Sentra SE-R

All right Nizmo, here's your chance to brag about your car and see if you can convince me why you feel it is better than Hondas. What's she got and what's she capable of?

You gotta give me until Jan 8th-15th to answer that (when the new SER is released).

Very well. I 'll be waiting to hear what they throw into the new model, and how it will compare to the new Acura IS 2.0, which should be a fair comparison as they will be released within a couple months of each other, and they should fall within similar price ranges, although I am sure the Acura will ring in at a couple thousand more.

Edited by: JD@af

Well a few K's are a lot in the that price segment. I mean a few K's between a 911 or 360 is one thing, but for cars that are only 20K and less that's a lot...

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NISMO 4 EVER

Okay, you can squabble about small price differences, but remember you have bragged about how Civics suck and SER's rule, and I fail to see how. I don't need to see elevated hp ratings or lower pricing to see where you're coming from, I just want to hear from you why you think they're better and hear some supportive facts for your argument.

The 2002 Nissan Sentra SE-R Sports Sedan - The Legend Returns
Nissan has a rich history in the value-driven sports sedan segment, first created by the Datsun 510 in the late 1960s and rekindled with the legendary 1991 Sentra SE-R. The 2002 Sentra SE-R fulfills that role and ensures that Nissan’s leadership in this segment will continue. Debuting at the 2001 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, this new model will be available for sale in fall 2000 in SE-R and ultimate-performance SE-R Spec V models.

The original SE-R, produced from 1991 to 1994, was based on the third generation Sentra 2-door sedan Even though it looked similar to a standard Sentra, a 140-horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine gave it lots of punch. The SE-R was a Car and Driver ""10 Best" winner four times and an Automobile "All-Star" twice, not to mention a favorite of autocrossers and grassroots racers. Even though the Sentra

SE-R was no longer in the Sentra lineup for 1995, it has kept a large enthusiast base with numerous nationwide clubs, magazine project vehicles and motorsports activities. Amongst all of these groups there was one unified cry - bring back the Sentra SE-R.

"We are happy to present the 2002 Sentra SE-R to driving enthusiasts everywhere," said Bill Kirrane, vice president and general manager, Nissan North America. "This car surpasses the original in every aspect and is worthy of the SE-R moniker."

SE-R Style

"The first Sentra SE-R was quite understated," said Kirrane. "This one announces its performance intentions at first glance."

The SE-R was designed to give a feeling of a mini-Nissan Skyline sports sedan. Building upon the style set forward on the fifth generation Sentra 4-door sedan, an aggressive front fascia with a mesh-pattern grille and large fog lamps have been added. The side view is filled with body-color side sill extensions and large wheels and tires - 16-inch on SE-R and 17-inch on SE-R Spec V models. The final touch is provided by a rear spoiler and large chrome exhaust tips.

Contributing to the design of the SE-R was Nissan Design America (NDA) in La Jolla, California and Nissan Technical Center-North America in Farmington Hills, Michigan (NTCNA-FH).

SE-R Power

An all-new 2.5-liter 4-cylinder, named QR25, powers the SE-R. This engine produces 180 horsepower and 180 ft-lbs of torque in the SE-R Spec V model and 170 horsepower and 175 ft-lbs of torque in the SE-R, up 40/30 horsepower and 48/43 ft-lbs of torque from the previous generation SE-R. SE-R Spec V gains 10 horsepower over the standard SE-R with the use of a specially tuned exhaust system.

Technology for this all-new engine comes from the award-winning VQ 6-cylinder engines found in the Maxima sedan and Pathfinder sport utility vehicle. This includes a modular engine design, micro-finished crank journals and cam lobes, molybdenum coated lightweight pistons, electronically controlled throttle and continuously variable valve timing.

To combat vibrations inherent in large 4-cylinder engines, the QR25 features a silent chain drive and compact balancer system that effectively negates vibrations without taking up too much space - a problem with previous balancer designs.

Backing the QR25 is a 6-speed manual transmission (SE-R Spec V), 5-speed manual transmission (SE-R), or a 4-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission (SE-R).

A helical limited-slip differential is standard on the 6-speed equipped SE-R Spec V. This mechanical differential is torque sensitive and provides instantaneous locking for increased traction and performance.

Estimated 0 to 60 mph times are in the low 7.0-second range (SE-R Spec V).

SE-R Handling and Braking

Sentra SE-R’s suspension has been tuned to provide a maximum amount of performance and ride comfort. There are two suspensions available corresponding with model choices - the standard SE-R and the ultimate, track-tuned SE-R Spec V. All SE-Rs feature front independent MacPherson struts and Nissan’s patented rear Multi-Link Beam™, with 2mm larger front and rear stabilizer bars.

