I was scoping the junkyard for interesting stuff when I spotted this '87 Nissan Maxima. I figured I'd check for a Voice Annunciator Phonograph Unit within.

It appears that Nissan had gone solid-state for their "talking car" feature by 1987, so no tiny phonograph. Disappointing. But then a row of dash controls caught my eye.

You can tell that engineers came up with this arrangement, not a bunch of Apple-worshiping designers and their focus-group-wrangling marketing overlords. No doubt the Japanese version of the "SECU- RITY" light (which I assume has something to do with a primitive mid-80s alarm system) sports a graceful kanji character, and when the engineers got their English translation it just made sense to hyphenate the word to make it fit. What the hell, right? You can still understand it! We gotta move these Maximas out the door, ASAP!

My friend had come out to the West Coast to check out the Maker Faire, and since he has the World's Coolest Engineering Job (fabricating and installing hidden surveillance gear in vehicles for an organization I'm not allowed to name) I figured I'd see what he could do with the Datsun Talkbox. After a few minutes with a multimeter and some wiring diagrams, he had some good news and some bad news for me. The bad news was that the device's control circuitry was pretty much fried; the good news was that the motor, stylus, and amplifier circuitry were all fine, and it's a pretty easy hack to control the whole mess manually. You know what's coming, right? Datsun Talkbox Scratching! Get ready for DJ Murilee Maxima, world!

These days, the demand for the "four-door Supra" is so high that it's tough trying to find one cheap enough to serve as the basis for a project that's going to involve a lot of cutting and pasting. That doesn't mean it can't be done, of course- for example, check out this '83 Toyota Cressida, which has most of its parts and is priced at an amazing 350 bucks. The seller included "motor runs" in the "pros" section of the ad, but then we get the line "it's not getting any fuel to the injectors" in the "cons" section. Contradiction? Hey, it's a $350 Cressida! It's got some dents, it has no papers, and it's an automatic... but you'll fix all those things with a quick application of some 1JZGTE power. When you're done with that, you can install a manual transmission (and have fun getting the clutch pedal assembly for a LHD car), and when you're done with that you can work on the luxury features that "do not operate."


The Datsun 810/Nissan Maxima was quite a car, with specs quite similar to the Cressida but more of that funky Nissan flavor we loved so much back in the day. It's pretty much the "four-door 280Z," but that appeal means that most of the usable early-80s examples have been drifted or otherwise hooned into oblivion by now. We couldn't find one quite as cheap as that super-steal Cressida, but this '82 Nissan Maxima can be yours for only $1,200... or less ("any reasonable offer will be concidered"). Don't worry about the photos showing snow on the car, since we're sure it looks just as good now as it did when the photos were taken. The car has "Lots of new parts to include," which we assume means that they're sitting in boxes in the trunk (and possibly they're not so much new as new to this car), and "all in all this car wont stop running." You'll be all "no problemo, dude" about the rust, mostly because you'll be so busy installing this SR20DET/5-speed combo that you won't have time to think about anything other than your eternally bleeding knuckles and ever-shrinking bank account!

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All-New 2009 Nissan Maxima Recaptures Its Place as the True "4-Door Sports Car" Premium Performance Sedan

The 2009 Nissan Maxima, which makes its world debut at the 2008 New York International Auto Show, marks a return to the longtime Nissan flagship sedan's roots as a commanding 4-door sports car - a vehicle that is unique in both appearance and driving feel, with renewed relevance for today's active and ambitious sedan buyers. In other words, the Maxima is back.

The all-new 2009 Maxima will be offered as two well-equipped models, Maxima 3.5 S and Maxima 3.5 SV, and is scheduled to arrive at Nissan dealers nationwide in early summer 2008.

