thoughts on the se-r spec v?
I am talking the B15 SE-Rs here, not the classics.
One of the things I like about my SE-R is that the car itself has alot of nuts in it's stock configuration compared to other cars in it's price range. Name me another NEW car in the $17,000ish price range that has the same performance.
Another thing I like about it, is that the tuning potentials are just now being tapped and people are already driving 400whp SE-Rs. The block itself, not counting the weak internals, is capable of about 800whp if you close the deck. Would I drive an 800whp front wheel drive car? Hell no. But a 300-350ish one would be nice and streetable.
You can do about 270whp off of the stock internals reliably. Replace the pistons and rods, and you're good to about 400ish to 500ish where the crank is the problem.
The car isn't designed to be a Skyline, or a 350z, or a 300z, or even a 240sx. It is designed to be a sporty econobox. And it fulfills that awesomely for the price. Sure, it could be alot better, but not for the money it costs.
You're comparing it to the SRT-4, and WRX series of cars. Think about it for a minute. Those cars cost several thousand dollars more than the Sentra SE-R or Spec V. Dodge has a history of turbo car problems, which is the main reason I wouldn't drive an SRT-4. Several of my friends have owned turbo LaBarons and such and they had major turbo problems all of the time. The only WRX I would care to own is the STi. Not that the other models of WRX are bad, I'm just saying if I am going to get that car I am going all-out.
There is a debate going on about the feasability of making a Sentra SE-R or Spec V AWD on some of the boards. I think this is infinately do-able......For a cost. You're going to need the transmission, and entire driveline system out of another vehicle, but it is do-able. If I remember correctly there is a short wheel-base vehicle that uses the QR25DE engine either already in prodiction or getting ready to come about. This would make it easier as everything wouldn't have to be custom made, just modified.
Like the saying goes. Speed is only a matter of money. How fast do you want to go?
One of the things I like about my SE-R is that the car itself has alot of nuts in it's stock configuration compared to other cars in it's price range. Name me another NEW car in the $17,000ish price range that has the same performance.
Another thing I like about it, is that the tuning potentials are just now being tapped and people are already driving 400whp SE-Rs. The block itself, not counting the weak internals, is capable of about 800whp if you close the deck. Would I drive an 800whp front wheel drive car? Hell no. But a 300-350ish one would be nice and streetable.
You can do about 270whp off of the stock internals reliably. Replace the pistons and rods, and you're good to about 400ish to 500ish where the crank is the problem.
The car isn't designed to be a Skyline, or a 350z, or a 300z, or even a 240sx. It is designed to be a sporty econobox. And it fulfills that awesomely for the price. Sure, it could be alot better, but not for the money it costs.
You're comparing it to the SRT-4, and WRX series of cars. Think about it for a minute. Those cars cost several thousand dollars more than the Sentra SE-R or Spec V. Dodge has a history of turbo car problems, which is the main reason I wouldn't drive an SRT-4. Several of my friends have owned turbo LaBarons and such and they had major turbo problems all of the time. The only WRX I would care to own is the STi. Not that the other models of WRX are bad, I'm just saying if I am going to get that car I am going all-out.
There is a debate going on about the feasability of making a Sentra SE-R or Spec V AWD on some of the boards. I think this is infinately do-able......For a cost. You're going to need the transmission, and entire driveline system out of another vehicle, but it is do-able. If I remember correctly there is a short wheel-base vehicle that uses the QR25DE engine either already in prodiction or getting ready to come about. This would make it easier as everything wouldn't have to be custom made, just modified.
Like the saying goes. Speed is only a matter of money. How fast do you want to go?
-
R-tune-B15
- Posts: 54
- Joined: Wed Mar 10, 2004 9:04 am
- Car: Japanese Girls
- Contact:
spec-u-later wrote:coming from a spec owner I wouldn't buy it if I had it to do over. It's great if you don't mind fwd but man after having my 240 then selling it I just cant stand fwd anymore. I say go for a used wrx.
did you have 04? 02's and 03's had alot of issues and recalls so yes i can understand that. I dont even see why thread was comparing cars that even in the league i mean spec v VS srt-4....one is NA and the other is turbo...Hmm...not the same class...other than they are four dours sedans....wanna see a good comparison look at SCC's article on the best 20k dollar car, spec v VS lancer ralli art(1 out of 5 tests)...now thats comparable...and the spec v won.(4 out of 5 tests)..
