It has been a couple of years, since I’ve worked in the Nissan world so I was eagerly anticipating my time in the all new 2009 Maxima. The only concern I had was: Would the car be so distinct that it stands out from the crowd as being a Maxima? In the photos I had seen, the car looked good, but the features didn’t seem to stand out.

Fortunately, the 09 Maxima is a strong example of pictures not doing a shape justice. The large, muscular fender and quarter panel bulges are unlike anything else on the road. The squarish front end is strongly reminiscent of Nissan’s king of the hill GTR. Exterior lamps draw attention at each end of the car, from the unusual L shaped headlights, to the striking LED tail lights. This thing looks tough and sporting in the flesh and definitely stands out from the crowd.
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The Lexus GS 350 is a performance luxury sedan that is aimed at the consumer who wants a few lavish touches in their daily driver. Someone who’s kids might be getting a little bigger and who might have some upscale passengers on occasion too. Perhaps that owner still wants a sporting vehicle but doesn’t want the neighbors to know what his car is capable of.

So why is it then that the GS 350 elicits such an enthusiastic response from the youth on the street? This sleek, classy looking machine drew an uncommon amount of attention from the hip hop crowd during our week with the car. Getting gas yesterday afternoon even the young gas station attendant informed me how sick my car was.

It has been close to two decades since Lexus appeared on the market and they have done an incredible job of marketing to one crowd, while keeping the interest of future owners. The brand marketers really ought to be proud of themselves.
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