NY International Auto Show: 2009 Nissan Maxima - EXCLUSIVE!

[Ry]

SUPERNISSANS.NET EXCLUSIVE!













SUPERNISSANS.NET EXCLUSIVE!

[QR]

i'm disappointed.....the front looks ridiculous

[Pulski]

Not sure about the headlights, but I like the rest of it. You can definitely see the design of the nose showing the new pedestrian safety guidelines, but I think they incorporated that well.

[ManicSquirrel]

i think if they had finished off the headlights it would look great, i don't like how they break apart at the seam on the fender, connect them point to point and finish them and it would look pretty good...look at the friggin size of the circular air vent to the left of the steering wheel....wow

[Xtrema]

Holy shit Ry, this site is now Internet famous.

[Adhesive]

How did you guys get an exclusive?

[PsyKoH]

Who did Ry sleep with to get those exclusives? I bet ChriD had something to do with it...

[RIZAMAN]

Looks great (except the headlights)...Wonder if you'll have to remove all this sh*t to get at the bulbs....

And it that a paddle I see behind the wheel??

[QR]

i sent this to autoblog last nite. we made history!

[Lichtronamo]

Way to make a splash - great site and great car.

[nonpersonna]

Seems to show the Altima heritage a lot more than I hoped. But it is a much improved design over the whale of a maxima they have now. Can't wait to see the initial drive reports.

WAIT A SECOND... what is the deal with no manual tranny. Nissans were the last place in the US that you could find a decent sedan with a MT. Toyota, Honda, etc... all have bailed out. When are the auto manufacturers going to learn there are still some of us who like to drive a car not have a car driven for them.

[Glenn14]

I like it, It kind of has a Lexus look to it and definatly more high end looking than the gen 4 Maxima. Too
bad there is no manual tranny.

Glenn

[vq5speed]

WOW those are some wild headlight on that Max
they'd look just abit better with some...eyelids!

[Sassan]

From NissanNews.com

Aggressive Styling, Refined Platform, More Powerful V6, Cockpit-like Interior and Enhanced Quality Highlight Changes to Seventh Generation of Nissan’s Flagship 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.

[Sassan]

continued....


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.


“A number of product changes came directly from the Nürburgring trials, including enhancements to the braking and transmission systems,” said Castignetti. “But more importantly, it gave notice to the entire Nissan organization that the new Maxima is back solidly in the performance arena where it rightfully belongs.”

Aggressive Design Adds a “Wow” Factor to the Sedan Category
While seeking to create a simple-yet-strong presence, the designers of the new Maxima’s exterior also wanted to re-assert Maxima’s breakthrough personality – establishing a “wow” level of style that would clearly distinguish it from segment competitors.

The exterior design theme for the new Maxima is “Liquid Motion” – focusing on the flow of its powerful and beautiful surfaces, like the undulation of a wave. The look starts with Maxima’s aggressive stance and powerful fender volume, which is not unlike many exotic sports cars on the market today. This deeply sculpted body/fender treatment is seldom used for mass market vehicles because of the engineering and manufacturing complexity required to physically accomplish it. Maxima’s new stance is created by a slight reduction in wheelbase and overall length, along with a wider front and rear track.

Maxima’s new look imparts a strong, premium presence. The large, wraparound L-shaped headlights add a unique dimension to the overall design, while the light surrounds suggest a powerful “turbine” appearance of energy and strength. The upturned headlight shape combines with a wide grille, large bumper opening and bulging “catamaran-style” hood to give Maxima a formidable expression, setting the tone for the rest of the vehicle.

Full article:

Nissan/Infiniti News Room

[NTerrigno]

I actually Like it. I think the hood reminds me of the 95 240sx hood. The car itself is pretty bad ass!

[nselvera]

I like the car. I especially like the interior. Is it going to stay front wheel drive?