Nissan Sentra SE-R
Nissan
Nissan Sentra SE-R: The B13 That Beat the Cars Above It
The Nissan Sentra SE-R is a compact sport sedan whose 1991 to 1994 B13 generation paired the SR20DE engine with a light body and a limited-slip differential, earning it a lasting reputation as a giant killer.
Nissan launched the SE-R trim in 1991 on the B13 Sentra. The recipe was straightforward: take the ordinary economy sedan, drop in the 2.0-liter twin-cam SR20DE making 140 horsepower, add a viscous limited-slip differential, stiffen the suspension, fit disc brakes, and keep the weight near 2,500 pounds.
The result outran cars it had no business outrunning. Contemporary road tests put it in the mid-seven-second range to 60 mph, and buff books ranked it with and often above the Honda Civic Si and Acura Integra of the day. Car and Driver named it to its Ten Best list, which is rare company for a Sentra.
Later SE-Rs kept the badge going. The B14 (1995 to 1999) added weight, the B15 brought the SE-R Spec V with a 2.5-liter QR25DE and a six-speed, and the B16 Spec V reached 200 horsepower. None of them displaced the B13 in enthusiast memory, and clean B13 examples have become genuinely difficult to find because so many were driven hard, modified, or rusted away.