Video: Meet Marcos Chavez, the Man That Built That Porsche-Beating Nissan Maxima

In reply to Colin Wood :

Someone buy that man a plane ticket to the Challenge next year. Maybe it's time to offer a pro driver for the drags?

Im not sure why this is so surprising. I certainly hope it's not because he is Mexican. Smart people who are good at building cars can be found anywhere and everywhere. And they build a lot of cars in Mexico, so it makes sense that people from the area might know a lot about cars. I'd chalk it up the the "Trump Effect".

Hopefully it is because its a FWD Maxima sedan is beating a Porsche Turbo.  Certainly pretty cool, but the VQ engine has a lot of development years behind it and a V6 twin-turbo is what powers the GT-R, which is no slouch. I wonder what transmission he is running because it seems to take the abuse well. 

pinchvalve (Forum Supporter) said:

Im not sure why this is so surprising. I certainly hope it's not because he is Mexican. Smart people who are good at building cars can be found anywhere and everywhere. And they build a lot of cars in Mexico, so it makes sense that people from the area might know a lot about cars. I'd chalk it up the the "Trump Effect".

Hopefully it is because its a FWD Maxima sedan is beating a Porsche Turbo.  Certainly pretty cool, but the VQ engine has a lot of development years behind it and a V6 twin-turbo is what powers the GT-R, which is no slouch. I wonder what transmission he is running because it seems to take the abuse well. 

I don't know about anyone else. I always thought that video was hilariously awesome just because of the stoic non-expression on his face, speed shifting a maxima walking away from an arrest-me-yellow P-car. I always wanted to know what was done to the car. He just seemed so horrendously blase about it. Like he's really just going to get some cigarettes and a gallon of milk and some porsche won't let him merge. Amazingly impressive.

Turbo Maximas have always been some of the ultimate sleepers. Any VQ + boost makes a Maxima stupid fast. The main reason GTRs are even any faster than the turbo maximas people built 15 years ago is because GTRs have GTR mod budgets and no Maxima in recorded history ever has. 

Back when I was in the maxima "scene" (yes, there is one), One of the locals had one that ran high 9's in the quarter. It was a late-90s VQ30DE turbo, looked bone stock on the outside, and he would leave his baby seats in the back. And then annihilate a lot of fast cars.

Mine beat a few Porsches in its day as well (in autocross). Albeit, probably some poorly-driven Porsches hah. 

Next you’ll be telling us a K car, with fender flares made out of filing cabinets, can run 9’s!

That thing moves! 
I was looking at one of these but never pulled the trigger. Finding a 6 speed was hard at the time if I remember right. Cool cars, under appreciated