The Nissan NX is a front-wheel-drive two-door sports car built from 1990. It was loosely an evolution of the Pulsar NX and EXA of 1987–1990 and of the Sunny coupé lines, and merged the B13 and N14 lineages. It was released in Japan in 1990 and sold in the United States from 1991 to 1993.
Nissan NX at a glance
| Released | 1990 |
|---|---|
| Bases | Sentra B13 (NX1600), Sentra SE-R (NX2000) |
| Engines | 1.6-litre GA16DE; 2.0-litre SR20DE |
| Power | NX2000 140 hp |
| Roof | T-tops on most cars, hardtop on the rest |
| US sales | 1991–1993 |
| European name | 100NX |
| Design | Nissan Design International, San Diego |
| Rivals | Mazda MX-3, Isuzu Impulse, Toyota MR2, Honda Civic del Sol |
based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Nissan NX.
History of the Nissan NX
NX1600 and NX2000
The NX1600 used the 1.6-litre GA16DE engine of the standard third-generation Sentra, while the NX2000 took the 2.0-litre SR20DE of the Sentra SE-R. Most cars had T-tops and the rest were hardtops. It was built in Japan and sold in the United States from 1991 to 1993, competing with the Mazda MX-3, Isuzu Impulse, Toyota MR2 and Honda Civic del Sol, and continued for a few more years in other countries. The body was designed at Nissan Design International in San Diego under president Jerry Hirshberg, Blue Studio chief designer Allan Flowers and staff designers Bruce Campbell and Doug Wilson.
The NX2000
The NX2000 had larger brakes, more aggressive tyres on wider six-inch wheels, a centre armrest, a larger two-core radiator and a slightly lower ride height than the SE-R. Its brakes became a common aftermarket upgrade for B13 Sentra SE-Rs. With low weight, a stiff chassis and a limited-slip differential it was considered one of the best-handling front-wheel-drive cars of its time, and in 1992 Road & Track included it in a test of the world’s best-handling cars against the Acura NSX, Porsche 911, Nissan 300ZX, Mazda Miata and Lotus Elan.
100NX in Europe
The European 100NX came with a 1.6-litre or a 2.0-litre engine. The 1.6 made from 1990 to February 1993 had a carburettor that tended to use excessive fuel as it aged; from April 1993 it was fuel injected. In November 1993 a version called the SR appeared, meaning Steel Roof: lighter and more rigid, with a modified control unit and enlarged intake manifold giving more power, and shorter gearing.
Design and features
- T-tops: most NXs had removable roof panels.
- SR20DE: the 140 hp engine from the Sentra SE-R.
- Handling: praised against the NSX, 911 and Elan in 1992.
- 100NX SR: a lighter steel-roof version for Europe.
Nissan NX versions
- NX1600 (1991–1993): 1.6-litre GA16DE.
- NX2000 (1991–1993): 2.0-litre SR20DE, 140 hp.
- 100NX (Europe): 1.6 and 2.0-litre engines.
- 100NX SR (1993–1996): the steel-roof, more powerful version.
The NX grew out of the Pulsar NX and EXA and used the engine of the Sentra SE-R. More cars are in the Nissan collection.
Video: 1992 Nissan NX 2000
Video by YouTube on YouTube.
Sources
- Nissan NX, English Wikipedia: models, engines, NX2000 equipment, 100NX variants
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