Is It A Year For Tuner Friendly Cars?

If you look back at the decade of the '90s, you would probably come to the conclusion thatthey were dark years for many Tuner conscious vehicles. Many so-called "fun" cars as well as legitimate supercars came to their untimely deaths. Toyota sent away the Supra twin-turbo and MR-2 turbo, Mitsubishi said farewell to the Eclipse turbo and 3000GT VR-4, Honda said goodbye to its beloved hatchback and Nissan gave the axe to the 300ZX twin-turbo, Sentra SE-R and 240SX. The unfortunate deaths of these vehicles led to many enthusiasts resorting to the used car arena.

Nissan wants to change all that with the introduction of its new "Total Vehicular Enlightenment" line-up of tuner cars. Nissan's company image has always been about creating a vehicle that was exciting and fun to drive. For the new decade, Nissan has brought an entirely new line-up to their stable with the introduction of the all-new Altima, Sentra SE-R, revised Maxima, more powerful Xterra and new Frontier Crew Cab longbed.

2002 Nissan Maxima
The 2002 Maxima receives a new front grill and front spoiler and also incorporates standard side-sill spoilers giving the new Max a perceived lower stance. The headlight treatment has also been changed to a 4-bulb design with High Intensity Discharge (HID) xenon bulbs, while the rear comes with clear reflectors instead of the smoke treatment of 2001. Under the hood awaits a new 3.5-liter V6 powerplant producing a whopping 260 horsepower and 246 lb-ft of torque at the flywheel, an increase of 38 horsepower and 29 lbs-ft of torque from the previous V6. Also an added first for the Maxima is a close-ratio six-speed transmission which makes driving a blast. Suspension on the Max also received major change as the rear suspension set-up is entirely new.

Having already performed some seat time in the 2001 Maxima, we can say the 2002 Maxima blows last year's model away in every aspect. The extra power combined with the increased traction equal an amazing and exhilarating drive. It does not matter which gear you are in, one stomp of the pedal and you are immediately shifted to the back of the seat. Also the SE six-speed model is equipped with a helical limited-slip differential, increasing traction through the corners. The new rear suspension tracks extremely well through hard corners, making the vehicle very predictable in quick turns. The braking system has also been addressed with 16mm larger front rotors for quicker stops. The new Maxima elevates the bang-for-the-buck quotient to new levels.

2002 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec-V
The public has long awaited the return of the SE-R and they shouldn't be disappointed. Although the appearance of the SE-R is similar to the new 2001 Sentra, the performance of the SE-R Spec-V is far from the younger sibling. The SE-R Spec-V is rated at 180 horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque at the flywheel from its 2.5-liter in-line four-cylinder. The QR25 engine is an entirely new powerplant replacing the original beloved SR20DE. Compared to the SR20 2.0-liter engine, the new QR25 produces a whopping 40 more horsepower and 58 more lb-ft of torque. Another first for a Sentra is the addition of a six-speed manual with the Spec-V. The six-speed is a close-ratio manual equipped with a helical limited-slip differential. From the factory performance rating from 0-60 is in the sub-7.0 second range.