Altima SE-R? Why?

[SkyTorch]

If anyone can explain this to me, I'm all ears - uh eyes. I know that the VQ35 is now the staple of the Nissan lineup. I realize the top Altima has this engine. I'm trying to understand why a 250hp/250torque SE-R model needs to exist. It's got all the cool stuff; 350z gauge cluster, 18" rims w/ w-rated tires, new lights, sport suspension, 6-speed, dual exhaust w/large chrome tips, modified skirts and spoilers, dark chrome interior, Bose stereo. Sound like a slightly modded Max to me. The price of the car is projected at under $30K. One article I read suggests there will be a line of Nismo products for this car. Unless the Max is going just an old people car, this is a risky move.

[Postier]

instead of asking why u shoudl ask why not, the maxima is obviously targeted to a different demographic then the altima, and nissan wants a bite out of the tuner market, even chevy and saturn have tuner cars. Releasing the SE-r is also a very clever idea because up to this point the only affordable tuner cars are cheap, ie honda civc si- Saturn Ion Redline(lol) , and the sentra. This gives consumers a chance to pick up a very comfortable and classy daily driver that can also go around whoop a*s on little rice rocket punks on the weekends. Its just a shame nissan didnt think of this earlier

[SkyTorch]

Originally Posted by Postier

Releasing the SE-r is also a very clever idea because up to this point the only affordable tuner cars are cheap, ie honda civc si- Saturn Ion Redline(lol) , and the sentra. This gives consumers a chance to pick up a very comfortable and classy daily driver that can also go around whoop a*s on little rice rocket punks on the weekends. Its just a shame nissan didnt think of this earlier

It will be clever IF the price is right. Part of the reason those cheaper are modded so frequently is because they are cheap. You actually have money left over to spend on mods. In this case, all the cheap mods are already on the car. With a car note, insurance on a registered sports model sedan and $2.10 for gas, where's the mod money??

[chrisr67]

I'd love to be paying $2.10 for gas! Right now I'm paying 2.42-2.49 a gallon! ( and that's if I'm lucky!) Granted I'm using Premium as always, but still! Using Reg unleaded I definately notice a big loss in power, so I stick with premium. Just wish this gas crisis would end soon!
Damn OPEC BASTARDS!

[BP2K2Max]

nissan's pissed they stopped making the 5.5 gen maxima so they decided to turn the altima se-r into one. they shot themselves in the foot with the fat-ass 6th gen. too bad they can't revert to the previous generation's styling.

[bk2kmax]

Originally Posted by BP2K2Max

nissan's pissed they stopped making the 5.5 gen maxima so they decided to turn the altima se-r into one. they shot themselves in the foot with the fat-ass 6th gen. too bad they can't revert to the previous generation's styling.

Nissan has found the Maxima replacement in the Altima, if anyone knows anything about the history of the Altima then you would understand why the car has become so popular.

The Altima when it came out in 93 as the Nissan Altima (Stanza) was originally intended to be the entry level for Infiniti or as replacement for the G20 but Nissan started having it's bankruptcy problems and the Stanza was cut out of the line up because it wasn't selling. Nissan couldn't afford to be out of the market where the Stanza existed nor could it afford to stuff the luxo goodies in the Altima to market it as an Infiniti either, so they were forced to keep the Stanza nameplate on the first Altima in order to keep the loyalist who had bought a Stanza and at the same time show that they had revamped it into something beautiful (at least that's what I thought the first time I saw it) and intro a relatively new model to compete with the 4 cylinder Accord that had more hp/tq plus a bigger trunk and better gas mileage.

With this kind of thinking Nissan had to insure that the Altima would remain because of all of the loyality showed by the consumers once they revamped it in 93 to 96. On the 97 design they lost alot of consumers because the 97 Altima became the 04 Max (in terms of looks) of the Altimas. Hell I didn't buy a 97, I upgraded from a 93 to a 96, even though the 97 had better everything.

Now it's 2000 and time for another Altima revamp but this time in an effort to move the Maxima upscale to compete with BMW 5 Series (as far as size is concerned) Nissan increased the size of the Altima to compete in the class of the Camry (which is where it's intent was all along) but in doing so, they gave it a better suspension than the Max plus in a majority opinion poll it looked better than the 2k Maxima too.

Now the only thing that is/was lacking at the time was the interior and the engine, the Accord had a V6 and so did the Camry, why not the Altima? Someone figured it would sell better if it had a V6 option and bam that's just what they did, in the meantime it would be another 2 years before the Max would be upgraded meanwhile the Altima was selling like hotcakes.

Now since at this same time Nissan had broke even out of it's financial woes with the success of the Z, G and Altima, plus the Murano was coming on strong, they hadn't made enough to revamp the Max totally so they just upped the engine size and threw in a few more goodies to an already great car.

People who were young liked the look of the Altima moreso than the Maxima, plus you could get the same engine in a lighterweight car, then what since did it make to get a Maxima?

