Nissan Sunny GTI-R: Classic Cars

Originally a compact class with a friendly name, the Nissan Sunny became a 16V rocket like the GTI. Things were hotter in the Nissan Sunny GTI-R, which taught fear with its all-wheel drive and turbo sports car. We took a closer look at exotic Classic Cars!

Nissan’s Sunny compact class has never had a good standing in this country neither the sunny name nor the many body styles that include hatchback, notchback, hatchback, wagon, coupe and minivan. The last generation, produced in Germany from 1990 to 1995, is no exception. But that doesn’t mean there weren’t a few real highlights in Nissan’s partner showrooms this time around. The Sunny GTI was Nissan’s real declaration of war against the GTI group – and with a two-liter four-valve engine and 143 hp (105 kW) it was to be taken seriously. In the AUTO ZEITUNG 21/1992 test, the Japanese won the competition with Citroen ZX 16V, Mitsubishi Colt GTi 16V and Opel Astra GSi 16V. Not only was it very quick, it also handled well, built cleanly and – as the testers quoted – “hung on the gas very well.”

Things got even hotter when Nissan decided to prepare the Sunny GTI for gathering in Group A. The compact sports car not only received an extra “R” in the name, but also turbocharging and all-wheel drive. With a maximum power of 220 hp (162 kW), the Nissan Sunny GTI-R in 1992 was almost eclipsed. And the exterior had also changed a lot: now there was a big bulge on the bonnet, an air intake grille that provided an intercooler and fresh air. A long rear spoiler on the trunk ensured that the GTI-R, although not on the highway, clearly stood out from its weaker siblings. Interestingly, the development department decided not to use fender flares. Also interesting: Tips for our products on Amazon

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Classic Cars presents the Nissan Sunny GTI-R

It’s hard to imagine what Porsche drivers must have thought in 1992 when the Nissan Sunny GTI-R stuck to their bumper on a country road. 267 Nm was pulled to the wheels when the turbo blew fresh air into the combustion chambers at 0.73 bar. The all-wheel drive raced through the first three gears of its five-speed transmission to 100 km/h in 6.4 seconds. However, because of the rear wing, the maximum speed was “only” 223 km / h. All this was achieved from – well – modern interiors. The black hard plastic interior paired with cloth-covered sports seats couldn’t exactly be described as an oasis of well-being. But as an open sports cockpit with additional displays of fuel temperature, pressure and boost pressure, it served its purpose admirably. For conference participants such as Stig Blomqvist, comfort was not important however.

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However, dark clouds did not appear for rally competition in the form of Lancia Delta and Toyota Celica: Despite the promising performance data, the Nissan Sunny GTI-R remained behind only because it constantly poured mud and water into its engine-mounted booster. . After the 1991 and 1992 seasons they quit again. By then, around 15,000 had been produced, of which around 14,000 were the right-hand drive version called the Pulsar GTi-R. 600 examples were intended for the German market, which at 60,000 Deutschmarks cost almost three times as much as the regular Sun and twice as much as the Sun GTI. The limited GTI-R was last seen at the Artcurial auction in 2022: with a good selling price of 40,000 euros, a new car was above the average of 20,000 to 30,000 euros.