I tried to search, but couldn’t access it??

I have a '98 Lexus GS400; my good friend has a 2002 Maxima GLE. We have been ribbing each other on whose car is faster (straight line speed). I think that mine is due to the higher horsepower (300) and will fair better from the start with rear wheel drive, conversely his car is lighter and seems really quick. Both cars are completely stock.

We are going to race in the ¼ mile at a local track; loser buys dinner. How do you guys think this will turn out??? The anticipation is killing me…

Please don’t make this a car “a” is better than car “b”, or the Lexus costs $xx,xxx and with the left over money over my car would run an 11 sec, etc…I sold a ’99 SE that I had for over 3 years that was a great car. I was excited for the new Maxima but just couldn’t get over the new gauge clusters that Nissan has moved to in all of their cars.

 

ur lexus will lose......much heavier....

although, on point about gauges, u got cooler ones!

 

This one has all the makings of a 'driver's race'. If he flubs a launch, you will have him. According to car-stats.com, both are pretty evenly matched in the 1/4 mile to start with.

 

If you get tracion at the track you should pull off a low-mid 14. The GLE should pull a mid-high 14.

NOW, you have an open differential which means no traction. Put it this way, my buddy in his '98 GS400 SRT intake ecu ran a best of 15.? because he had no traction and would light up his one tire all the way down the track. He was running 265s out back on a 9" rim.

Off the line my 2k3 kills his GS, the GS is a dog off the line IMO. At the track I will beat him, on a freeway roll on he will walk me badly.

Your car is in its prime from a highway roll. I bet your buddies GLE will pull you off the line till about 60-70ish mph then you will walk right by him.

 

Wow! Thats good info. You're right about the open differential, my buddy calls my car the "one wheel wonder". I guess I thought that with rear wheel drive I would get a better start, I never really thought traction would be an issue. Moreover, I have 235/45-17's on the factory wheels out back so I would get even a poorer start than your buddy. Maybe a roll on race is in order????

I finally found the weight stats:

2002 Maxima GLE Auto: 3275 lbs / 255 hp = 12.84 hp/lbs
1998 Lexus GS400 Auto:3690 lbs / 300 hp = 12.30 hp/lbs

Looks like a really good race.. Thanks for everyones input, it looks like it good go either way.

 

I fulled around with one I think it was GS430 on the highway recently and it was pretty good race. He kept up pretty good with me.
GS400 is a very nice car.

 

If it was a GS430, I think it was he that was playing with you...those things turn a 13.9/103mph 1/4 mile...STOCK.

www.car-stats.com

 

At speed your weight disadvantage will disappear. You also have a 5 speed tranny which helps big time.

Speed aside that GS is a very nice car!

 

I didn't know that GS430 were that much faster than GS400. I thought they were pretty close. I never seen GS430 run 13.9 STOCK, if they do that is crazy fast.
I don't think he was playing, cause once I let off around 110mph he came flying by me, so he was definetly going.

 

Your intake setup may have helped out, but yeah, those things haul...

 

The GS400 is 14.3 @ 99mph but everyone knows 1/4 mile times vary greatly with many factors.

 

Let us knot the outcome, will you?

 

The GS430 is NO quicker/faster than the GS400. Realistically, they run low to mid 14s but trap quite bit higher than the auto 2K2+ Maximas. (The GS400 I saw @ the track a couple of years ago ran a 14.5 second ET.)

98Nav should be able to take the GLE. If his friend has a 6sp Max, THAT would be a GREAT race.

Peace.

 

Just out of curiosity, what is this statement based upon?

 

I own both a 99 GS400 and a 03 Max auto. You'll be pretty even up to around 30 MPH but after that you'll be significantly faster. At highway speeds no comparison.

 

i think the maxima will get his a$$ handed

 

Reported and published ETs.

 

Its all about the r/t if your racing heads up. Whoever sleeps at the light buys the dinner. If its the fastest time then you should be quite a bit faster with a good launch. Where are you located?

 

Really?

http://www.car-stats.com/

 

Really, hmm I thought GS400 was crazy fast especially on the highway.

 

It is. What I meant by no comparison is that the GS400 will slaughter a Maxima at higher speeds. The flatter and fatter torque curve just pulls on the highway. The car feels rather sluggish around town in comparison.

 

Thanks for everyones input; The race is going to happen this Sat. night if the weather permits. It is going to happen at Portland International Raceway; I flipped on the TV this morning and hit the wrong button--instead of ESPN, I got Court TV. They were showing court proceeding of a street race where two people were killed in San Diego; the drivers were on trial...Talk about a sign from God!

As a side note, the GS400 and GS430 are the same performance wise. The GS430's were hit harder with smog control stuff that hurts their performance.

I will keep you guys updated.