SE-R features performance-tuned front and rear shock absorbers and a front strut tower brace for additional stiffness and suspension feel. Completing the suspension upgrades are 16-inch alloy wheels with 195/55R16 tires.

SE-R Spec V builds upon the SE-R’s handling capabilities. Front spring rates have been increased 15 percent and rear spring rate has been increased 16 percent and there is improved shock absorber tuning. High-performance 215/45ZR17 tires on special 17-inch wheels complete the suspension package and give Sentra a tough, sport-compact look.

Braking is provided by large 4-wheel disc brakes - the fronts measure a full 11 inches, larger than many so-called sporting machines. A 4-wheel, 4-channel, 4-sensor Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) is also available.

SE-R Comfort and Rockford Fosgate® Sound

Sentra SE-R’s interior is differentiated from the standard well-equipped Sentra with numerous performance and convenience enhancements designed by Nissan Design Europe (NDE), NDA and NTCNA-FH. An overhead storage console with map lamps, special seat cloth, titanium-faced gauges and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gearshift knob give SE-R’s interior a sporty, functional look.

Once again, the SE-R Spec V model takes the Sentra to new extremes. An all-metallic meter finish with orange illumination and a special leather-wrapped steering wheel add to the performance look of the special charcoal-colored interior with black and red accents. Skyline-style sport bucket seats ensure that the SE-R Spec V driver’s backside stays planted on twisty mountain roads.

Available on SE-R Spec V and SE-R is a 280-watt 9-speaker Rockford Fosgate audio system with in-dash 6-CD changer. This system, custom designed for the SE-R by the acclaimed aftermarket audio company, includes an 8-inch subwoofer that fires to the rear of the vehicle, rear coaxial speakers and one ohm front door speakers. This is the first system of its kind designed by Rockford Fosgate for an OEM application. Rockford Fosgate will also provide systems to Nissan for the Xterra and Frontier Crew Cab. "We’re sure that SE-R fans will appreciate the sounds from this extraordinary audio system," said Kirrane. "It’s so good that upgrading will not be a thought to the SE-R buyer."

SE-R Safety

The 2002 Sentra SE-R’s standard safety equipment includes dual supplemental front air bags, an energy-absorbing steering column, child safety rear door locks, 3-point seat belts in all seating positions, front seat belts with height-adjustable shoulder anchors, front seat belt pretensioners with load limiters, front and rear crumple zones and pipe-style steel side-door guard beams. Optional are front-seat supplemental side-impact air bags.

SE-R also features an emergency inside trunk release, a rigid bar child seat anchorage system and optional vehicle security system with Immobilizer.

SE-R Options

Sentra SE-R arrives remarkably well equipped. Available on SE-R is an automatic transmission, sunroof package with dual illuminated visor vanity mirrors, front-seat side-impact supplemental air bags and ABS package, vehicle security system and Rockford Fosgate® audio system.

"The standard SE-R is an import tuner’s dream," said Kirrane. "We've given them the best possible combination of parts and performance, ready for their enhancements."

Sentra SE-R Spec V models are equipped to an even higher level, with the 6-speed manual transmission and helical limited-slip differential standard. Optional is the Rockford Fosgate audio system, sunroof, front-seat side-impact supplemental air bags, ABS and vehicle security system. No automatic transmission is available on Spec V.

"The Sentra SE-R Spec V is the extreme model - almost track-ready right from the dealership floor," says Kirrane. "Both SE-Rs indicate the future direction of Nissan’s sedans. It’s a spirited one, to say the least."


http://www.nissannews.com/nissan/pr_events/2001/detroit/images/sentra/600px/01%20Sentra%20SE-R%20Front3Q_C.jpg
http://www.nissannews.com/nissan/pr_events/2001/detroit/images/sentra/600px/03%20Sentra%20SE-R%20Above_C.jpg
http://www.nissannews.com/nissan/pr_events/2001/detroit/images/sentra/600px/02%20Sentra%20SE-R%20Action_C.jpg
http://www.nissannews.com/nissan/pr_events/2001/detroit/images/sentra/600px/04%20Sentra%20SE-R%20Action_C.jpg
http://www.nissannews.com/nissan/pr_events/2001/detroit/images/sentra/600px/07%20Sentra%20SE-R%20Interior_C.jpg


Well, what can I say? :D
180 hp and 180 lb-ft torque out of a 2.5 L 4 cylinder is pretty darn good, wouldn't you agree?

Those pictures make the front end look like the new Frontier. Yuck.

