2013 Nissan Maxima - Going RWD V8?

[CodeRedR51]

This coinsides with Nissan's announcement that they will be competing in the V8 Supercar championship starting next year with "an all new sedan". This car will be RWD, and V8 powered obviously to match the racecar (loosely) and sold in the USA, as well as Australia.

I posted this in the V8 Supercar thread, but thought it might deserve it's own.

The car that will form the basis of the race car is most likely the Nissan Maxima replacement that Mr Thompson disclosed to GoAuto at the recent North American International Motor Show in Detroit.

This all-new model is expected to use the Nissan-Renault Alliance’s large car platform, that will underpin the next Altima – Nissan’s best-selling car in the United States.

...................

The new Nissan car will also be sold in North America, making the vehicle easily identifiable to race fans.

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mellor.nsf/story2/EDF0EBAA97CB29C3CA25799F00139BBC

 

[Omnis]

Cefiro firo firo firo come back oh yeahhhhhh.

 

[Jay]

Sounds to me just speculation based on the fact Nissan is entering V8 Supercars, "all new sedan" could mean anything Australia doesn't have yet, like the Altima, next Maxima or even the Infiniti M (rwd with V8 option in the US)/Nissan Fuga which might be a model we will receive next year when Infiniti returns to Australia.

 

[Kent]

Sounds to me just speculation based on the fact Nissan is entering V8 Supercars, "all new sedan" could mean anything Australia doesn't have yet, like the Altima, next Maxima or even the Infiniti M (rwd with V8 option in the US)/Nissan Fuga which might be a model we will receive next year when Infiniti returns to Australia.

That sounds very realistic. Should be interesting to see what nissan is doing with this at a time when v8 supercar is just about the last series anyone expected nissan to get back into.

 

[RocZX]

RWD + V8 + sedan = Win!
If Nissan made it and it look good I would buy. It would be a real sports 4 door sport sedan.

 

[nebojsa_o]

I've been thinking of buying a Infiniti G37S lately as a replacement for my '02 Maxima SE. I may just hang on and see what 2013 brings... The only downside to my Maxima is the FWD platform, but if RWD comes, I am sticking with a Maxima.

 

[squirlybmx]

4door GTR with a V8 anyone? Move over CTS-V, Nissan's slamming through.

 

[killer tiller]

I'm more interested in the talk of Chrysler racing the 300C if they are to join. Always wondered what one of them looked like in race trim

 

[disinfected]

I'm more interested in the talk of Chrysler racing the 300C if they are to join. Always wondered what one of them looked like in race trim

 

[killer tiller]

Damn!! Let's hope they start racing them in the V8SC

 

[disinfected]

Not sure how far off the V8 Superstars series is the the V8 Supercars, but that 300 still looks awfully heavy for a race car.

 

[killer tiller]

V8SC race weights are somewhere between 1400-1500kg with driver and gear. Had a look at the superstars regulations and it says the 300C weighs in at 1490 so weight wise it shouldn't be a problem

 

[eSZee]

There have been rumors of RWD maxima for 2 or 3 generations now. I'm not holding my breath but it would be nice. They've had ~10 years to make a RWD nissan sedan based on the 3x0z/G35/7 so I'd say it's about time.

 

[CodeRedR51]

The current model should already be RWD.

 

[xNEVER-ONEx]

There have been rumors of RWD maxima for 2 or 3 generations now. I'm not holding my breath but it would be nice. They've had ~10 years to make a RWD nissan sedan based on the 3x0z/G35/7 so I'd say it's about time.

Wouldn't a RWD Maxima essentially be a slightly stripped down Infiniti G or M series?

 

[Cano]

300C race car

That's seriously freaking awesome.

 

[eSZee]

Wouldn't a RWD Maxima essentially be a slightly stripped down Infiniti G or M series?

Yup, which is why I'm guessing they haven't done one. The current gen max is already pretty upscale and pricey, starts at $32k+ just like the G. RWD platform would bring it past the G price wise which make absolutely no sense.

 

[Emman1984]

I always wanted an Maxima or Altima in Gran Turismo

 

[eSZee]

Same here. I think the only game that's had any Maxima was one of the Tokyo Extreme Racer games. They had the 2nd or 3rd gen in it.

 

[Emman1984]

Neat I'll have to play that one day

 

[RTSolvalou]

Whatever it is, I hope it's a new car on the outside and most of the inside (noting the probable use of existing large car platform).

In 2006 Mitsubishi took the (two years old) 2004 Galant from the U.S, changed it a bit and then called it the 380 and told us it was a brand new car. I hated that, but hey they went bankrupt in AU.

 

[Rusty*]

Nissan returning to the racing scene in Aus is good news! I'm not sure on the 300C's involvement though? Although as shown in a previous post...the 300C has been been to the track before. I just think it looks strange...rather un-aerodynamic and like oversized? Kind of looks strange in that photo.
R*

 

[JohnBM01]

I was going to comment about this in the past, but never got to. I almost never thought about the Maxima as far as whatever car Nissan would use in its return to the Australian V8 Supercar Series. And so I didn't consider the Maxima. There are sometimes cars you don't really think about that are still sold that may be perfect candidates for certain series. For example, how often to you hear of the Sentra? So I'd be interested to see a V8-powered Maxima.

A RWD Maxima V8 (wasn't the Maxima RWD for a long while?) would be plenty interesting. How likely would we see one of these? I'd put the percentage at... maybe 65%.

 

[CodeRedR51]

A RWD Maxima V8 (wasn't the Maxima RWD for a long while?) would be plenty interesting. How likely would we see one of these? I'd put the percentage at... maybe 65%.

The "Maxima" has always been FWD, but it's predecessor (the Datsun 810) was RWD.

 

[niky]

The Maxima was badged as the Cefiro in other markets.

Which was confusing, because the first generation Cefiro was a rear wheel drive car based on the Skyline platform (RB25DETs into Cefiros are very popular), and every generation after it was basically a Maxima rebadged as a Cefiro.

Either way, the 810 had a "Maxima" trim, too (just as the Celica had a Supra trim)... so it's fairly accurate to say that they were once RWD...

It's unlikely we'll see a RWD V8 Maxima, but we can dream...