New Nissan 350Z Super Sports Car Modifications Concept

Nissan's sporty, front-wheel-drive Maxima sedan returns for 2010 with no changes to its standard 3.5-liter V6 engine.

The Maxima's VQ35DE engine is part of Nissan's ubiquitous VQ engine family, also used in the Altima, Murano, Quest, and earlier versions of the 350Z sports car. The VQ is one of the most respected engines in the auto industry, appearing on Ward's 10 Best Engines list every year from 1997 to 2007.

The VQ35DE is an all-aluminum, 24-valve DOHC V6, with Nissan's continuously variable valve timing system (CVTCS) on both the intake and exhaust cams. In 2009, Nissan made extensive changes to this engine, revising the intake and exhaust manifolds; raising its compression ratio from 10.3 to 10.6:1; reducing internal friction and reciprocating mass; and adding CVTCS to the exhaust cam, as well as the intake. Those modifications raised the engine's output to its present level of 290 horsepower and 261 lb-ft of torque.

The 3.5-liter engine endows the Maxima with strong performance. Some reviewers find off-the-line response slightly lazy, a function of the standard Xtronic continuously variable transmission, but once on the move, acceleration is impressive. Fuel economy is also reasonable for the engine's size and power. The EPA rates the Maxima at 19/26 city/highway, although the V6 requires premium fuel.

While it is powerful and reasonably frugal, the 3.5-liter V6 is also noticeably gruffer and less refined than the 3.0-liter version of this engine found in earlier Maximas. While some critics like its throaty growl and sporty full-throttle roar, others find it excessively noisy, and complain that it drones at cruising speeds.

A more sophisticated 3.7-liter version of this engine, the VQ37VHR, has replaced the 3.5-liter V6 in the 370Z and most six-cylinder Infinitis. Nissan has not yet announced plans to offer the 3.7-liter engine in the Maxima and Altima.

New Speed Hunters Sport Cars Modifications

It might be hard to believe but this very clean, and uniquely colored green AE86 has recently become a donor car for a rather special project. Miguel of Newera Imports, one of the most respected Japan-based car exporters, picked up the Trueno hatch a while back and as soon as he did I rushed to shoot it at one of his yards in the Tokyo bay. Laying eyes on it for the first time I thought it was the perfect hachiroku, clean inside and out and sporting very aggressive TRD N2 overfenders, something you don't see on street cars so often.

It could definitely have done with some "stancing" but was purposely left riding high to make it easier to load on a ship, ready to be exported to it's new owner.

Under the hood the later-gen A92 4A-GE engine breathes through four Sanyo Sports individual throttle bodies with the Pipercross filters. Miguel didn't get exact specs on the head but judging from the idle and how strongly the motor pulls there are definitely aftermarket cams fitted. Other upgrades include the AW11 distributer with TRD ignition leads and a Freedom ECU mapped by Kimizu Motor Services. On the exhaust side RSR headers connect up to a free-flowing and very loud N2 system!

The full TRD N2 body conversion adds so much character to the AE86...

...and there is so much attention to detail with a color matched lower lip spoiler and smoked orange repeaters.

Longchamp XR4s are always a good choice for any hachiroku, and on this car are fitted in staggered sized with 14-inch at the front and 15-inch at the rear.

Notice the amount of front negative camber! That's thanks to the adjustable Cusco pillow ball top mounts which are mated to TRD dampers at each corner. An upgraded rear lateral support bar and Cusco rear tie rod set allows more control when pushing hard through the corners.

The TRD rear spoiler really complements the lines as do the kouki tail lights.

First thing you notice in the interior is the Cusco bolt-on roll cage, a kind of necessary item in these older cars to help introduce a little more chassis rigidity, and of course safety. The Sparco driver side bucket seat is joined by a reclinable Bride one for the passenger, while to save weight the rear seats have been eliminated. Miguel reckons this AE86 weights about 950 kg.

Can't get more oldschool than the stock JDM digital dash! A simple Nardi steering wheel is always a nice touch.

Aside from the digital A/F gauge fitted to the center console the interior still retains a stock feel...

...but since the owner of the car has decided to go a little wild, everything we have seen so far has been completely changed! The idea was to make it similar to Miguel's own AE86 but things got carried away and it's now on the way to becoming quite incredible. The shell was stripped down to bare metal and spent 3 months getting restored, stitch welded and repainted in the same 3M sealant Super GT teams use. The green is gone, now highlighted by a very catchy Lexus IS-F blue paint job...

...while the engine has been sent over to the masters at Techno Pro Spirits which have turned it into a true N2 race monster capable of revving to 10,000 rpm! Miguel is taking his time with the build to make sure everything will be perfect and when the "Second Stage" will be completed I will have to drop by to take a look and maybe grab some snaps! Make sure you don't miss the next installment!

New Auto Performance Porsche 911 GT3 RS Cars Modification

The legendary Porsche RS nameplate represents the ultimate in racing ability and brings back memories of special Porsche models such as the 1972 Carrera RS 2.7 and 1991 911 RS.

The engine has 415 HP screaming to a 8400 rpm redline but the close-ratio six-speed transmission with a single-mass flywheel and 44 lbs lower vehicle weight makes the engine rev up even more freely, thus enabling the 911 GT3 to sprint from zero to 62mph in 4.2 seconds. It takes just 13.3 seconds to hit to 124 mph. Top speed is 187 mph.

The new RS body is 1.7 inch wider at the rear (a legacy from the Carrera 4 models with which it shares its shell). The muscular-looking rear conceals a wider track that not only improves directional stability but also increases the potential cornering grip of this hot two-seater coupe.