2009 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SV

If any car in the Nissan lineup qualifies as a "cult" vehicle, it's the maker's four-door Maxima sedan. Mark Perry, Nissan's director of cross-carline product strategy, says the Maxima ranks as the maker's strongest loyalty product, while purely empirical evidence suggests Maxima owners do indeed speak about their cars with a reverence unique in the segment. Yet Perry also admits that the outgoing, sixth-generation Maxima had strayed from the winning formula. "It was a softer athlete," he says.

Thus the mission for the new, seventh-gen car: Reinject the DNA from the cult-building "four-door sports car" first sold for 1989. In fact, this time around Nissan raised the bar even higher, aiming to make the Maxima nothing less than "the best-performing front-drive car in the world."

That's a bold statement. And it gets bolder. Nissan's handling target, the car that company engineers compared with the Maxima during development laps around the Nurburgring Nordschleife: the Porsche GT3.

What's that? A front-drive, four-door sedan attempting to play with the rear-drive sports icon that last year won our "best-handling car" competition? Is Nissan perhaps also planning to land a Maxima on Mars?

For sure, a mere glance at the new Maxima confirms that Nissan has wrought dramatic changes. In an era when every model year seemingly brings "bigger, larger, fatter," Nissan has actually downsized its flagship four-door. Wheelbase shrinks 1.9 inches, length is cut by nearly four inches, and height is reduced almost half an inch. Importantly, though, track has widened 1.4 inches up front and 1.2 inches at the rear. While other cars have grown to accommodate an "expanding" audience (the Honda Accord comes to mind), the new Maxima is primed for responsiveness.

Nissan also saw a need to differentiate the Maxima visually from its smaller Altima sibling (the two cars share the same basic platform); "spend the money on design" became a program tenet. The result is a sedan that's far more lithe and artful than its homogenized predecessor, with arrow-like headlights reminiscent of those on the GT-R sports car, flexed-bicep wheel arches, and an optional dual-panel moonroof that nearly transforms the Maxima's entire lid into glass.

The restyled cockpit is nothing short of gorgeous, boasting soft-touch material across the dash, chrome accents, electroluminescent gauges, and optional Eucalyptus wood-tone accents (if you replaced the Nissan logo with an Infiniti badge, it's doubtful anyone would notice). The rear seat is available with either a 60/40 split-folding configuration or a solid bench with center pass-through.

Engine output climbs significantly for 2009. Remapped for premium fuel, the ubiquitous 3.5-liter V-6 sports a new intake, reshaped pistons, and a less-restrictive exhaust, among other refinements-helping it deliver 290 horsepower (versus 255 for the 2008 model) and 261 pound-feet of torque (up 9 pound-feet). Yet estimated fuel economy actually improves, to 19/26 city/highway mpg (compared with 19/25 for the outgoing car). An electronically controlled CVT with sport and manual modes is the only transmission offering; paddle shifters are optional.

Body rigidity is up 15 percent and the front-strut mounts are 100 percent stiffer than before. Other chassis enhancements include aluminum suspension links (some pieces are borrowed from the Infiniti M45); quick-ratio, twin-orifice variable power rack-and-pinion steering (as on the 350Z); a lower, six-point engine mount for reduced vibrations; and larger vented discs front and rear. Standard wheels are 18-inch alloys, while an optional Sport package includes 19-inchers; the latter can be fitted with high-performance summer tires.