RX-8 versus my brothers 2000 Maxima SE
 

Well, I'm not sure if I should be impressed by the Maxima, or disappointed in the RX-8.

We did a rolling start from ~5mph to 70.. I got some bad wheel hop banging into 2nd gear (DSC was fully off, 10second press-hold).

The cars were NECK and NECK... dead even. His 2000 Maxima is rated 240ish HP, 220ish TQ, but weighs in at 3200 lbs.

I couldn't pull at all on him. Very sad day for the RX-8.

I can't remember where I read it, but the Rx8 loses almost a full second when doing a roll on in 1st gear instead of feathering the clutch at 7 grand from a dead stop. Ahhh I remember now..... It was in the test against the RX8, 350Z, and Mustang Cobra. (the Rx8 won overall btw) Basically, if you had started from a dead stop and launched like all the magazines do you would have pulled a little.

I think there is something wrong with my Rx8. I get no wheelhop going into second gear....I'm lucky if I even get a little chirp.... oh well. I hope this helps

Is your bros Maxima an AT or MT? Also, not to add salt to your wounds but the MY00 Maxima is 222hp not 240 and is the 3.0L not the 3.5 used in several cars in the following model years.

well obviously speed is your ONLY concern, so why don't you forget both and get yourself a Neon SRT for $20 grand.

This is just another thread of comparing the RX8 to another car based only on straight line acceleration. Quite sad. :rolleyes:

If you could read his mind, maybe it was his only concern, but he is just stating one experience he had with his brother's 2000 Maxima which were always quick cars. He is disappointed but maybe his brother is a better driver and amartin is still getting to know the 8.

The SE manual weighs 3199, only 150-200lbs more, and has a tad less HP with quite a bit more torque than the RX-8. The Maxima has a 0-60 of 7.0 and a 1/4 of 15.5 so you cant expect to be leaps ahead of it.

Yup - my last car was an 00 Maxima. Actually a very good car for what it was. Straight ahead get up and go I would put them relatively close. But, I can tell you the Maxima has nowhere near the handling of the 8. Different vehicles to fit different markets. If I could drive both simultaneously, they would be close straight ahead, with the 8 slightly ahead. As soon as I hit the first curve, the 8 would be gone.

I'll try and answer to a few comments and questions from above...

First, yes, he has the manual (5 speed?) tranny.

Second, as far as me not being a "good" driver, or my brother being "better"... I also own an S2000 which I auto-x, and came in 2nd in B-Stock in '02, not to mention my '04 Yamaha R1 superbike... I'm not new to driving any vehicle.

As far as the start went, we were rolling, which is GOOD I think because of all the wheel hop-- I tend to drive the RX-8 like my S2000, which I think needs to be re-thought out... The S2000 you can launch at 7500 rpms from a stop, and smack the hell outta 2nd (or any) gear when shifting without any wheel hop at all, heck, you don't even need to let off the throttle, just let the motor rev... (albiet, slipping the tires into 2nd isn't quick)... but the wheel hop on the RX-8, I think, especially into 2nd gear, cost me a LOT of time.

Either way..cudos to my brother, and his car.

-- Aaron
p.s. FWIW my gas tank was ~90% full, so I'm surprised how bad the rear-end bounced around on the 2nd gear shift.

Perhaps I should shift earlier than ~9200 RPMs? I'm wondering if I'm WAY past the power curve for the next gear... Not sure... but the RX-8 tranny + wheel hop scares me..feels like I'm going to blow it apart shifting that hard...and IMHO I don't think it should feel the way it does... my S2000 doesn't for sure. Poor rear-end/suspension design I guess... though I really do feel the RX-8 handles great in the twistys...just sucks to launch 1st/2nd gear.

Those are very slow times for a MT 4th gen+ Maxima. I ran a few 14.9s with my 95 Maxima totally stock, that was with 190hp MT. The 2000-01 Maxima has been known to run high 14s stock as well and traps 92-94mph usually which puts it right up there with the RX-8, especially from a roll.

I ran a 2001 Maxima with the 222HP but with auto in my Millenia S and slightly edged him out. It probably was a condition of weather and what not.

Remember each gallon of gas weighs approx. 8 lbs Times that by gallons in your car and add the weight. That could of played a significant roll.

~he's just stating a point....after all we did buy SPORTS CARS, it should be able to take family sedans wheather it is or isnt a drag car.... I love my rx8 but i have to say i do yern for more power. every aspect of the 8 is amazing, i just wish it had more ooomph.

this was all on a track, right?

are you afraid Ike is going to get run over>?

The Nissan Maxima is the original 4 Door Sports Car, at least thats what it has always been touted as.

I don't know if I'd go that far but it certainly had one hell of a roll in coining the term sports sedan. I really loved my Maxima, I don't miss it but I loved it. In fact I sold if for about 1k less than I might have been able to just to keep it in the family and my sister now owns it. Still going strong with 150k miles and about 1500 in total repair costs (clutch and tranny bearing) throughtout its life. There seem to be a lot of Nissan haters on this board but I have to hand it to Nissan, they know how to make a 6 cylinder engine right.

no, I'm TRYING to give the original poster a chance to say "hey, no, I WASN'T street racing!" since this wasn't posted in the RX-8 Competition Forum so I don't have to ding anyone.

If you consider a 5 to 60ish mph a "street race", then yes, it was... but the road was a 75 mph highway from out work (we both work there), and from a red-light... we didn't engage until PAST the intersection... so, it was more of a friendly "test" than a "race"....

Call it what you will, the Maxima still did equally as well as the RX-8...

In a straight line, as will most other decently powered cars. If this is important to you the 8 may not be all you hope for (cue Ike...)

I would like more torque and hp but to be honest i don't really care if someone can get to 60 .5 - 1 sec faster than i can. I do care about how my car does on the sea to sky highway. It's all relative...

Course i'll be first in line for a reasonably priced working FI solution.

Way to contribute something worthwhile to the thread. :rolleyes:

*edit* it was to harsh :o

Maximas are notorious for being quick in a straight line. RX-8s are not straight line acceleration cars.