"Maxima has always enjoyed a certain 'duality' - a unique fusion of sedan practicality with the soul of a sports car," said Al Castignetti, vice president and general manager, Nissan Division, Nissan North America, Inc. "In recent years, however, competitive vehicles have caught up with Maxima in 'sporty' looks and performance. For 2009, Nissan is reclaiming its rich 4-Door Sports Car heritage with an infusion of emotional design, driving excitement and advanced technology - creating a silky, stimulating sports sedan like no other on the road today."

2009 Maxima: Reborn at the "Ring"
"Do-overs" are sometimes allowed in sports but rarely in the automotive industry. Yet midway through the development of the new-generation Maxima a mulligan was indeed granted. Rather than continue with an evolution of the previous highly successful Maxima design, the creators of the 2009 Maxima stopped and rethought the entire direction.Inspired by the concurrent top secret development of the 2009 Nissan GT-R supercar, they threw away positioning words like "conservative" and "balanced" and concentrated instead on new concepts like "addictive performance," "striking," "commanding" and "powerful."

High targets were established, including the goal of creating "the best performing front engine, front-wheel drive car in the world," along with class-leading acceleration, braking, handling, workmanship and cockpit design.

"We aren't walking away from the strengths of the last generation Maxima, which was rated the top-ranked vehicle in AutoPacific's 2007 Vehicle Satisfaction Award for Luxury Mid-Size Cars and a winner of Strategic Vision's 2007 Total Quality Award™ for Best Medium Car Ownership Experience," said Castignetti. "However, complacency breeds complacent vehicles. The new Maxima demanded taking risks in order to ultimately come up with a much more exciting and rewarding vehicle."

Three key areas were singled out for change: exterior design, which needed to be more aggressive, with more personality and attitude; a "super" cockpit, creating an interior that combines a driver orientation with high quality, roominess and user-friendly technology; and class-leading performance, enhancing what previous generation owners called "Maxima-ness."

To further push the performance envelope, the development team challenged themselves to concentrate their efforts on "emotional engineering" - to experience Maxima with the five senses in a purer, more visceral manner, rather than through CAD drawings and computer simulations.

As each designer and engineer set and exceeded higher and higher targets, they realized that confirmation of the results would require validation on the road. But not just any road. Members of the development team traveled to Germany's famed Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit - not coincidentally the site of much of the GT-R's performance development work - to test Maxima prototypes. Special attention was placed on body rigidity, suspension and steering, along with honing Maxima's competitiveness against some well-established European sports sedans.

We also hear poorly substantiated rumors of a diesel engine. We'll believe that when we smell it.

Here's Gabe getting some five-star hang-time in a mid-80s Celica.

And, since you have a big forklift, might as well use it on the Celica!

And, saving the best for last, Tom and Tony are co-winners of the Workplace Hoon Of The Week Award with this spectacular Dodge Kustom Van leap. Note how Gabe's Celica is now part of the ramp. Ja, you betcha! – Murilee Martin

Related:
Hoon Of The Day: The VW Hippie Bus Can Jump! [internal]

Pics of the 2007 Nissan Maxima showed up this morning, one day before the mildly facelifted Max will be unveiled at the New York auto show. Word is they dropped prematurely from the Nissan press site. Mayhem!

Related:
More on the Nissan Maxima [internal]

Edmunds Inside Line has some new spy shots of the 2007 Nissan Maxima, which will get a midcycle facelift for 2007. According to EIL, Nissan is gunning for the Toyota Avalon and Chrysler 300C, with a smoothed-out design that will appeal to more mainstream car buyers. Inside, a completely new interior will use higher-quality materials and a better array of telematics toys. A hybrid version may also appear sometime before decade's end.

Spy Shots: 2007 Nissan Maxima [Edmunds]

Related:
Jalopnik Reviews: 2005 Nissan Maxima SL, Part 1 [internal]

Why you should buy this car: You're a multiple-personality type seeking a luxury fix, but would rather not have to pop a dramamine every time you buckle up. Or you'd rather be in a sports car, but have kids (or more than one friend) or suffer from that fear of being flattened by a wayward SUV. If you're a retiree who wouldn't be caught dead in an "old guy's car" you probably won't do much better for the money. Of course, you could just head for Barrett-Jackson and pick up a '69 Firebird.

