The Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V

There’s no shortage of powerful little racers out there these days: the Volkswagen GTI, Honda Civic SI, Mazdaspeed3, Subraru WRX, Chevy Cobalt SS, and Dodge Caliber SRT-4, to name a few. The market’s flooded because so many manufacturers are trying to appease enthusiasts by offering specialized performance models. This is a good thing for us of course. Competition breeds quality.

But what about the Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V, that used to be good right? Remember back in the day, that was THE SHIZZ…How does it match up with the rest of the herd these days?
Pretty well actually.

The SE-R Spec V is a bit of a dark horse among the little racer crowd, it rides a nice compromise between performance and low price. It doesn’t have the engine of the Cobalt SS or the raving fanboys of the WRX, but it’s a solid little performance car, and it costs less than almost the whole crew. It rally is the best performance package on a budget.

The Spec V has a modified version of Nissan’s 2.5-liter engine that packs 200 hp, it has a six-speed manual transmission, a fine-tuned suspension, limited-slip differential and nice big breaks. It can run 0-60 in 6.7 seconds and the 1/4 mile in 14.9 seconds. On the front, are 11.7-inch four-wheel drive brakes and on the back, 12.6 inch ventilated front rotors. Heavy stopping power.

And yet, despite the Spec Vs increased performance over the regular Sentra, it still gets almost 30 mpg on the highway. All that, and it starts for around $20k. You can get a nicely equipped version for $21.5k. That’s the Spec V I’m talking about, not just the regular Sentra. The top of the line performance package.
Beat that racers.

Let’s run down the Specs:
• Manufacturer: Nissan
• Model year: 2008
• Base Price: $20,470
• Engine type: 2.5-Liter NA I4
• Horsepower: 200 @ 6,600 RPM
• Torque: 180 @ 5,200 RPM
• Transmission: 6-speed Manual
• Curb Weight: 3,048 lbs
• LxWxH: 180.1″ x 70.5″ x 59.1″
• Wheelbase: 105.7″
• Tires: P225/45WR17
• 0 – 60 mph: 6.7 Seconds
• EPA Fuel economy city/highway: 21/29 MPG
• NHTSA crash test rating: *****