-
nametakennow
- Posts: 10024
- Joined: Sat Aug 24, 2002 4:14 pm
- Car: '06 MINI Cooper S
True. The SE-R/Spec V is exactly what it's supposed to be from Nissan's idea behind it, and econobox with balls. It's more designed to be in the realm of the Civic Si and RSX Type S than the SRT-4, WRX, etc. If you ran it against either of the first two cars listed, it would probably win. It weighs about as much as either, but has a good bit more torque. If you took it up to top speed the RSX would win because it has more top end, but top end is not something you use day-to-day.
It's funny as crap to just listen at work, The pool I work at is separated from a busy street by just a small hill. You can hear people going in and out of the neighborhood and the neighborhood across the street. Every day, at least 5 times, someone squeals tires and floors it. The big redneck trucks shake the ground with their V8s, while the Civics and Integras buzz off. The guys with the Civics and Integras (note, mostly those two cars, but not always) take the car all the way to redline before shifting.
How can they not hear the power die off? I know (for instance) my car falls flat on it's face at 6k rpm, compared to 4500rpm, that is. Meaning that the car will pull nicely to 6750 (redline) if asked, but then the kick in the pants felt at 3000 just isn't there anymore.
My point is that the SE-R is the torquiest car in it's group, so if the goal is an econobox with balls, it's the best choice. If you want something higher performance, higher dollar, and less economy, then go with the SRT-4, WRX, etc. I just assumed it was all about the performance aspects, rather than the bang-for-buck-relative-to-class/market factor. The upper-power and dollar cars also get worse gas mileage, if I'm not mistaken. Turbos make engines gas happy when used properly.
*edited for formatting cause huge blocks of text are hard to read*
It's funny as crap to just listen at work, The pool I work at is separated from a busy street by just a small hill. You can hear people going in and out of the neighborhood and the neighborhood across the street. Every day, at least 5 times, someone squeals tires and floors it. The big redneck trucks shake the ground with their V8s, while the Civics and Integras buzz off. The guys with the Civics and Integras (note, mostly those two cars, but not always) take the car all the way to redline before shifting.
How can they not hear the power die off? I know (for instance) my car falls flat on it's face at 6k rpm, compared to 4500rpm, that is. Meaning that the car will pull nicely to 6750 (redline) if asked, but then the kick in the pants felt at 3000 just isn't there anymore.
My point is that the SE-R is the torquiest car in it's group, so if the goal is an econobox with balls, it's the best choice. If you want something higher performance, higher dollar, and less economy, then go with the SRT-4, WRX, etc. I just assumed it was all about the performance aspects, rather than the bang-for-buck-relative-to-class/market factor. The upper-power and dollar cars also get worse gas mileage, if I'm not mistaken. Turbos make engines gas happy when used properly
.*edited for formatting cause huge blocks of text are hard to read*
idk, the sentra has a modified beam axle suspension in back, not so great for handling. sure it's alright for the street. idk, i would take a Mazda 3 (if i wanted a 4 door) over it, or better yet, a slightly used Mazdaspeed Protege, woot!
of course, you gotta say evo evo evo over all these cars, but other then that i hate Mitsubishi. plus they're not really in teh same class so......
of course, you gotta say evo evo evo over all these cars, but other then that i hate Mitsubishi. plus they're not really in teh same class so......
jdmfreak03 wrote:What kinda mileage do the WRX/STIs, SR-T 4s, and Evos get?
The quoted #'s for an SRT-4 are 22/30, WRX is 20/27, STI is 18/24 and EVO is 18/26. Of course, who are we kidding? I sure as hell know that I wouldn't drive my car with an eye towards fuel economy if I owned one of the above. I'd drive the **** out of it.
As for the price difference between the SRT-4 and the Spec V, for a ~$4000 difference you're giving up about 80hp and almost 100 ft-lbs of torque.
I really want Nissan (and other manufacturers) to look at the SRT-4 and say "hey, we can make an affordable car that's fast as hell too!"
Oh, and it would be nice if they could make it fast, cheap AND rear wheel drive!
-
nametakennow
- Posts: 10024
- Joined: Sat Aug 24, 2002 4:14 pm
- Car: '06 MINI Cooper S
22/30 for SRT-4 makes me laugh. If you use that turbo as I said (properly) there is no way in freaking hell you're going to get that.