Why you shouldn t buy this car: If you're looking for a cushy, comforting, wrap-yourself-in-a-down-comforter of a luxury car, walk away now. Nothing to see here. Those who prefer true-blue, sports sedans in the Audi/BMW vein, would be better off test driving the SE model. Of course, for them, front-drive is likely a dealbreaker anyway.

Suitability Parameters:
· Speed Merchants: Yes
· Fashion Victims: Yes
· Treehuggers: No
· Mack Daddies: Yes
· Tuner Crowd: Yes
· Hairdressers: Yes
· Penny Pinchers: No
· Euro Snobs: No
· Working Stiffs: No
· Technogeeks: No
· Poseurs: No
· Soccer Moms: No
· Nascar Dads: No
· Golfing Grandparents: Yes

Vitals
· Manufacturer: Nissan
· Model tested: Maxima 3.5 SL
· Model year: 2005
· Price as Tested: $33,160
· Engine type: 3.5-liter DOHC 24-Valve V6
· Horsepower: 265 hp SAE @ 5,800 rpm
· Torque: 255 ft lb @ 4,400 rpm
· Redline: 6600 rpm
· Wheels and Tires: Continental, 225/55R-17
· Drive type: Front wheel drive
· 0 - 60: 6.4 secs.
· 1/4 mile: 14.9 sec @ 95.8 mph
· Top speed: 140 mph (electronically limited)
· Fuel economy city/highway: 20/28
· NHTSA crash test rating front/side/rollover: 5 driver; 4 passenger / front seat 4; rear seat 4 / 4

[by Mike Spinelli]

Related:
Jalopnik Reviews: 2005 Nissan Maxima SL, Part 1, Part 2 [internal]

Exterior Design: ****
With the Altima and Maxima starting to look like fraternal twins by 2002, Nissan resolved to keep designers of the next-generation models as far removed as corporately possible - the Altima team at Nissan Design America in La Jolla, California and the Maxima team at the Nissan Technical Center in Atsugi, Japan. As a result, the two cars became more like distant cousins, with the Maxima getting the most distinct corporeal arrangement in the entire US sedan market. One star withdrawn for upright-vacuum-cleaner face.

Acceleration: *****
Power delivery is FedEx air, not USPS ground. The Maxima could light 'em up from a sparrow exhaling too near the accelerator pedal. Most often it's at a quiet intersection near an Elementary school, several feet from an idling police car, that the front meats scream bloody murder. Takeoff is far smoother and more manageable at highway speeds, though torque steer is sometimes startling during aggressive kickdowns. Some may feel that kind of rough trade has no place pulling a luxobarge.

Braking: ****
The Maxima s four-wheel power-assisted discs, vented in the front, could freeze-frame a runaway coal cart. Pedal feel is on the firm side of spongy, which can make for some harrowing first drives amid New York City s loosey-goosey roadway infrastructure.

Ride: ***
The Maxima SL is far easier on those with delicate constitutions than, say, "Mama Mia the Musical." But as luxury cars go, even without the SE s stiffened ride, the SL is nonetheless firmly planted on the sport-sedan side of the suspension range. The pat-pat-pat of roadway pilings is reduced to golf applause, but larger imperfections sometimes uncover a brain-rattling lack of play.

Handling: ****
Decent amounts of grip for a sizable hunk of car. Body heave is more pronounced than, say, a 350Z but less so than the 1972 Miami Dolphins' defensive line.

Gearbox: ****
The Maxima's five-speed autobox is joylessly efficient, despite being competitively light one cog (be assured the next model will have more ways to say "kick me.") The de rigueur autoshift function is as unnecessary as tits on a set of encyclopedias.

