nardo'89SE

does anyone have a link to a motor trend type article about our 3rd generation maxima, reviewing the car and it performance, pretty please?

Bman

No, but I got a couple hardcopies and they don't gush about the Max like they would a BMW or something but they do acknoledge it's sportiness and liked its handling. Roughly comparable to a SHO, but more refined and slightly slower (VE Maxes).

There are some accelleration times here: http://members.csinet.net/tisch/maxima/

The Max ran about .78-.82 G's on the skidpad depending if it had the AS or summer tire option.

nardo'89SE

thank you bman, but i know someone must have a link to the original review of the max, also it would be interesting to see what a maxima would pull on the skidpad with z rims, eibachs, fstb, a rear anti-sway bar and performance struts

Matt93SE

iTrader: (44)

I'd say it's close to, if not into the .9s... after the SFCs on my car, I can do some insane stuff in corners... modded Neons and hondas with coilovers don't even attempt to enter corners as fast as I do.

Nismo87SE

You'll have to get a back issue from MT or car and driver. However I think I know someone that has those mags that go back to the 80's !

Bman

Mmmmmm.... SFCs.... If only I had the cash to spare!

nardo'89SE

any you guys know where you can test your own car on a skidpad?

Bman

You mean besides an empty parking lot with cones set up? No, sorry. (Wouldn't a local auto-X track allow that?)

btw, don't be too "enthusiastic" about doing the skidpad test or you'll destroy your tires in short order. Keep in mind when MT or C&D run the Max to .80 G's they're giving it 100% and the tires are howling all the way around the circle. Also they do it twice - clockwise and c-clockwise.

nardo'89SE

still it would be nice if some one could quanitfy the gain of upgrading our suspension, everybody can talk about the butt dyno and the body dyno, but we dont really know how much redone suspension adds, we all want to see real numbers for y-pipes and intake why not wanting to see some real numbers on springs and antisway bars, can't a g-tech measure g forces for a skidpad?

Bman

Yes, I'd love to have some hard numbers to quantify what mod gives you how much improvement. That said, a G-Tech can only tell you about ultimate grip around a circle. You'd still have to have some slalom/lap times and butt-dynoing going on along with that to get the whole picture.

It's funny you bring this up know, because I found this really cool Australian suspension company: www.whiteline.com.au They have a bunch of very interesting articles scanned on their page that has suspension tech and mod info on them. The "WRX Handling Test" article has some tests with different suspension mods on the car and lap times, although they say you should pay more attention to driver comments instead (it seems sways are a great mod). I saved many MANY of these articles to my HD. This company also makes sways for the 3rd Gen, but they're the same size as the ST sways, so no big breakthrough there. Oh well.