It seems to me that if you're driving this car daily, you're going to want decent mileage, and for cars that small, those mileages suck.
A base 350Z is both fast and rear wheel drive, it's also not much more than the Evo or STi. However, I understand your point, but carmakers don't see enthusiasts as the market. The people who read Sport Compact Car usually read it looking for the next mod for their car, not for the next purchase of a new car they'll make. My point is that until the automakers of the world start seeing the US as a more performance oriented market, it's not going to happen. Only recently have we started getting recognition for our performance taste, as the WRX/STi, Evo, Z, RX8, and G35 have surfaced. Next will come the GT-R and others (hopefully a Supra and a turbo RX8 or new RX7). The US is a stupid market. If only we could make auto enthusiasm an communicable disease...
It seems to me that if you're driving this car daily, you're going to want decent mileage, and for cars that small, those mileages suck.
A base 350Z is both fast and rear wheel drive, it's also not much more than the Evo or STi. However, I understand your point, but carmakers don't see enthusiasts as the market. The people who read Sport Compact Car usually read it looking for the next mod for their car, not for the next purchase of a new car they'll make. My point is that until the automakers of the world start seeing the US as a more performance oriented market, it's not going to happen. Only recently have we started getting recognition for our performance taste, as the WRX/STi, Evo, Z, RX8, and G35 have surfaced. Next will come the GT-R and others (hopefully a Supra and a turbo RX8 or new RX7). The US is a stupid market. If only we could make auto enthusiasm an communicable disease...
Definitely none of are going to drive *any* of these cars in a manner that's going to promote even half-way decent gas mileage. Hell, if I wanted good gas mileage I'd get a Prius or a diesel.nametakennow wrote:22/30 for SRT-4 makes me laugh. If you use that turbo as I said (properly) there is no way in freaking hell you're going to get that.
No, we're interested in going fast. Really fast.
From what I've read, Dodge looks at the SRT-4 as a "halo" car. When people see magazine ads that say "fastest car under $20,000" or whatever that was, it grabs their attention. They may not buy one when they go in to the dealership, but it certainly puts the manufacturer in a favorable light.
There was a sales document posted on an SRT-4 message board, and, if it was genuine it backed up the above paragraph. It also mentioned that the target demographic was something like 18-34 yr old, male, single, college graduate, median income ~$30K.
That's not a bad demographic. I'd imagine that Dodge figures these SRT-4 buyers, if they enjoy the car, will come back and buy various other Dodge vehicles as their families grow.
Besides, if manufacturers weren't beginning to see the promise in the whole sport compact thing, do you think GM would have let Saturn build a supercharged Ion! There's a high performance version of the Chevy Cobalt on the way, Saab is putting a pretty wrapper on a WRX...the world is turning upside down!
-
nametakennow
- Posts: 10024
- Joined: Sat Aug 24, 2002 4:14 pm
- Car: '06 MINI Cooper S
That's my point. They are starting to recognize the sport compact market. Foreign automakers have more of a mental block about Americans wanting sport compacts than domestic ones.
Also, I read the SCC comparo between the Spec and the Lancer Ralliart. The Spec didn't just beat the Ralliart, it owned, destroyed, demolished, obliterated, and then raped the Ralliart. The other cars listed in this thread are more toward the price ceiling listed at the beginning of $25k, the Spec and the Ralliart in that test can be had for $17-18k (the Brembos chucked the test Spec into the $18's). The point is, the Spec is probably the quickest daily-driver type car under $20,000. If you raise the price to $25, then the shootout between the SRT-4 and the WRX begins, with the Spec an innocent bystander to the carnage.
Also, I read the SCC comparo between the Spec and the Lancer Ralliart. The Spec didn't just beat the Ralliart, it owned, destroyed, demolished, obliterated, and then raped the Ralliart. The other cars listed in this thread are more toward the price ceiling listed at the beginning of $25k, the Spec and the Ralliart in that test can be had for $17-18k (the Brembos chucked the test Spec into the $18's). The point is, the Spec is probably the quickest daily-driver type car under $20,000. If you raise the price to $25, then the shootout between the SRT-4 and the WRX begins, with the Spec an innocent bystander to the carnage.