Nissan and Datsun have produced many sports cars over the years; however not all of them made it to U.S. soil, with stringent emissions, crash test safety regulations, and performance restrictions some were just not allowed in the U.S.. Below is a list of the top ten Japanese and American market top Nissan and Datsun sports cars.
1) 1970- Datsun/ Nissan 240z-the Datsun 240z was the predecessor of all Z cars; the founding father of Datsun/ Nissan performance coupes. The 240z was lightweight, weighing only 2400 pounds with a 2.4 liter inline six powering it. 150 horsepower and 150ftlbs of torque was delivered through a four speed manual transmission to a limited slip rear end. The S30 chassis became famous as being a poor mans Jaguar. The 240z performed the best out of the three generations of z cars in its era (being the 240, 260, and 280z cars) with a zero to 60 mph in 7.8 seconds; this was thanks in part to a lightweight chassis, twin Hitachi side drafts carbs, and a 9.0:1 compression ratio.
2) 1989-91 Nissan Skyline GT-R-nicknamed Godzilla the R32 chassis Skyline GT-R was the first of its kind; a completely reveloutionary sports coupe for the time. The Nissan Skyline began production in 1958; however it was not until 1989 when the most powerful and sophisticated Nissan Skyline hit the streets. Powered by a 2.6 liter in-line six cylinder fitted with twin turbos it produced 276 horsepower; although this factory released power figure was slightly skewed as the R32 Nissan Skyline produced closer to 300 horsepower. Mated to a five speed manual transmission and an all wheel drive system it would go from zero to 60 mph in just 4.7 seconds and blast the quarter mile in 13 seconds flat. The Nissan Skyline dominated JTCC from 89-94.
3) 2008-present Nissan GTR-the new Nissan GTR is truly a super car; taking advantage of all of Nissan’s performance tricks over the years. This R35 chassis is equipped with a 3.8 liter twin turbo V6 mill that produces 474 horsepower and 434ftlbs of torque. Putting the power to the ground is done by an all new dual clutch semi-automatic six speed transmission mounted in the rear. The new Nissan GTR can go from zero to 60 mph in only 3.2 seconds with launch control activated and it rips through the quarter mile in 11.6 seconds at 120 mph.
4) 1999-02 Nissan Silvia Spec R-the Spec R Nissan Silvia is a drifters dream; with 250 horsepower on tap and a robust dual ball bearing turbocharged 2.0 liter four cylinder it puts serious power to the ground. The Nissan Spec R is a more than capable competitor only weighing in at 2700 pounds with a six speed gear box it has many upgrades over a factory Nissan Silvia such as more aggressive camshafts, sport tuned suspension, and a free breathing intake and exhaust.
5) 1990-96 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo-named in the top ten sports cars of the year, seven years in a row by car and driver the Nissan 300ZX twin turbo was a highly sophisticated piece of machinery for its time. Powered by a twin turbocharged 3.0 V6 it would produce 280 horsepower and 274ftlbs of torque. With a 3475 curb weight this Nissan would go from zero to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds. The Nissan 300zx twin turbo was one of Nissan’s best handling rear wheel drive cars utilizing HICAS (all wheel steering) to maneuver around sharp turns at blazing speeds. Unofficially the Nissan 300zx twin turbo produced a recorded 300 horsepower, 20 more than its factory output rating.
6) 1991-94 Nissan Silvia-perhaps the most popular Nissan sports coupe ever; the Nissan Silvia is one of the most sought after cars for the drift scene. In 91′ Nissan introduced the 2.0 liter turbocharged sr20det, which even to today’s standards is one of the best four cylinder motors ever produced. The aftermarket following for this chassis in America and Japan is limitless for the 225 horsepower engine. With sharp looks and rear wheel drive there’s a reason it made the list.
7) 1990-94 Nissan Pulsar GtI-R-perhaps one of the most complicated cars built for its time was the Nissan Pulsar GTI-R. This puppy came with big 440cc injectors, t28 turbo, individual throttle bodies, awd, and a big intercooler. Known for its rally racing heritage this awd five speed came with 230 horsepower and would blast the quarter mile in 13.9 seconds at 101 mph from the factory. There is a huge aftermarket following for the Nissan GTI-R and is also one of the best kept secrets of the performance car world.
8) 1984-89 Nissan 300ZX Turbo-ah, the beginning of the modern Nissan Z chassis. This 300zx was powered by a SOHC 3.0 liter V6 engine that was turbocharged, but non-intercooled. The engine had 7.8:1 compression pistons and a Garret T3 turbo that created 205 horsepower. This was the first Japanese car to be the fastest out of the lot with a top speed of 153 mph. The Nissan 300zx turbo would go zero to 60 mph in 7.2 seconds which wasn’t bad for the time. There were 300,000 of these Nissan units sold.
9) 1998 Nissan Pulsar VZ-R N1-a very limited production Nissan Pulsar was the N1. The Nissan N1 boasted a normally aspirated 1.6 liter that generated 197 horsepower from a free flowing intake manifold, 70 mm throttle body, tuned header, and very aggressive camshafts. The Nissan Pulsar was the most powerful four cylinder for its time creating 125 horsepower per liter. These limited edition Nissan N1’s only came in black and white and were designed to compete against the Japanese Civic Type-R with it 6.4 second zero to 60 mph jaunts.
10) 1991-94 Nissan Sentra SE-R-an American market Nissan Sentra was outfitted with a robust 2.0 liter sr20de that made 140 horsepower and 135ftlbs of torque. Tuners found engine transplants to be limitless from the sr20 family of motors and this old shoe box of a car has a fantastic aftermarket following. This was the first performance oriented naturally aspirated four cylinder car that Nissan produced.
Source:
http://www.angelfire.com/fl3/DatsunZClub/specs.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Skyline
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_300ZX
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Silvia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Pulsar
