Ok, I just got my monthly motor trend and was reading performace wars article and saw the boxter S, with numbers only slightly better than a max but with performance that blew it away. I don't quite understand?

Boxter S 6spd / Maxima 5spd

Weight 2855 / ~3300
Horsepower 250@6250 / 222@6400
Torque 225@4500 / 217@4000
redline 7200 / 6500
Final drive 2.89:1 / ?

0-60 5.4 / 6.7
1/4 13.93@100.4 / 15.1@91

That is a huge difference! I mean 1 second in 0-60, 1 second and 10 mph in 1/4 for only 28 more hp and 8 lb/lb of torque? I'm not an engine guru or even a real gear head: Does the extra gear really make that much of a difference? I dunno, it just surpirsed me that the numbers were so close but the performace difference was so big.

 

500 pounds make a big difference. They probably have a better drag coeficient and the tires grip the road better for the 1/4 and 0-60 times.

 

Git some maxima.org stickers

 

the body is better sitting on the road, aerodyanmics is probably better, don't go compare a sedan into a sprots car. i mean this is porchse, they make much better engines then Nissan. Most of the times it all comes down to weight, weight is an importent factor in 0-60 times and 1/4 mile.

 

I heard somewhere that 100 lbs lighter = .1 sec faster in the 1/4. so if you use this then the boxster s should be .5 faster, not a full second, and can the ~30 hp make up for the other .5? I just don't understand.

 

yes
and also the aerodynamics of the car...
and u have to check the gear ratios as well...

 

A fast car doesn't consist of HP and torque there are a lot of factors that can change
wegiht,hp,torque,aerodynamics,gear ratio,body,tires,rear wheel drive or front wheel drive, weight ratio(front and back) and much more. like i said don't take a porsche and comapare it to a maxima, that's why you pay much more for a boxter, also a boxter is built for speed,racing and a maxima is nice sport sedan for a family.

 

This is like comparing apples and fish...

 

 

That is also a huge difference! There's a reason for everything. Two door sports car are designed to be quick, nimble and yada yada yada....the Max is a family sedan that can post some quick times in it's respective class...
you don't see cars in GT class running in Touring, right?
The new Z would be a very good head to head comparison and the cost of the new Z?, rumored to be ~30,000! How much was that Boxster again?

 

yep, i agree with you, its not even in the same catagory...
Boxter S......Maxima

 

Just throwing you a shout out, Weasel. I must be right down the road from you, somewhere here in Gainesville. Go Gators!

 

Me 2! By the way, the Max ain't slow!

 

The Max is faster than a Jeep or a truck, it's also faster than those damned riceboy civics.

 

I Hope this is a Funny?

 

I just noticed this is the second time you posted this topic.

 

Whoa whoa guys, i love my max. I just picked that thread title to get people's interest. Don't flame me, i knwo the max is quick. thats why i got her. and ya, my comp messed up and put down the thread twice and wouldn't let me delete it.

 

max is a sedan..

 

I might be wrong at this but...

It might be due to the fact that you are comparing FWD Vs. RWD. I do believe that this not only has an affect on handling, but also on acceleration. When you accelerate, weight distributes to the rear of the car, lightening up the front end. In this case, the Maxima will have a lack of traction (compared to the RWD Porsche.) Since the Porsche is RWD, when the weight moves to the rear end of the car, more weight will be put on the rear tires and will give it better traction for launches. Remember, 0-60 times test for low-end torque and traction.

Other factors like others have mention would be gearing,weight,driver,condition of car,condition of day,thread life,power curve,aerodynamics,transmission, ect...

Also since the Porsche does have a HP advantage to the Maxima.

 

The weight and RWD alone ought to add most of a second. I'd bet that S gets low 2.0s for 60' times where a max gets 2.2s. From my understanding every .1 in 60ft time equals .2 in the 1/4.

Also, even though the max has 222(7) hp, it really can't use it all because it is at red-line. Porsche doesn't do stupid **** like that.

 

Thanks and I was not flaming ya!

 

this isn't really a fair comparison...at work the other day, i was looking over some sticker prices on the porsches...a boxter s starts at $50,700 with NO options...the one i was looking at had xenons and a few other sports package options and went for $57,000...a few people at work have told me they have seen a fully loaded boxter s go for over $80,000...imho it's still a boxter

i have raced a boxter s and it beat me by about 2 car lengths upto 90mph

i can beat a normal boxter (i have)

also remember that a boxter s has 6 gears rather than 5 and although it only has a few more hp, it is tuned for a more sporty style of driving

 

Cool, coming up as a freshman?

 

Right! RWD and weight difference. This is also why BMW do so well.

 

I was raised with the mindset that German horses are stronger than japanese horses.=)

 

Negative, Dude! I just graduated in May with my degree in Microbiology. I'm stickin' around to attend graduate school with the College of Business, though; so I'll be here a while longer. I'm the kid pimpin' the fresh Maxima. ;') Honk if you dig it!

 

Awesome, I've got a beige Max with clears, tint, and the .org stickers. Honk at me if you see me around, I'm usually on the south side of town by Lexington, Butler Plaza, etc.

 

Roger that... I think I finally got my pictures up in the members area. Just search for year 2000 Maxima and only check the "stock" options. Mine should come up as "My 2000 Nissan Maxima (manual)." My member name is MCFtNx. I'll definitely keep an eye out for your Max. I'm actually doing some post bac work on campus this summer, so I'm on campus everyday. I'm usually pimpin' my stuff closer to Butler Plaza, as I frequent the Ale House. Soon, I'll get those max.org decals for my car and the clear lenses are on order. Later...

 

I just got my MAX and I pitty the fool who compares it to a sports car. Compare the new Z to the porsche. It's a sports car. By the way I love my MAX 1200 miles on her and im glad I didn't get the BMW 325i.

 

I just got mine too and I'm absolutely lovin' it. Congratulations on the purchase. She sounds like a beaut!

 

I agree with 2kseman, the new Z350 will definately be a good match for the Boxster. I speculate that the Z will spank the Boxster pretty good.

Just think, If our Max's are as close as they are to the Boxster, what happens when you drop several hundred pounds and boost up the HP to 260.

Nissan is starting to act like Porsche of yesteryear.

 

y do u think the z will be lighter? it was always heavier than the max before...

 

Doh! Your right... I think the weight will be close to the Max. I guess it's the projected 0-60 in less than 6 seconds that got me thinking it would be lighter.

It is rear wheel drive, but they must be doing some other stuff like changing the gear ratios to get that low of a time.

Do you think the 2002 Max will do it in 5.5 seconds?

 

i hope you don't think your contour was a sports car either...i know the max isn't a sports car, but it is a sporty car...a boxter isn't exactly a sports car