Maxima2001

I just recently got a new 2001 maxima, I race up at the berlin turnpike pike sometimes along with my 95 Maxima. This time I decided I would try and make it fast because there are still many cars that can get the jump on me. So last month I had a supercharger, air intake and muffler installed at J&M performance. All together it ran me about 5,600. I knew one of the guys there so he saved me a few hundred. With my new supercharged maxima I was taking everyone up there, it truly made it into a rocket. But I raced this black 97 Mustang Cobra the other nite and he just blew me away like I was standing still. He said the car was basically stock besides gears and exhaust. It said supercharged on the hood but he told me it was just a sticker and it was not supercharged. When I was looking at his car he had no supercharger under the hood and nothing that seemed like NOS. I don't understand how he took me because we raced a few times and still the same thing. He claims his car is just about stock. im running about 310-320 HP all together I don't see how he could take me like that. any ideas??

JimW

If you've got a legitimate 300 HP (which sounds a little inflated but for arguements sake, let's just agree on 300HP)
A stock Cobra has 305 HP. Exhaust will give him another 10 (for arguements sake) Now add gears to it (For a Cobra, I'll assume he put 4:30's in it)
He's got something like 320 HP with steeper gears. His Snake could probably run low, low 13's with proper driving and traction. You'd need tons of stuff to keep up with him, as well as slicks.
MY guess: you don't have 300+, (unless you have a dyno test) maybe 280 or so. You then will need slicks or super-sticky meats to screw that into the ground. Then spring blocks in the rear end to keep the front end down. More HP won't help you, because you have no traction. You won't make enough power to catch him on the top end either, as a Cobra makes it's power with revs also. Basically, IMO, I think he'll be beating you more than you'll beat him.

JimW

The Corral has some registry's of Cobra's. There are a few 97's there with K&N filters and 4:30 gears that run 13.1's.
There are also a couple of 12.8's-12.7's in there also.

Whitemax

Why do you think his HP is so low? 4th gens with s\c have around that hp at the flyweel don't they? 5th gens should be well over 280. No matter what though, traction is what kills the Max every time. It's hard for me to keep from slipping tires in 1st and 2nd during normal driving, forget racing...

[Edited by Whitemax on 12-27-2000 at 03:16 PM]

Phil02E46

i think jim was assuming to the wheels.. but still 320 on stock boost is a lil over guessing it.. i'd say safe 290.. but a cobra still should pull.. rwd is far better on any launch than a fwd

Shingles

300-315hp even at the crank is a little high I think... Loren has one of THE best tuned supercharged maxima and he's "only" making seom 260hp at the wheels. Assuming 15% drivetrain lose that's still right at 300hp. Ofcourse this is a 5th gen, so that's hard to say...

-Shing

JimW

I just don't believe the claims that STillen has been making. If the VQ already makes 220, I can believe another 60hp, but for some reason 90 HP just doesn't seem legit. Not trying to steal credit from him or anything, just my personal opinions. He never said if he had an auto or not, so I was trying to give a rough approximation. If he didn't have fine tuning like Loren and Steve in Chicago did, chances are he's not making all the power that he can be.
Either way, I think that a S/C 5th Gen won't be able to keep up with a Cobra, not if the Cobra has gears.

madmax2k

Heres an idea. He lied!

Hey, you gotta take your lumps and give some out. As long as youve won more than lost, its cool. A Maxima even modded to the hilt is going to get beaten by the faster cars no matter what you do.

Just laugh cause youve got 4 doors and drive in luxury.

Mike S.

I see 300hp with a 5th gen is TOTALLY LEGIT. I'm a little confused....from his post...I think the s/c is on the 4th gen. Anyway, might I remind you that the s/c 2k AUTO we have on the board is putting down 250hp to wheels....and its AUTO! A 5sp puts down more say 265ish....so that deff 300 crank HP. Now the 4th gen would need a little more mods but 300 with induction can be done.

CoOlKidS1979

Can someone email and tell me where in CT is J M performance, or give me a number, I need a quality performance shop in CT

DAREN

iTrader: (3)

me too i definatly need to find a quality speed shop in CT. traveling from hartford to get the job done right is well worth it. looking for somebody to do a rebuild on my VE.

freeze2k2

cobras have 3.27 gears stock and the option of 3.73 or 4.10 so even the stock 3.27 are pretty decent.

Slickismax

iTrader: (4)

BTW, Loren dyno'd 284 at the front wheels on a 5-spd 4th gen.

Frank Fontaine

The Maxima is not some sort of high performance car. It's an above average family car or even 4DSC as Nissan called it. Just because their commercials change doesn't mean the car did. They say 227 hp "Special Ed" and you guys think all of a sudden there's a different motor from 1999. Same motor different tuning.

Do yousall a favor--take a 1996 M3 out for a spin. Many of you can afford one (forget the 1995). Then you wont wonder why you get blown away on the road by sports cars.

The Maxima is a fair car for what it was designed to do. It's not gonna be able to beat sports cars no matter how agressively you drive. Get what you pay for, a lesson you should learn.

madmax2k

Get ready to get flamed Frank!

I agree with what you say......except that stock 1996 M3's are a close race (accelerationwise) for a lightly modded Max. Ive raced a few of em at the track. Obviously, the M3 is a far superior car, albeit a far more expensive one as well.

cyclemax

iTrader: (1)

Frank:

I disagree. The Maxima is clearly "some" sort of performance car. Maybe it's not in the same category as European road cars costing nearly twice as much, but it's pretty damn good for ~23K. You need to compare apples to apples here. In the "getting what you paid for" category (performance/price), I think the Nissan is a distinct winner.

Also, I don't think anyone is perplexed when they get spanked by a 911 or C5, but they do have fun trying. Still, there are many here who have surprised and even embarrassed "sports car" drivers with thier Max.

I also hold a strong opinion that the Maxima is an EXCELLENT car for what it was designed to do. You call it "fair" but I'd like to know what is better for the same money.

You might also want to offer your narrow opinion to the Civic and Neon guys. After all, they're hooking up econoboxes!

JimW

The original post was asking why a S/C 5th gen couldn't beat a Cobra that's got mild mods.
The first responses were giving tips as to why the Max can't/won't be able to keep up with a Cobra. No question about what quality the Maxima has or gives. Just about the raw performance of the 2 cars in question.

cyclemax

iTrader: (1)

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