For a car with such a stellar name, the Nissan Pulsar usually isn’t the shiniest object in the vicinity. At least, that’s been true of my (admittedly limited) past Pulsar observations: basically a slightly eclipsed Sunny, with a slightly more somber disposition. Nothing planet-shattering, in other words. But there is a brighter spot in the Pulsar constellation: the fiery GTI-R.
Back In the late ‘80s, the World Rally Championship (WRC) was a huge deal. The sport had a massive audience in both Japan and Europe, and most carmakers would have given anything to be on the podium, as the PR dividends were potentially immense. Audi, Ford, Lancia, Toyota and Honda were certainly raking in the glory in those days. Nissan wanted in – and they decided that the N14 Pulsar hatchback would be just the ticket.
In order to enter the Pulsar into the WRC, Nissan had to produce a homologated street version, which became the GTI-R. They shoehorned the same SR20DET engine (1998cc turbocharged 4-cyl.) in the little Pulsar that was used in the contemporary U12 Bluebird SSS and S13 Silvia, but whereas is was limited to about 208hp in the bigger cars, the Pulsar’s variant was pushed to 230hp and mated to an AWD drivetrain. This enabled the street version of the Nissan WRC entry to accelerate like a motorbike (0-100kph in 5.5 seconds) and cruise like an airplane (max speed: 232kph/144mph).
Two flavours of GTI-R were on offer: the “Alpha” luxury model, like our feature car, had A/C, ABS, power windows and the same seats one would find on other higher-end N14 Pulsars (not seen on this car due to aftermarket Recaros, which in this case are somewhat justified), or the hard-core “Beta” WRC homologation model that did away with any creature comforts as standard and made do with base trim, making the car 30kg lighter.
The GTI-R was chiefly made for the JDM, but a contingent was also shipped over to Europe, where it was marketed as a Sunny. EU-spec versions are all of the “alpha” variety, but the engine had to be toned down to 220hp due to differences in octane levels in European fuels. Still, it gave the Nissan range a shot of adrenaline like they hadn’t had since the Fairlady Z.
Sales were brisk, especially in Japan. However, that did not translate into Nissan becoming a WRC winner: the stringent Group A rules meant that the Pulsar was hamstrung tyre-wise and the car’s smaller and narrower nose, compared to its somewhat larger competitors, caused the intercooler and the radiator to run a bit too hot, despite the massive air intakes. The Pulsar underperformed on the track, leading Nissan to throw in the towel in 1992.
But they kept the GTI-R in the Japanese market range until the model was retired in January 1995, when the N15 Pulsar took over, minus the GTI-R variant. The nameplate is still used in certain parts of the globe, but it was retired from the JDM in 2000, where the N16 was sold as the Bluebird Sylphy, later replaced by the Tiida. Never was the Pulsar allowed to shine so brightly as it did in the early ‘90s with the GTI-R – for once, it actual was star material.
Related post:
Curbside Capsules: Pulsar Showdown – GTI-R / Q / Grinny, by Don Andreina
Another really awesome looking little econobox-racer. This one arrives too late for the US market, and is really too late for the global market as well, in my opinion. Here in the US, it seems that the hot hatch look wasn’t big enough of a market for every player. Thoughout the 1980s, it seems every manufacturer had sunk development costs into awesome little sporty cars – but here, by 1985, the US economy roared back, gas prices dropped, and the action shifted from these neat cars to intermediate family cars like the Camry, Accord and Taurus/Sable.
By the time the GTI-R was available, America’s love of neat sporty little cars was over. Sad too. These were great cars that could have opened more US eyes to the benefits of smaller sports cars. The SUV boom, with its immense profits opened wide, and it seemed no one had an interest in this market anymore.
Like a lot of young guys at this time, I loved these capable fun cars. It was frustrating to see the potential they offered get ignored for Explorers, Cherokees and Blazers.
the car’s smaller and narrower nose, compared to its somewhat larger competitors, caused the intercooler and the radiator to run a bit too hot
Too hot indeed; cooling was sorely lacking for the competition cars, and for whatever reason, this was not sufficiently fleshed out until it was too late to do anything about it. Nissan Motorsport Europe first entered the cars in the Safari and Acropolis rallies in 1991, immediately discovered they simply could not breathe, and were likely down 50-75 horsepower in these hot events compared to the competition. That intercooler was swiftly nicknamed the “interwarmer”, and NME didn’t even bother entering either rallies the following year. Cooler events didn’t address poor weight distribution or Dunlop’s inferior rubber, and the whole program (and Nissan’s participation in the WRC henceforth) was scrapped after only 9 races into the program.
These were interesting, too bad we never got it in the US. Although we did get the non-turbo version of the engine in the Sentra SE-R as well as the Infiniti G20, both great driving cars, yet unrelated to each other otherwise.
Around this timeframe, we also got the VW GTI VR6 and 1.8T so there was certainly interest in this class/type of car although it was limited.
Honda didn’t really ever field anything in rallying, I think you may be thinking of Peugeot? Mazda was a bit player back then and of course Subaru and Mitsubishi eventually got hugely into it, these were sort of the post Group B transition years with first Group A and their somewhat tamer formula (and much greater homologation numbers requirements) and then the actual WRC era kicking off in earnest.
Well, we got the N14 Pulsar in Australia, but certainly not in this form. The best Nissan Australia could do for us was the SSS five-door with the SR20DE (not the -DET this beast has), no mean thing in itself. This generation Pulsar even scored Car of the Year in a joint win with the Honda NSX, Perhaps Peak Pulsar years for us.
CC-in-scale has a GTi-R coming from Japan; if you’d waited another month….. 🙂
Good morning .
I’m looking for the Nissan GTi-R bonnet, it fits me even if it’s damaged. I have to cut out the central piece with the air intake and weld it on another car. See photos. Do you only have this piece to sell?