This amazing Nissan Sentra Spec-V concept is everything right and wrong about SEMA. It has the makings to be one of the coolest sports compacts on the market, but the truth is it will never hit dealerships. Alas, we’re going to dig into it anyway because we’re gluttons for punishment, and this thing is too sweet to not check out.
The Nissan Sentra Spec-V concept comes 35 years after the Sentra SE-R first hit American roads way back in 1991. The SE-R quickly became a fan favorite in the import scene. It was definitely one of the “if you know, you know” models of the era. This Sentra Spec-V concept has taken its inspiration from that first sporty model and turned things up significantly.
Starting under the hood, the 2.0-liter MR20DD engine has been fortified and boosted with the same turbo setup as the Nissan Juke, but with a Garrett G25-550 turbocharger providing the forced induction. The package makes 300 horsepower and sends it to a freakin’ six-speed manual transmission from the Juke NISMO. Nissan deserves a hearty “hell yeah” for going with a proper stick shift.
The Sentra Spec-V wears a set of forged 19-inch NISMO LM-RS wheels wrapped in Yokohama Advan Neova AD09 rubber. Living inside the wheels are Brembo brakes taken from a GT-R. The suspension upgrades include coilovers and anti-roll bars from NISMO.
Inside, the front seats have been replaced with GT-R NISMO Recaro bucket seats, re-upholstered with red Alcantara panels. Outside, the Sentra Spec-V is wearing a Bomex widebody kit, which feels like a sentence we haven’t written since 2004, but it feels so good. The body kit is finished off with a rear spoiler from a GT-R NISMO. To complete the look, the Sentra is wrapped in white and features NISMO’s racing stripe graphics.
It would be amazing to walk onto a dealer lot and put in an order for a Sentra Spec-V, but Nissan has no plans to mass-produce this car at any scale. Maybe if we’re lucky, a slightly toned down version might be considered in the future, but it’s an unlikely outcome. For now, we’ll just look at this car while sighing longingly about the possibilities.
Nissan Sentra Spec-V Gallery
Nissan Sentra Spec-V Build Sheet
Performance
- Turbo MR20DD with 300 whp
- Compression ratio 10:1
- MR16DDT crankshaft support girdle
- MR16DDT balance shaft removal
- Carrillo rods
- JE Pistons
- WPC treated internals
- CTP cryogenically treated internals
- Garrett front mount intercooler
- Garrett G25-550 turbocharger
- Turbosmart Vee Port Pro blow-off valve
- Supplemental port injection via custom Jim Wolf Technologies manifold spacer
- 550cc Bosch EV14 secondary injectors
- AEM 400lph in-tank fuel pump
- Mobil 1 Extended Performance oil
- Modified NISMO Juke RS RS6F94R 6-speed transmission with helical LSD
- Centerforce lightweight flywheel and FX350 clutch kit
- Modified Hybrid Racing short shifter assembly
- ARP main and head studs
Exterior
- BOMEX widebody kit
- R35 GT‑R NISMO rear spoiler
- Custom vented hood with functional intake inlet
- Custom side exit exhaust
- Terminax vehicle wrap
Interior
- R35 GT‑R NISMO Recaro front seats
- Custom black interior accents
- NISMO steering wheel
- Custom seatbelt harness bar
Suspension
- Custom track version of production NISMO Sentra coilovers
- Upgraded front shocks with external reservoirs
- Upgraded track-spec damping profiles and aggressive spring rates
- NISMO Sentra sway bar set
Wheels and Tires
- NISMO LM-RS1 19×9.5 forged wheels
- 265/35R19 Yokohama ADVAN NEOVA AD09 tires
- NISMO forged open-ended lug nuts
Brakes
- R35 GT‑R NISMO brake conversion
- Front: Brembo 6-piston front calipers with 15.35-inch (390mm) full-floating, cross-drilled, two-piece rotors.
- Rear: Brembo 4-piston rear calipers with 15.0-inch (380mm) full-floating, cross-drilled, two-piece rotors.