I'm sure alot of this is old news to you guys, but some of it shocked even me...of course I'll need Russ's approval on this one. Muhahaha.

By Jeff Schuster - J.D. Power and Associates

"When Nissan launches the newly redesigned Altima this year, it will be larger and more powerful than the Maxima, which raises questions about its role in the Nissan family.
The Altima grows to a length of 191.5", which is an inch longer than the Maxima. The top Altima will be powered by a 3.5-liter 240-hp engine, compared to the 227-hp 3.0-liter with the 2001 Maxima.
In addition, the new Altima picks up a more refined sporty look, which is essentially the position of the Maxima.
So, what does this mean for the Maxima? In the short term, it will likely mean a slump in sales, as the Altima is surely set to cannibalize Maxima sales.
To counter that, the 2002 Maxima will offer a more powerful of the 3.5-liter engine that produces 260-hp.
Late next year, the Maxima is slated for a redesign that has the industry wondering how its position will change.
Nissan could make it larger and more upscale, but that would intrude on its luxury brand, Infiniti. Sales of Infiniti's G20 (soon to be replaced) and the I30 could be affected if the Maxima gets pushed further upscale.
intergroup competition is not something that would be healthy for the Nissan Group's further recovery. Nissan publicly says the new Altima will not compete with the Maxima and there are big plans for the redesign.
If you read between the lines, this could suggest that a significant change is in store for the Maxima. One speculative direction could be calling the upcoming crossover SUV the Maxima.
The timing is just about right as the crossover is expected to launch by mid-2003."

 

the 2004 max will be bigger, RWD and could have a V8 option. I think it will be based off the Q platform. The Altima is getting bigger to the class the current maxima is in and the maxima will move up a class.

 

I agree HoJo, either a V8, RWD, Q based Max. There may be a class though between the Altima and the Q45, where an altima based Maxima might come be designed to fill that space. You have to figure that the Avalon is not in the same class as the Q45, nor the Altima. Even the Taurus is bigger. Also, where is Honda in all this?? Is the Accord really the biggest Honda will go? There is a gap in affordable sedans between the current Max's and Avalons, and the Grand Marquis and Crown Vics. Maybe thats where Nissan is headed.