1993 Nissan Pulsar GTiR review from Australia and New Zealand

Clutch replacement at 78,000 kms.

The front discs needed machining at 80,000 kms due to excessive noise and vibration under heavy braking.

Air Conditioning system has a leak, yet to be fixed and restored to full efficiency.

Otherwise fine.

This is truely a hot hatch once dubbed 'Son of Godzilla.'

It was developed by Nissan in the early 90s to compete in the WRC rally campaign, but was never as successful as Nissan might have hoped. However, this is still a lot of car in a small package.

The engine in the GTiR, is the famously tough SR20DET. To the uninitiated, it is a 2.0 L DOHC turbocharged engine. This power plant is a little hummer, offering reliability and blistering acceleration. The car itself ways less than a tonne, and so the 180 kW engine output speaks for itself!

The suspension set up is firm and low. However, when pushed to the limits, the GTiR has an unpleasant tendancy to understeer. Having said that, its handling limits are only seldom explored by the bravest of drivers.

The GTiR is 4WD, and so grip under acceleration is suburb. For a little car, the GTiR feels solid and controllable while driven at speed. The 4WD system is great for drag racing, and happily remains grip-hungry during those 6000 rpm + launches.

The exterior of the car is compact yet gloriously agressive. The bonnet bulges with intake vents, and the rear of the car boasts an extended wing.

The interior is clean and functional. No complaints here. The seats are supportive and sporty. The gear change is nicely complemented with a leather gear knob and skirt. The GTiR varient also possess a set of 3 gauges in the dash board, that other lesser-specced pulsars do not have.

Performance wise, the GTiR is a little rocket. My latest 1/4 mile time was 13.2 sec @ 105 mph. It eats up 0-100 km/h in around 6 seconds.

It must also be said that the boot space in the pulsar is small. Although, the back seats can be lent foward to provide ample room to carry whatever.

The GTiR responds very well to a few minor modifications. After installing a high flow air filter and mandrel bent exahust system, my power ouput increased 8kW according to the dyno. I am also currently getting the timing retarded up 2-3 degrees which should provide further improvement.

Finally, it must also be said that the GTiR IS quite expensive to run. Fuel economy is average, and being a turbo charged engine that has 80,000 odd kms on it, things do break from time to time. However, the GTiR is a fast and charasmatic little car, and I reccomend it to anyone who can afford the insurance (sigh). :)