Hello,

I was reading a road test of the Maxima SR and noticed a passage: "Nissan boasts that the Maxima SR has higher torsional rigidity than the Porsche Cayman"

What about the Maxima SR chassis is reinforced differently from other Maximas?

Besides the front stabilizer bar and other suspension changes, I am curious if there is any tangible structural difference in the body or otherwise that makes the SR different from other Maximas. (Besides lacking a panoramic sunroof)

Thanks

 

I don't think there is any difference. My Max S doesn't have a sunroof either, and I think structurally that makes it as rigid as the sr. The sr has the aforementioned suspension differences

 

there are only 2nd- and 3rd-hand info about the sr's unique chassis.
it has to be their secret thing, and not disclosing any actual documents to support what they're claims. but, it is fun to drive.

 

From Nissan's own press kit from 2016:

http://nissannews.com/en-US/nissan/u...xima-press-kit

"For the ultimate 4-Door Sport Car enthusiast, the new SR trim was conceived with the specific goal of pushing Maxima's performance boundaries further than ever before. The Maxima SR-exclusive hardware starts with unique suspension damper tuning and a larger front stabilizer bar. Monotube rear dampers, which provide better high-temperature fade resistance than twin-tube designs and are typically found on higher-end sports cars, were originally specified for the SR grade only. The development team found that the benefit of the monotube dampers was so significant that the damper design was carried across to all grades of Maxima.

The Maxima SR-exclusive performance upgrade also includes a Performance Chassis Damper, which is installed on the front section of the chassis to help quell high frequency vibration in the body that can result from the stiffer suspension. A similar damper is used on the Nissan 370Z NISMO. In addition, the Dual Panel Panoramic Moonroof offered on Maxima SL and Platinum grades was eliminated to help lower the SR’s center of gravity and further enhance torsional rigidity (versus moonroof-equipped models)".

An engineer friend of mine told me that Performance chassis dampers are almost always used in pairs, one in front near the front bumper or over the wheels and the one in the rear is typically right under the trunk, above the wheels. However, it seems that the 8th Gen Maxima only has the one performance chassis damper up front and none in the rear. By removing the sunroof, the torsional rigidity is increased, eliminating the need to have a chassis damper in the rear as well.

I've driven both an SR and Platinum and I can definitely feel the rigidity more on the SR. Not so much on cornering, but on side to side switches or going over tracks and potholes. The ride isn't bone jarring, it's just very very controlled with much less body flex.

 

Yeah so basically the absence of the sunroof, which the S and SV also have