Looking forward to it anyway...

I am hoping they will change the front end and grille.
And they probably will ;)

Come to think of it, I'm sure the one I saw at the L.A. car show in Jan. had a different front end that was much more Skyline-esque. How old were those pix?

Bleh. Nice features and performance, but I would rather have a boxy original SE-R.

look at the power of the cars, 180hp, 180 lbs/ft. for the se-r and 200hp, 142lbs/ft. for the rsx type s. they are going to be very evenly matched. the se-r will get a jump off the line cause of torque, but the rsx may make that up with horse power. the thing that is important is the weights. the type r now weighs a lil over 2500, im sure the rsx will weigh in the 2600's. the sentra se now weighs about 2670, the new se-r should be lighter because the qr25de is lighter then the older sr20de. one more point, nissan says there should be 10-20 horses blocked up in the exhaust.

over all, i think they are quite evenly matched, but personally i would go for the se-r. i love nissan, and it will most likely be cheaper. plus, its based on the b15 chasis, which already has after market parts. i really do wish that they made it a 2 door, but oh well. maybe someday theyll change it.

:argue:

just wanted to put these guys in here.

I first saw that car at the auto show and loved it, nice speed, six speed, nice interior. Looks like nissan did a nice job

True, the new SE-R's front end makes it look like it could use a lift-kit and 4-wheel drive and make a run for the Baja 500, but aesthetics can easily be changed to one's desires these days.

What worries me more than anything is that the QR25 has a die-cast block for weight reduction (like most other modern Toyotas and Hondas), rather than the original beefy sand-casted SR20. With such thin cylinder walls, will the new block be able to put up with aftermarket turbine pressure as well as the old one has? Remember that the highly reinforced SR20 has been used primarily as a turbocharged engine in other countries, and here in the States we have been able to reproduce that boosted performance with ease. There are currently countless kits available in the aftermarket for the decade old SR20 (my favorite from Fastraxx), but now, we the consumers, will have to go back to the drawing board to hit that 300hp mark again. Can it be done safely without bulletproofing the new block? If not, then traditional turbocharging is going to cost a LOT of money. It would be quite a shame for the next SE-R to be labeled as an "all-motor" tunermobile, since Nissans have always been known for boosted greatness.

Hopefully, this is not the end of the SR. It's too bad the SR16VE never saw the light of day on our shores. With 200 naturally aspirated horsepower @ 7800rpm, this screamer just barely beats the hp:liter ratio of the Honda S2000--and you know that n/a hp:liter is Honda's specialty. Refreshing to see reform, but don't forget your roots Nissan; long live the SR.

SR16VE from the limited N1 variation of the Pulsar VZ-R.

Wow, that is pretty slick. What year were those Pulsars produced? I assume they were JDM only, while the US got that NX thing.

what is nissan thinking? i understand them putting the qr into the new altima as the base engine, but se-r's are know for their bulletproof engines. they are still producing variations of the sr20, but i dont believe they will ever hit our shores. i would have loved to see the sr20ve in the new se-r, that would have been a very logical choice. first, they wouldnt have to test it, its been a round for a few years. and second, they wouldnt have a bunch of angry se-r tuners. also, the fact that its 4 doors pisses me off a little, they should have spent time building a 2dr b15 chasis and just put the sr20ve in.

what is nissan thinking? --0805041605

Hahaha.. I just had a funny image in my head of Nissan's U.S. head marketing department main officeroom: A bunch of confused white-collar chimpanzees jumping off the walls, and screaming at each other, trying to figure out what Carlos Ghosn is ordering them to do.

oh god... thats my worst nightmare. :smoker:

Originally posted by 0805041605
:argue:

just wanted to put these guys in here.

LOL :D

Those guys are almost as funny as these dudes:
:apoke:

if you did not already know the SE-R's rated hp has been droped by 5hp
165 for the base SE-r
and 175 for Spec-V
torque however has stayed the same
boo to Nissan :(

Originally posted by focalBlur
if you did not already know the SE-R's rated hp has been droped by 5hp
165 for the base SE-r
and 175 for Spec-V
torque however has stayed the same
boo to Nissan :(
Awww... the same thing that happened to the Bullitt Mustang and the newest Miata. Stupid auto manufacturers! :mad:

That's ok. Most automakers are required now and then to slightly decrease the horsepower of their new engines (especially in California due to our emissions standards). Many times, they do so by restricting flow, and as you all know, flow is the one problem that can be easily solved with cheaper aftermarket bolt-ons. Ever notice that Nissan has some of the strictest mass air flow sensors? More often than not, one can just free up the cloggers by switching to ones from other cars from the same maker. I still cheer on the QR25DE, and perhaps with some luck, it can be everything the SR20DE was, AND everything it wasn't.

