute for a well-made manual, but it's way quicker than that thing in the first-gen Murano. Quieter too.
The Premium trim model rivals an Infiniti for quality (the Maxima in general looks a lot like something from Nissan's upscale arm), while the Sport model is slightly stiffer. Strange that there are no plans for a hybrid version in this day and age, but Nissan is promising an oil-burning model for next year, running a 3.0L V-6 turbodiesel. But, what are the odds on diesel being $10 a gallon by then? We are getting ever closer with each passing day.
And if there ever was to be any sports car flavor in the Maxima, it might be found at the front. Look at those radical headlamps. Bearing Nissan's new favorite design cue, the ones on the new 370Z could be extremely similar. Prices for all models are in the $30,000 ballpark.
New Acura NSX:Faster Than The GT-R?
Let the games begin. Acura's next supercar, assumed to be the next-generation NSX, has been making some waves around Germany's famed Nrburgring Nordschliefe, possibly the most demanding circuit in the world. Although no one outside Honda knows for sure what the NSX is packing, the smart money is on a 550 bhp, 5.5L V-10 coupled to an eight-speed transmission with the now-obligatory paddle shifters.
Whatever it has, the NSX can polish off the 14.2-mile-long track and its 120-plus corners in an unofficial time of 7 minutes and 37 seconds-just 8 seconds shy of the Nissan GT-R's official time, which is pretty much the fastest any production car has ever done. And, because the 'Ring is open to the public, the NSX had other traffic on the course too. Considering this is still a car in development and not sporting many aerodynamic aids, it looks like the GT-R should enjoy its time in the sun while it still can. Come 2010, when the NSX and the Lexus LF-A (also rumored to have V-10 power) should be hitting the market, there may be a new king of the 'Ring. But then the GT-R V-Spec will also be out. Good times.
A Buzz Around The Hornet
Chrysler isn't dead yet. And, shock of shocks, it might even have a hit on its hands with the Dodge Hornet. Looking like something to rival a Mini Cooper, the Hornet will make the transition from interesting concept to full-blown production model with a little help from Nissan, who is building the car for Chrysler.
So, the Hornet will be based on the same platform as the currently available front-drive Versa (known overseas as the Tiida). It could be out as early as next year, as a 2010 model. It will be aimed slightly upscale to appeal to potential Mini customers. And although the BMW-produced compact has two passenger doors (well, three for a Clubman), the Hornet looks as if it has two rear suicide doors, Mazda RX-8-style.