Maxima Exhaust System Tips

The Nissan Maxima has been sold in the United States since 1977, although that first generation model was originally known as the Datsun 810. Datsun was the brand name for all Nissans sold in America until the early 1980s, with the Datsun name abandoned by 1984. By then, the 810 had already been dropped in favor of Maxima, a large five passenger sedan now in its eighth generation.

Maximized Competition

The current Nissan Maxima remains the flagship sedan of the Nissan fleet and is categorized by the EPA as a large car. Its chief competitors include the Ford Taurus, Chevrolet Impala, Toyota Avalon, Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Hyundai Azera, but should also be considered by people shopping the Volvo S60 and similar European models. Of the three largest Japanese automakers, Nissan manages to rise above Toyota and Honda in styling and performance, a sedan soul mate to the time tested Z line and an affordable option to Nissan’s Infiniti brand.

Earlier Maxima models were powered by its rear wheels, but the Nissan Maxima has been front-wheel-drive since 1985. Once offered with a station wagon, the Maxima has been sold as sports sedan for the past two decades and, happily, is subject to minimal amounts of torque steer despite its potent 3.5-liter V-6 engine.

Under the Hood

From the late 1980s and through the 2001 model year, 3.0-liter V-6 engines powered the Nissan Maxima. That engine, as found in the 2001 model, is paired with a standard 5-speed manual or optional 4-speed automatic transmission and is rated at 222 horsepower at  6,400 rpm and 217 foot-pounds of torque at 4,000 rpm. Go back to 1991 and the Maxima’s engine produced 160 horsepower and 182 foot-pounds of torque. What was so different? Although the engine displacement remained constant, the engine itself changed – the older 12-valve SOHC engine was replaced by a 24-valve DOHC engine, the first application of Nissan VQ engines now commonly found in today’s V-6 powered Nissans.

Since 2002, the Nissan Maxima has been powered by a larger version of the DOHC engine, now displacing 3.5-liters. This engine is as of 2011 rated at 290 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and produces    261 foot-pounds of torque at 4,400 rpm. A continuously variable transmission is standard across the Maxima line and paddle shifters are part of a sport package available with the 3.5 SV trim level.

Recognizing that Nissan Maxima owners want to bring out the edge in their sport sedans, aftermarket parts manufacturers have developed just the right mix of products for the Maxima. Popular products include anti-roll bar systems, lowering springs, coilovers and numerous performance enhancing parts including cold air intakes, performance chips, superchargers and cat-back exhaust systems, among other fan favorites.

A brand offering exhaust parts and systems for the Maxima:

• Borla