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This paper presents a new-generation, lightweight, 3-liter V6 engine that has been developed for use in the next Nissan Maxima. The distinctive features of this new engine, VQ30DE, is its compact, lightweight design and excellent fuel economy. The basic construction of the engine is characterized by its 60-degree V6 configuration, chain-driven DOHC and high-pressure die cast aluminum cylinder block. A two-way cooling system was adopted with the aim of shortening the warm-up time of the cylinder liners. The new engine has been designed to comply with the tougher emission standards, the OBD-II requirements and California's new evaporative emission standard.

This paper describes a new 4.0-liter DOHC V6 engine (VQ40DE), which was developed for use on a new compact sport utility vehicle and a compact pickup truck. To meet drivers' demands for acceleration performance when merging into freeway traffic, passing or re-acceleration performance at low speeds in urban areas and hill-climbing or passing performance while towing, the VQ40DE engine produces high output power at its top speed and also generates ample torque at low and middle engine speeds. (More than 90% of its maximum torque is available at engine speeds as low as 2000 rpm.) As the latest addition to the VQ engine series, the VQ40DE engine has the largest displacement in this series. The VQ engine has been named to Ward's Ten Best Engines list for ten straight years, through the continued evolution of its intrinsic technologies to meet market needs.