Well Nissan went to the drawing board in 04 and scared away most of the Maxima faithful, hardly anyone who owns one of the 2003 below models would dare to buy an 04 because it doesn't have that nimble look or feel to it as previous Maximas.
With that said, the Maxima has had to push hard towards an older more mature crowd whereas the Altima gets to keep the same V6 and appeal to the younger Fast n Furious crowd.

The Maxima will have to come up with something to really set itself apart from the Altima the next time it is revamped otherwise it will be on it's way to the graveyard.

Expect a V8 awd 320 hp Maxima. Why? Because they really need to distinguish between the two so as to not have the Altima continue to usurp sales from the Maxima. Why a V8? Do you have to ask?
Why AWD? That's an easier question, we already have the platform for it (just look at the Murano, Altima and Maxima) and it will cure the most problematic of complaints from most of the Maxima performance purist and that is TorqueSteer.

Why have to exorcise this demon (TorqueSteer) then people will flock back to the Max and Nissan will have everyone looking to trade their 04's in for the thing that will set them widely apart from the Altima, that an also they will have to change the look of the Maxima too, maybe it'll look like a Z with 4 doors.

Right now I'd buy an 04 Altima over an 04 Maxima anyday, especially since the interior has been redesigned (my major complaint on the previous models).

[joeB]

BK2, I totally agree with what you said.

[SkyTorch]

Originally Posted by bk2kmax

Expect a V8 awd 320 hp Maxima. Why? Because they really need to distinguish between the two so as to not have the Altima continue to usurp sales from the Maxima. Why a V8? Do you have to ask?
Why AWD? That's an easier question, we already have the platform for it (just look at the Murano, Altima and Maxima) and it will cure the most problematic of complaints from most of the Maxima performance purist and that is TorqueSteer.

Funny. I said the same thing about a week ago. Since the Max broke $30K, it's entered a different market. Now, it has to contend with Jaguar, Mercedes, Lexus and BMW. Max, at $26K, was the economical choice. Now it's in with the entry-level luxury crowd, out pricing the Infiniti I35. And without the Luxury image, there isn't much room to grow without adding some ground breaking options. My prediction was an RWD VQ40 and a longer body. AWD would elevate the sports sedan to power sedan.

[chrisr67]

Originally Posted by bk2kmax

Nissan has found the Maxima replacement in the Altima, if anyone knows anything about the history of the Altima then you would understand why the car has become so popular.

The Altima when it came out in 93 as the Nissan Altima (Stanza) was originally intended to be the entry level for Infiniti or as replacement for the G20 but Nissan started having it's bankruptcy problems and the Stanza was cut out of the line up because it wasn't selling. Nissan couldn't afford to be out of the market where the Stanza existed nor could it afford to stuff the luxo goodies in the Altima to market it as an Infiniti either, so they were forced to keep the Stanza nameplate on the first Altima in order to keep the loyalist who had bought a Stanza and at the same time show that they had revamped it into something beautiful (at least that's what I thought the first time I saw it) and intro a relatively new model to compete with the 4 cylinder Accord that had more hp/tq plus a bigger trunk and better gas mileage.

With this kind of thinking Nissan had to insure that the Altima would remain because of all of the loyality showed by the consumers once they revamped it in 93 to 96. On the 97 design they lost alot of consumers because the 97 Altima became the 04 Max (in terms of looks) of the Altimas. Hell I didn't buy a 97, I upgraded from a 93 to a 96, even though the 97 had better everything.

Now it's 2000 and time for another Altima revamp but this time in an effort to move the Maxima upscale to compete with BMW 5 Series (as far as size is concerned) Nissan increased the size of the Altima to compete in the class of the Camry (which is where it's intent was all along) but in doing so, they gave it a better suspension than the Max plus in a majority opinion poll it looked better than the 2k Maxima too.

Now the only thing that is/was lacking at the time was the interior and the engine, the Accord had a V6 and so did the Camry, why not the Altima? Someone figured it would sell better if it had a V6 option and bam that's just what they did, in the meantime it would be another 2 years before the Max would be upgraded meanwhile the Altima was selling like hotcakes.

Now since at this same time Nissan had broke even out of it's financial woes with the success of the Z, G and Altima, plus the Murano was coming on strong, they hadn't made enough to revamp the Max totally so they just upped the engine size and threw in a few more goodies to an already great car.

People who were young liked the look of the Altima moreso than the Maxima, plus you could get the same engine in a lighterweight car, then what since did it make to get a Maxima?

Well Nissan went to the drawing board in 04 and scared away most of the Maxima faithful, hardly anyone who owns one of the 2003 below models would dare to buy an 04 because it doesn't have that nimble look or feel to it as previous Maximas.
With that said, the Maxima has had to push hard towards an older more mature crowd whereas the Altima gets to keep the same V6 and appeal to the younger Fast n Furious crowd.

