2009 Nissan Maxima, Reviewed

We've yet to get behind the wheel of the 2009 Nissan Maxima, but our good friends at Popular Mechanics have put the 2009 Maxima through its paces to determine if the car once hailed as the "four door sports car" has returned to its roots. It's hard to argue with the 3.5-Liter VQ which is good for an additional 35 horsepower and 9 lb-ft of twist. On the other hand, we have rarely been impressed with a CVT transmission at the center of any kind of sports car, even one that promises a manual mode that emulates a conventional gearbox. With a sampling of pieces from the Nissan parts bin, including some suspension bits from the Infiniti M45 and a steering wheel said to wind up in some form on the new Nissan 370Z, could this new Maxima chart Nissan's flagship sedan back into sportier waters? More »

2009 Nissan Maxima, Revealed!

Looks like despite an embargo officially dropping sometime tonight or tomorrow on the 2009 Nissan Maxima, it looks like the covers have been lifted a bit early. And after the new Maxima teaser shots we showed yesterday that showed us absolutely nothing, we're glad to finally have the official pics thanks to the boys at the site all about Fans of Cars from around the World. They've managed to procure a few shots of the new Maxima and here they are. We'll have a full set of live photos tomorrow at the official New York Auto Show unveil. More »