nismomax

I was coming home from the dealer after my fuel cut TSB fix when a Regal started tailing me on the highway. I had no idea that he had intentions to race..I mean he had a Buick. He got off the same exit as mine and turned into my neighborhood. It's an area where there's usually no cars. He stopped right before a stretch of empty road and told me to pull up. By now I saw that he had a Regal GS, the supercharged variety, so I accepted.

He counted down to three and I spun all through first gear.. Anyway I got grip when I got to second and his bumper stayed at my rear door throughout third. We stopped and he compimented. I just wish I had driven better.

QUANSUNG

if he was as good of a driver as you he should have beat you he probably missed the gas peddle you know how much skill it takes to drive an automatic ,i mean he has 240 hp and 280pds of torque for gods sake compared to your 222hp and 217pds of tq, that means he should have killed you

psing23

how much does he weigh?

tomz17

3,543 lbs (for the GS)... stills sounds like he should have beaten you... (EASILY!!!)

Personally, I wouldn't try to take one unless I had the 2k2 Maxima or Altima... (or was racing around some massive twisties)

You're just setting yourself up for disappointment against an old fart car...

-Tom Z.

PS... but hey, if it makes anyone feel better, imagine trying to pick up chicks in a buick... Score 1 for the super sexy Maxima !!!!

BriGuyMax

iTrader: (1)

I hope you're kidding, cuz the 5-speed max is a tiny bit quicker than the Regal GS. the Numbers don't lie. Yes the GS has an advantage off the line against a 2K 5-speed, but here are the times.

Regal GS (same car as Pontiac Grand Prix GTP basically)
0-60 - 6.6 sec.
1/4 Mile - 15.1@90.2 MPH

2K Max 5-speed
0-60 - 6.7 sec.
1/4 mile - 15.1@94.4mph

The numbers don't lie....the GS may have a little advantage on the low end, but the max will literally run away from one over 50 mph, believe me, I've done it many times.

tomz17

2K Max 5-speed
0-60 - 6.7 sec.
1/4 mile - 15.1@94.4mph


hmm.. correct me if i'm wrong... but 6.7/15.1 sounds like a really good day for a stock manual (especially if you just go by what's published in auto mags)... Since the regal is an auto, it gets those results rather consistantly, wheras the max driver has to shift like a **** in order to get those numbers... To me, it sounds like a VERY tight race for a manual max...


-Tom

maxleaner

The GS GranTouring suspension (as opposed to "Dynaride") is a darn good handler; and the Buick has a better feel than the Maxima rear beam by far. I've rented several Regal LS's (everything the GS has but the blower); and they are more impressive than you think. Gone is the fake wood dash and velour sofa bench seat. The max has a bit better fit and finish inside, but it stickered for 5K more too with similar features. The 3800 engine (maybe not with the blower) has a bulletproof reputation.

If Buick/GM can hire a decent marketing firm, they will be a much better import fighter than Pontiac (body and interior by Fischer Price). Oldsmobile would have made it with better marketing and some good manual transmissions which leads me to why I bought a Max (manuals or nothing for me).
As soon as car guys get more empowerment over the accountants at GM, we may see something worth our while come out of there.

BTW, their 4 speed automatics were better before the marketeers believed "smooth imperceptible shifting" was what customers demanded. I've been in older GM's where the automatic would chirp the tires on full throttle upshifts - not so now...

annimax

Glad I read this post because I never took a Regal seriously. I consider myself pretty knowledgeable but due to my total dismissal of the Buick line I was totally caught off guard until this post. Not that I'm considering street racing or anything but it is good for knowledge sake.

QUANSUNG

i know our cars are a little quicker i was just repeating that for those people who think torque always wins races,yeah autos are more consistant but the max will walk away with that higher trap speed as in this case the driver got i bad start and still won though only by a little and probley would've walked away on the parkway.but the gs is a nice sleeper.

MrBurner

alright tom, if i must, i'll correct you...many people on these boards have run mid-high 14s bone stock (14.6 is the lowest followed by a number of 14.8s)...and although many of you don't think it takes skill to drive an auto, you are wrong...it may not take as much skill, but there is still skill in launching, manumatic shifting etc...i still wish i had a stick everyday, but don't say you just mash the gas pedal...

a max w/ a good driver can walk all over the buick (not in low end, but easily in the higher end) and a max with a bad driver will most likely lose at the beginning but should come out the victor at the end of the race

tomz17

Well... i would sure hope that you could beat out a GS in the top end.. rumor has it that they are limited to only 108mph stock because of the tires...

If you can't take a 108mph GS with a 140-150mph SE in the high end, you should promptly sell your max and begin taking public transportation...

However, the topic was more about the acceleration (particularly from a standstill)... Turns out that the published numbers for the Buick are slightly lower than the published numbers for a 5spd max.

I DO know that Maxima's have the potential to do better than those published numbers, however, you have to keep in mind that the stats you read here come from enthusiasts. People that know their cars inside out... For us, the published numbers tend to be extremely conservative (especially for the maxima.. i once saw 8secs 0-60 for an auto?? whats up with that?)

In particular, you quoted the lowest times found here. If the max could consistantly run mid 14's, then a Regal GS should pose no problem... However, in the real world (especially in a street race), the average joe shouldn't fool himself into thinking that his stock max can pull a record-breaking performance...

All I was saying, is that the supercharged buick GS would be a tight race for the 5spd Maxima. While it has the power advantage (big time), it's crappy auto tranny eats it all up...

-Tom Z.