A Nissan Altima driver combined the vehicle’s notorious reputation in pursuit culture with intoxication to create a chaotic nighttime flight from Arkansas police, producing footage that has been shared as a definitive example of the phenomenon that has come to be known as Big Altima Energy. The driver’s impaired state, combined with the unpredictable driving that has become associated with the Altima in pursuit footage, created a particularly dangerous and erratic chase that ended with the driver’s apprehension. The incident reinforced the Altima’s peculiar cultural reputation in police pursuit circles.
The Nissan Altima has developed a distinctive and unflattering reputation in police pursuit and car culture, with the term Big Altima Energy emerging to describe the erratic and confrontational driving that the otherwise unremarkable sedan’s drivers seem disproportionately likely to exhibit. The combination of this reputation with the genuine danger of impaired driving made this nighttime Arkansas pursuit a particularly notable example of the phenomenon. The driver faced charges including impaired driving and fleeing law enforcement, adding another chapter to the Altima’s outsized presence in pursuit documentation.