# VQ History



## nske (Feb 19, 2005)

Well, it's my first thread here...Please be kind to me!  

Recently, I heard a discussion about the VQ engine (particularly the VQ35) and I would like to have some info on this. I searched the net for links about its history, about its attributes, about its praises, but searching for something called "VQ engine", sends you about a gozillion links, with nothing matching to your preferences!

So I have to ask the masters some questions about this motor:

a) Why does this motor get the prizes? 3.5 liters with an output of 280HP isn't something non-heard before...
b) How tunable is it? How much HP is the usual tune-up? 
c) Why doesn't Nissan fit the RB26 to the Z and all the models it is into?
d) How many are the models that use this motor?

In short, what is the thing that makes it so "special"? Note that in my country, 1.8 lt. are considered "too much", so we are somewhat ignorant about large displacement... :loser:


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## shock211 (Feb 28, 2005)

nske said:


> Well, it's my first thread here...Please be kind to me!
> 
> Recently, I heard a discussion about the VQ engine (particularly the VQ35) and I would like to have some info on this. I searched the net for links about its history, about its attributes, about its praises, but searching for something called "VQ engine", sends you about a gozillion links, with nothing matching to your preferences!
> 
> ...


Well the VQ30DE has won a tonne of awards because of its versatility. It's powerful, torquey, gets great mileage and is very reliable. It's light due to the aluminum block, it revs farily high for a 90deg. V6 and is to an extent....bullet proof. I'm not a fan of the VQ35 for a few reasons. It's much tweakier than the VQ30. It's also drive by wire instead of a throttle cable. It does make good power but I think it wont proove to ba as reliable as past nissan engines.

The VQ has some tuning potential. There aren't a tonne of manufacturers out there making performance parts for it but the ones that do are reputable companies that make high quality parts.
The most effective upgrade to the VQ besides forst induction is a full free-flowing exhaut system.

In north america the VQ had been introduced with the 4th gen maxima and 1st gen i30. It now can be found in the maxima, i35, altima, g35, pathfinder, murano, fx35, frontier and xterra. I'm not certain about what cars get the VQ in Asia, UK and down under though.


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

c) the RB is a great motor, but heavy and probably a very dirty engine (much like the SR20 they say). However, it's not a great engine to be used in the platform sharing that goes on so much nowadays. Notice the RB26 was only used in the Skyline GTR. No other vehicle.

Right now there's a VQ35 or variation thereof in the Pathfinder, Frontier, 350z, G35, Maxima, Altima, and I think the Quest, as well as the I35, and many vehicles overseas use the VQ platform. 

it's all about efficiency and saving money.


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## 94econobox (Dec 1, 2004)

Kind of along the lines of the original post in this thread, could someone explain the different variants of this engine out there. (i.e. There's the altima version at 240-260hp, and a 350Z form at 287-300hp) What are the differences and could parts be swapped to make a 287 hp altima?


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

cams, ECU tuning, intake manifold design, plenum design, exhaust...prolly a few other things.


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## Tavel (Aug 21, 2004)

chimmike said:


> c) the RB is a great motor, but heavy and probably a very dirty engine (much like the SR20 they say). .


uhg! i lovies my engine!

but do go on, id like more info on this as well. i've always wondered why nissan isn't putting an I6 in cars.


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## shock211 (Feb 28, 2005)

Tavel said:


> uhg! i lovies my engine!
> 
> but do go on, id like more info on this as well. i've always wondered why nissan isn't putting an I6 in cars.


probably because an inline six is too long to fit inside the engine bay of their top selling (mostly) fwd cars.

for the most part the difference between the less and more powerful vq35 engines is in the ECU tuning.


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## Marvin (Oct 16, 2002)

Little OT here, but i'ld like to know how they are only getting 145hp out of the QR in the Frontier. That is a TON of hp to lose in tuning.


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## Blank (Aug 21, 2003)

chimmike said:


> c) the RB is a great motor, but heavy and probably a very dirty engine (much like the SR20 they say). However, it's not a great engine to be used in the platform sharing that goes on so much nowadays. Notice the RB26 was only used in the Skyline GTR. No other vehicle.
> 
> Right now there's a VQ35 or variation thereof in the Pathfinder, Frontier, 350z, G35, Maxima, Altima, and I think the Quest, as well as the I35, and many vehicles overseas use the VQ platform.
> 
> it's all about efficiency and saving money.



Infiniti uses the VQ in the G35, Fx35 M35, no more I35... also used in the xterra and murano... basically the only nissans that dont use it are the sentras... and the only infinitis that dont use it are the Q and the QX... all others it is the base option or an available option... 

talk about sharing...11 vehicles with talk of a base armada and titan using the 4.0 in them... that would be 13....


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