Engine DOHC
16-valve
Inline 4
Displacement 2302 cc
Bore mm 93.4
Stroke mm 84.0
Compression
Ratio 10.5:1
Horsepower @ RPM 192 @ 6750
Torque @ RPM 170 @ 4750
Fuel Injection Bosch
Motronic

This was the US spec 1988 BMW e30 M3 motor. I think that's really good for a car built in the 80's.:eek:

Wow, the power specs are nearly identical. Trade some horsepower for torque, increase about 200ccs, and you have the same general powerplant. Of course, driving characteristics can never be stated in numerical format; that requires seat-time.

Going back to the new SE-R, I still haven't found anything about a reduced power rating. But I still won't be surprised if this does happen. On another note, if the QR25DE gets a power drop, then the 4-cylinder trimline new Altima should get the same deal. That would be double kill for Nissan; hopefully this is just a rumor.

it seems Nissan has bumper the power rating back up to 170hp and 180hp
freshalloy changed their numbers back to the orginal 170/180 numbers
also all the recent reviews of the car say 170/180hp

lets hope it does not drop again before going on sale

It would seem that nissan has this problem with alot of their new cars.

2002 maxima first advertised at 270hp, then 260. reality: 255hp
2002 altima 260hp, reality: 240hp

So, just wait and see. I would be a shame if they couldnt ring out 180HP from 2.5liters. My old bimmer had 195 from 2.3liters. the new rsx-S is rated at 200hp with a 2.0liter. Why the hell can't the nissan engineers let their motors scream like honda's??

Originally posted by 73tiiguy
2002 maxima first advertised at 270hp, then 260. reality: 255hp
2002 altima 260hp, reality: 240hp


Well you see, the thing is, Nissan is running an intense marketing strategy right now. They don't have the funding to design several different class-leading powerplants with such a tight budget, so what they did was formulate ONE very capable multipurpose engine (VQ35DE) and detuned it in stages for the various models in their lineup (current Pathfinder, new V6 Altima, new Maxima, new I35, upcoming G35, upcoming Z). That motor can easily find its way close to the 300 hp mark, but Nissan intends to save that number for the Z (some reports say a 280-290 hp output). With usage of variable capacity exhaust systems and restrictors, Nissan can stuff the fairly compact and light V6 (well, for an aluminum 3.5L) into each cash-cow and dicate numbers for each model within its class. The horsepower confusion probably was an effect of marketing directors changing their minds on how much each car should have. The prospective outlook: Potentially, any of the 'lesser' cars should be easily able to 'up' the power rating with some good aftermarket electronics and bolt-ons for improved flow.

Originally posted by 73tiiguy
So, just wait and see. I would be a shame if they couldnt ring out 180HP from 2.5liters. My old bimmer had 195 from 2.3liters. the new rsx-S is rated at 200hp with a 2.0liter. Why the hell can't the nissan engineers let their motors scream like honda's??

People SHOULD NOT forget that there is no single ideal type of engine design, and that horsepower numbers never give the full story on a car's performance. Most engines are designed with the consumers in mind--what group of people will this car cater to? How should the engine's output reflect this? Production Honda engines are designed to reflect the efficient, light-weight, flying F1 powerplants, which is well fitting for street cars that need to be fun but economic. The engine components are light but hard, utilizing every bit of available combustion activity for forward motion, not unlike a toned tri-athelete. They have power, but lack torque. The Acura RSX Type-S you mention draws a measly 142 lb-ft. of torque @ 6000 rpm. Torque is a major necessity for city driving, hauling around with on-demand power, accelerating out of turns, and having a linear powerband. The Sentra SE-R Spec-V (I hate saying it backwards... but Nissan won't allow it to be named V-spec, since it doesn't have the Skyline's V-spec drivetrain) has an impressive 180 lb-ft. of torque at a usable low 4400 rpm. The amount of torque equates the number of horsepower resulting in a well balanced powerplant. Even the standard SE-R has a respectable 175 lb-ft. of torque. Where the tri-athlete is light and quick, this body-builder has definite muscle and punch. People who purchase upcoming Nissans will be in the market for practical cars with practical power. They need it to be there whenever they want it, instead of having to wait until the tachometer gets into the 6000+ rpm range. They need the it to be there still, going up hills, carrying gear, or from a total standstill. The QR25DE will never be a Honda Formula 1 banshee; that was never the intention. However, it will threaten to rule the market in what it was designed for.