The VQ has been a top 10 engine for like 14 years (1995-2008). LSx (1 in this case) was only from 1998-1999. (Link)
It’s not made to run 700hp or whatever people who do swaps want to push their motors to. That’s probably why they use LS’s. But for an engine in stock form, it doesn’t get any better than a Nissan engine.
EDIT: I have seen 4th gen Maximas (my gen) running 11’s and 12’s on a VQ block and being NA (swapped VQ30DE for a VQ35DE (02+ motor) or VQ30DE for a VQ30DEK (2000-2001 motor). I’ve seen cars in the 450-500 range on a VQ block (stock I’m 190). The weak part in Nissans is the trannys. Hell, I drove a SC’ed Maxima with a 3.5 swapped in an the auto swapped out for a 5spd and that thing dyno’ed at like 390 or something ridiculous. I was like a kid in the candy store (took the car to the parts store to buy hoses while the owner was working on my car).
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