Nissan unleashes 200SX sporty coupe spin-off of Sentra SE-R
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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Picture this Texas test site at the 'burbs beyond Dallas on a drizzly day in a flat and empty parking lot with time to play in Nissan's latest sporty coupe creation.
With so much slick asphalt stretched in all directions, and not a bump nor divot or fender to block my forward progress, what else could a driver do but practice racy take-offs, power slides and snap-shut hand-brake turns?
After all, the argument went, you need to find this little coupe's limits, see where it balks, learn how it zips or where it slides and swirls, as we dance together across that wet stage of blacktop.
Nissan's new coupe, a 200SX in sporty SE-R trim with the bigger engine, 15-inch rubber rollers and tight stick shifter, leaped into action.
Tires protested my take-off, as the rpm needle zipped toward its red mark. Nice, smooth acceleration, despite the pavement's lack of grip on this rainy day. Shift quickly up one gear, then, with a lip of the asphalt approaching, it's time to test the liveliness of rack and pinion steering with a hard cut that locked both front wheels.
Reliable power, pumped forcefully to forward wheels as they broke free of traction, produced a wild -- but still vaguely controllable on the wet -- power slide.
(Kids: Don't try this on Mom's supermarket lot.)
Another straight shot across the blacktop to center stage, where a combination of brake jamming and my daring yank of the hand brake's lever sent that SX twirling in twin pirouettes, artfully spinning like a mechanized top.
This was a balanced spin, I noted, with the weight distributed nicely front to rear, and it concluded quite gracefully with only slight inertial adjustments of suspension settings to that mass of stylized metal.
Nice work, 200SX -- and thanks for all that fun.
This newest Nissan, flowing from a Tennessee assembly plant, spins off in 2-door fastback coupe fashion from the reincarnated Sentra. It's billed as "the affordable sports car," although with a surprisingly spacious rear seat it's hard to call this cute little coupe a genuine sports car.
The name, borrowed from previous Nissan models NX1600 and NX2000, sounds sporty in its own right, though, and if you select the aggressive SE-R top trim level with boosted horsepower, bigger tires and firmer suspension tweaks, you can achieve some assertive performance characteristics of a sports car, like I managed on that bare Texas stretch of slippery asphalt.
Market packaging of 200SX -- in colorful TV spots blasting Batman music with cartoonish lettering popping across the screen like POW! ZOOM! and WOW! -- obviously aims at the twentysomething set, those up-and-coming young men and women seeking sporty expression of their alter ego but who must nevertheless remain faithful to budget constraints.
With its subcompact dimensions, 4-cylinder horsepower and domestic production facility, Nissan addresses the budget issue by bringing 200SX to market with highly attractive sticker figures.
The base 200SX -- with front bucket seats, more than adequate power, plus complete instrumentation and favored comfort features like power remote-controlled exterior mirrors -- lists for $11,999. Pile on a package of popular equipment including air conditioning, and the tag runs to only $13,369.
A second tier, labeled 200SX SE, comes with the same equipment, plus 14-inch wheels and tires, sport bucket seats, power windows and door locks, a split-folding rear seatback, along with 4-speaker stereo sound package of AM-FM radio and cassette tape deck. It adds up to $14,269.
My choice, 200SX SE-R, stocks the bigger engine and serious sport accouterment like 15-inch rollers, 4-wheel disc brakes, limited-slip differential, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, remote keyless entry and security device, plus handsome side sill extensions and tough rear spoiler -- for $15,269.
Shop the market, and you'll discover these represent highly competitive prices for so much sporty hardware.
All three editions earn Nissan's quick-ratio power rack and pinion steering system which generates exceptional feedback to the driver for control of steering maneuvers.
All versions also wear independent front suspension components including MacPherson struts with stabilizer bar.
In the rear, 200SX packs a multi-link beam axle similar to the one employed by Nissan's flagship Maxima sedan. The compact form of this beam permits the generous wheelbase extension, which in turn spawns more space for the rear seat and a bigger trunk too.
Climb inside and you too may be surprised that this small coupe can comfortably carry several adults without breaking legs or wrecking necks to squeeze all aboard.
Then there's that power factor.
The base 200SX and SE editions tote Nissan's compact 4-in-line engine lifted from new Sentra. Displacing 1.6 liters and rigged with four valves in each cylinder and dual cams on top, it's a sophisticated piece of machinery recently enhanced through microfinishing crankshaft journals, boosting compression ratios and recalibrating the variable timing control system.
Output increases by 5 horsepower to 115 as a result of these modifications, and fuel economy figures bump forward by as much as 2 mpg -- up to 40 mpg for highway cruising with the standard 5-speed transmission.
The SE-R receives even more go-power.
Its 2.0-liter four, also with multi-valve design and dual overhead cam configuration, punches out 140 hp.
In such a relatively light-weight package, that's enough to send the SE-R soaring -- or spinning, if you're inclined like I was to adds brake action on wet asphalt.
The fuel economy numbers diminish slightly due to this horsepower boost, but even my frugal mind-set tells me to forego such savings to afford such get-up-and-gusto.
Even when spinning on the parking lot, Nissan's new coupe appears slippery smooth and sensuous in style with its aerodynamic front fascias and broad sloping hood, aggressive B pillar cant and expressive slope to the rear decklid.
The 200SX sold me rather quickly on that Texas parking lot, but I'm a soft touch for such attributes as sporty exterior styling, assertive ride and drive qualities, spunky acceleration -- and affordable price tags.
1995 NISSAN 200SX
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| 1995 NISSAN 200SX VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Subcompact coupe |
| Model Options: |
Subcompact coupe |
| Wheelbase: |
99.8 inches |
| Overall Length: |
170.1 inches
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| Engine Size: |
DOHC 1.6-L I-4 16v
DOHC 2.0-L I-4 16v
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| Transmission: |
Manual/5, Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Front |
| Braking: |
Power disc/drum,
opt. 4-disc/ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
1.6: 30/40 mpg
2.0: 24/31 mpg |
| MSRP Price: |
$ 12,000 to $ 15,500 |
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