I heard of a G35 brother, I heard an Avalon-killer, and I heard of a more luxurious and sporty version of the Altima. I do think the Max is really getting squeezed by the Altima 3.5 SE and the G35. If the next Max is RWD, then who'd get a G35? If the next Max continues on a similar but more updated track, then there's too much redundancy with the Altima 3.5 SE.

I think the next Max should be FWD (to protect G35), smaller and lighter than the Altima 3.5SE (to keep the Altima for more family duty while the Max becomes more personal), still have the 3.5L V6 to keep costs low, and benchmark Audi A4 FWD and Prelude SH's chassis since both are the pinnacle of FWD performance composure.

A coupe (a 4-seat more practical alternative to the 350Z) and a sports wagon (like the IS300 SportCross) should be made. Of course to spread costs out Infiniti could get a cushy version of the Sport wagon and maybe a foldable power hardtop roof version of the coupe (kinda like a poor man's version of the Lexus SC). I just can't imagine how athletic this concept would be if they put that VQ in a car the size of an A4 (179" long).

 

Detailed explanation, but this thing has been going back & forth for months! Some saying it's RWD, others FWD, some saying V6, some saying V8. Some throwing pics out (my fav is the Jappan Skyline = Infiniti G35 pic).

My sources say this, my sources say that. Everyone seems to have sources but since Nissan hasn't officially commented on the next generation Maxima, no one has any credibility.

Here's what we know:
Nissan will be building 3 trial Maximas in Smyrna in June 2002. If you work in the Smyrna plant, you'll have a chance to see the exterior! Have fun!

Next generation Maxima will be built of the same platform as the Altima.

BTW, production is targeted for Jan 2003 in Smyrna.

 

The next max will be LWD.

 

I want the next Maxima to be able to fly ... ala "Back to the Future".

That would be sweet.

 

Oh ... and if could talk back like the Knight Industries Two Thousand ... that would be cool too.

 

My best friend's sister's 3rd husband's 2nd cousin's next door neighbor's milkman said the next maxima will be rwd drive on tuesdays, fwd on fridays and awd the rest of the week.

 

Regardless of what we all may want the next Maxima to be, I think that to fit between the Altima and G35, to preserve the I35, and to allow Nissan and it's suppliers to get their Return-On-Investment, the next Maxima will have the following characteristics:

Altima platform, 260hp VQ35, FWD

The platform might be slightly lengthened and AWD may be an option.

 

Because my girlfriend's father's wife from the second marriage, whose roommate's gay lover is the boss of the guy who's sister works in the corporate office, says that the next generation Maxima will actually be a motorized tricycle powered by a radial configuration 12-cylinder displacing 8.5 Liters.

 

A spy photo taken on the Noorum-burger-ring of one of Nissan chief engineers testing the chassis...

 

How about rubber bumpers for the idiots going slow in the left lane.
Or a transformer button!!! Its more than meets the eye..

 

i see problems with that. gotta do something about the handling, a lil' top heavy... something about physics and what not.