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2fastdre brought up an important point on the tow rating. VQ35DE-equipped Pathy's with manual transmission are only rated at 3500 lbs, while the slushbox can haul a solid 5000 lbs. Also, you'll notice that the torque rating is considerably lower in the 5spd - 240 vs. 265. The manual Pathys do come with 10 more ponies at 250 hp. According to Car and Driver (June 2000), Nissan had to do these performance restrictions (if you will) due to durability issues with the tranny.
As for performance, these PF's range from 9.2 seconds to 60 mph for the automatics (LE's) to 8.4 secs (SE auto, 4x4) to 8.1 (SE manual, 4x2). One of my memorable matches was with a last generation Integra GS-R. It was easy to get ahead with the low-end torque, but when his VTEC kicked in, I could see his front bumper quickly gaining from my rear quarter window. I had to shift at 6000 rpm to stay ahead of him. I knew on paper he could have easily kicked my rear, but sometimes it is the way you shift that does it. It's funny how quickly he mellowed out in the next stoplight.
Yes, nobody is supposed to race their SUV's, but these rigs are getting faster and faster each year. If you know your caliber, they're great sleepers!
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