Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V (2007)

June 27, 2007 - There is an unwritten law saying that every article about a Nissan Sentra SE-R must contain at least one reference to the original B13-chassis car of the same name. Released in the early '90s, the B13 SE-R was designed to be a formidable competitor to cars like the Honda Civic and Acura Integra. The original SE-R boasted a track-proven suspension, a 140 horsepower SR20 motor and a 0-60 time of about 7.6 seconds. It was a very good car for its time; so good that it still has a very loyal following today. Had this Sentra been (a lot) prettier, it may have been good enough to yank the "king of sport compacts" crown away from the mighty Civic. But the SE-R was never able to achieve the success and status that the Civic still enjoys, and we're guessing that one of the main reasons for this is that the car is kind of ugly. Nissan didn't do much to fix this issue of beauty in subsequent Sentras; every Sentra SE-R that came after the original B13 carried forth that tradition of having a face that not even its mother could love. Not that this lack of sex appeal ever mattered to enthusiasts; the original Sentra SE-R (as well as the B15 chassis SE-R) is (still) a blast to drive. Let the poseurs worry about looking "good" behind the wheel - SE-R drivers want to enjoy the drive itself. If the drive must be done in anonymity, so be it. The last Sentra was getting quite long in the tooth, and wanting to add a bit of "pizzazz" to the line, Nissan released an all-new Sentra SE-R for '07. In addition to boasting a crisper, more modern design that falls in line with the rest of the Nissan family, this new Sentra boasts more space, more power and more refinement than the SE-Rs that came before it. However, this latest hot-rod Sentra is missing one important ingredient: fun.