I don't really see it. Maybe the Optima, but that's a bit of a stretch. It looks nothing like it.

Wow maxima looks great...the front of the next gen z is hideous but the rest of the car remains true to our current z, I hope Nissan is not going with Acura front fuguly design root.

Kia Optima meets Dodge Charger

There is room for the Maxima to finally fill in a gap that Nissan has been missing out on - a performance sedan.

The Maxima competes in the segment of the Dodge Charger/Chrysler 300, Buick Lacrosse, Ford Taurus, and some others. In light of the recent push of Nismo branding, they have a major opportunity here to make it a player and truly differentiate it from what it has been previously - a [half-assed] premium Altima.

Also - even though I'm somewhat critical of the Maxima's current place, Nissan does need justification to push it, and they have it - the Maxima is the top seller in its segment, which has gone as a fairly unsung success in the mix of Nissan's portfolio. I would love to see it go RWD, which is a 50/50 shot in happening as certain members of its competition are RWD.

Totally agree with you, and for me, that's not a good thing. Not a fan of the looks of the GTR myself.

That is the new grille/front end they used on the new Rogue. Should be interesting to see where Nissan takes the next Maxima. I'm a big fan of the current gen (if it has the sport package). The rear is a little big and can be slimmed down a bit though. Also, Nissan needs to address the horrendous wheel gap that every gen Maxima/Altima has.

RWD would never happen because that would immediately cut into Infiniti Q sales.... At best, if lucky? We would see some version of the juke AWD system on a 3300lb or lighter maxima sedan, if we're lucky? The next gen maxima at best will have a NISMO tuned CVT and optional 6 speed manual, as I believe nissans loss of manuals is a temporary move to offset the cost of selling manuals for now. In order to push with other technologies over the next 4 to 7 years. Manuals will start resurfacing soon, I'm sure...

The maxima needs to follow the same trends it had in 1989-1995. fwd/Awd would make a nice advancement into the next gen.

An AWD Maxima that looks like that rendering would be nice. I think it looks very sexy.

The wheel gap is a result of safety ratings they must meet. Not really a big deal considering it's relatively easy to drop it with a set of lowering springs. If they do come out with a Nismo version, I wouldn't be surprised if it comes a few inches lower than the standard versions.

Disagree, if that was the case, all cars would have wheel gap as large as the Maxima. Its a matter of cost. A properly designed/tuned suspension that eliminates wheel gap is more than a set of springs. Since the maxima/altima/murano all share the same underpinnings, they are limited to what they can do suspension wise to the chassis outside of different struts/springs.

I disagree with a lot of the post here. There's $10k+ difference in the two cars. People shopping a Q are not likely to cross shop it with a Maxima - they're much more likely to cross shop a BMW 3 series or Audi A4, etc. It especially doesn't make much sense when you say that an AWD platform is a better business case when the Q50 comes in AWD configuration as well, as do the BMW and Audi it competes with. The Maxima still carries a Nissan nameplate, and that is enough to keep it out of Q territory because people after those cars are after the stigma of having a luxury vehicle, and Nissan, while offering some luxury amenities in some of its vehicles, is a far cry from a luxury brand.

That said - I would like to see either one. The Maxima needs something like a manual transmission or a different powertrain setup than FWD to establish a clear difference between it and the current Altima. The Maxima has been RWD before. It could be again.

As for the wheel gap argument - Nissan has killer wheel gap because of the pedestrian safety requirements automakers must meet. These requirements dictate ride height and front end design on cars of the midsize sedan classes and this is how Nissan is making it work. Honestly - as far as front end design with respect to newer safety guidelines, Mazda's Kodo design language is the only one that is getting it right while abiding by guidelines.

They share the same FM platform, but they're very different. There is nothing stopping them from having a single lower profile for the Altima and the Maxima. It's a safety issue when it comes to getting the highest ratings they can. Most crash test involve collision against SUV's. They must also deal with heights of the headlights, comfort, vehicle entry and a hundred other things the please a broad audience. Their target demo isn't the tuner crowd. People love to complain and I guarantee a ton will complain about the car scraping on their driveways. It's better they do it this way. If they do a Nismo version, it's probable that they'll drop it since it's a taget demo. If they eliminated the gap by simply changing the panel, you still end up with a car that's way off the ground.

Also, a properly designed/tuned suspension doesn't always mean it has to be an inch off the ground.

I guess you guys forgot Nissan builds the worst manual transmission in the business, I don't think anyone wants a clunky loud shifter in their maxima. I love old Maximas though not as much as my old Acura legend.

LMFAO.

Why did you buy your Z again?

How cute. You still think people here take you seriously.