Audio/Video: *****
The Bose audio system is perfectly tuned to the nooks and crannies of the Maxima s postmodern interior. Zeppelin sounds awesome, including the drum solos, which is almost unheard of on a stock deck.

Toys: ****
During one fateful trip, the nav system insisted I was fishing for blues on Long Island Sound, and set a course for the Mid-Atlantic Ridge instead of 49th Street and 3rd Avenue. Other than that one time, the system operated intuitively, if overly buttoned.

Trunk: *****
Lots of space for golf bags, luggage and prostheses.

Overall rating: ****

[by Mike Spinelli]

Related:
Jalopnik Reviews: 2005 Nissan Maxima SL, Part 1, Part 3 [internal]

The Nissan Maxima SL would have made a hell of a Buick. One shake of its golf-bag-devouring bustle, one blip of its throttle, and the fictional Buick Maxima would have drawn a crowd of Geritol guzzlers on the lookout for something Detroit is loathe to give them: a hot toddy spiked with a shot of adrenaline. A measured dose of Cialis, not a foot bath in Epsom salts.

Where it s obvious Buick thinks of its customers posthumously, Nissan seems pretty sure they re still kicking up dust. Put it this way: My mom s uncle served in Burma during World War II. For the first 55 years of his driving life he owned Pontiacs exclusively; for the final 20, he owned Nissan Maximas. Wouldn t be caught dead in an old guy s car, he d say. If he d lived long enough to see the Maxima s 2004 redesign, of which 2006 will likely be the final model year, it s assured he would have again traded up.

(Though Nissan claims its typical Maxima buyer is nearly two decades younger, on the road we ve been seeing lots of gray terrain bobbing above new Maximas seat rests.)

That s because the Maxima SL is, at base, a sensible, entry-luxury car offering all the comforts of a Lincoln Townhouse without the seagoing road feel. Not as rough and ready as its SE model sibling, which is tuned for younger spines undaunted by disc degeneration, it s nonetheless comfortable without being comfortably numb.

Under the hood, however, beats the heart of a Georgia feist on a possum hunt. In fact, tip-in is so overanxious, you d think Nissan s ubiquitous 3.5-liter V6 (265 hp in the Max) was financed by the rubber industry. It s a great engine, smooth if not sonorous — the same one Nissan inserts in the 350Z and Pathfinder. But in the Maxima, it s got a mischievous streak wide enough to play Australian rules football on. Pull my finger, it bids. And, by cracky, you always fall for that one.

Torque steer is the result. Heaps of it. Swings wilder than Babe Ruth s after a night of bathtub gin at El Morocco. The Maxima s a front-driver, you see, built athwart the same underpinnings as its Altima sibling. That means an interior measured in acreage, but a driveline that misbehaves like Golden Ticket-holders in Wonkaland. Despite the benefits of instant power, if gramps wants to overtake a semi, he d better have both hands firmly to the wheel.

Still, the Maxima SL is a decent handler overall. The massive rubber quotient and sufficiently damped suspension collude like felonious bankers to keep the blocky sedan more or less on track. From behind the wheel, however, it feels huge and heavy, more so than its spec-sheet weight and measurements would suggest. Safe is how some would put it.

Inside, with wood-inlaid curvilinear shapes enfolding the cockpit and a novel, rectangular moonroof bisecting the overhead space, the Maxima s interior rivals Copenhagen s Opera House for Danishness. Someone in wardrobe took the time to hunt down excellent faux finishes, from the suede along the doors, to the cashmere headliner, to the wood tone accents. If my hands hadn t felt the real thing, I d almost swear these materials were authentic. Outside, the surface-y design language is closer to the avant garde than any other sedan on the road. Art-house pretense aside, it s got the face of a robotic armadillo, and the bum of a Victorian hoop-skirt model.

Uncle Nick would have loved it.

[by Mike Spinelli]

Related:
Jalopnik Reviews: 2005 Nissan Maxima SL, Part 2, Part 3 [internal]