The Maxima will have to come up with something to really set itself apart from the Altima the next time it is revamped otherwise it will be on it's way to the graveyard.

Expect a V8 awd 320 hp Maxima. Why? Because they really need to distinguish between the two so as to not have the Altima continue to usurp sales from the Maxima. Why a V8? Do you have to ask?
Why AWD? That's an easier question, we already have the platform for it (just look at the Murano, Altima and Maxima) and it will cure the most problematic of complaints from most of the Maxima performance purist and that is TorqueSteer.

Why have to exorcise this demon (TorqueSteer) then people will flock back to the Max and Nissan will have everyone looking to trade their 04's in for the thing that will set them widely apart from the Altima, that an also they will have to change the look of the Maxima too, maybe it'll look like a Z with 4 doors.

Right now I'd buy an 04 Altima over an 04 Maxima anyday, especially since the interior has been redesigned (my major complaint on the previous models).

Hey, everyones got an opinion, and I'm not knocking yours. But you're tripping your @ss off if you think Nissan's going to come out with a V8 Maxima! LMAO!

jmo

[joeB]

Like Bk2 said, if the Maxima doesnt change to differ its self from the
Altima, whats going to happen to the Maxima?

[BP2K2Max]

i've read that infiniti is re-releasing the m45 with some new upgrades, and much like the FX vehicle series there will be an M35 and M45. so if nissan releases these vehicles under their name plate also (like the I35 and a maxima) we may see a 4.5 V8 option for maximas. keep in mind that i'm just speculating and nothing is for sure.

[SkyTorch]

Originally Posted by chrisr67

Hey, everyones got an opinion, and I'm not knocking yours. But you're tripping your @ss off if you think Nissan's going to come out with a V8 Maxima! LMAO!

jmo

With the risk of sounding like a broken record, how much bigger do you think Nissan will build V6 engines before they just become inefficient? 3.7L? 3.8L? 4.0L? Keep in mind, there is already a 4.5L V8 in the Infiniti lineup. Nissan has recently added another V8 (5.6L) to thier lineup in recent months with the release of the Titan/Armada. Nissan has shown no interest in adding forced induction to Maxima. All the current motor trends are leaning towards more power. Even the toy cars are making close to 200hp. So, if not a V8, what's the next logical step? WWAC!

L

[thrasher]

Well, they already have a VQ stroked to 4.0 liters that will be going in the new Pathfinder (not Pathfinder Armada). But since it is stroked and not bored, it will not rev as quickly, thus making it less practical for passenger vehicles. On the other hand, it will probably produce over 300+ TQ, which is perfect for SUV and light trucks.

[bk2kmax]

Originally Posted by SkyTorch

With the risk of sounding like a broken record, how much bigger do you think Nissan will build V6 engines before they just become inefficient? 3.7L? 3.8L? 4.0L? Keep in mind, there is already a 4.5L V8 in the Infiniti lineup. Nissan has recently added another V8 (5.6L) to thier lineup in recent months with the release of the Titan/Armada. Nissan has shown no interest in adding forced induction to Maxima. All the current motor trends are leaning towards more power. Even the toy cars are making close to 200hp. So, if not a V8, what's the next logical step? WWAC!

L

The V6 on the Maxima can be effecient up to 4.3 litres and that's with a turbo, so I'm sure that it can be even more effecient without one so there may be even more room to bore it out.

However my post stands as is and Nissan needs very badly to distinguish the Maxima from the Altima, otherwise the Maxima will become the Acura Vigor of Nissan. Vigor was a very good car and it looked good too, it just couldn't set itself far enough apart from the Legend in order to capture the market it was intended to do.

I hope Nissan is listening because most of us here will not buy an 04 Maxima but we'd gladly spring (even trade) our 02/03's for a redesigned 320 hp 4.5 Litre V8 AWD Maxima that has the look of the Z with 4 doors.

Whatever said, the Altima is the new Maxima of the New Generation and it is a damn fine car, the only thing Nissan needs to do to it now is to add an AWD option from the Murano and the Fast n Furious crowd will start buying in droves, especially if a Factory Option Nismo Turbo or SC becomes available with a warranty.

[SkyTorch]

Originally Posted by BP2K2Max

i've read that infiniti is re-releasing the m45 with some new upgrades, and much like the FX vehicle series there will be an M35 and M45. so if nissan releases these vehicles under their name plate also (like the I35 and a maxima) we may see a 4.5 V8 option for maximas. keep in mind that i'm just speculating and nothing is for sure.

Ok. let's run with it. The M45 is a RWD V8 is basically the Cedric from over the pond. If they make an M35, that will pretty much kill the I35 as the entry level luxury sedan. It has all the same refinement and is similar in size. This would end the long running Max/Ixx FWD platform that we're all familiar with. It would not be hard to imagine that a version of the M45/Cedric may become the New Maxima. Again, purely speculation at this point.