Introduction
When first introduced in Europe, the S13 started off with a 1.8 liters CA18DET engine, turbocharged and intercooled with a 4 valve per cylinder, compared to the early American's three. Thanks to that the horsepower went up a notch (171 HP) and CAR magazine documented that the car made 0-60 in 6.4 seconds, a number recorded during a 1989 comparison test that the 200SX won. CAR also wrote that ‘Nissan will top 140mph and outsprint a Ferrari Mondial to a mile a minute.’ And there it was – the first victory of Nissan.
But was it really?
But was it really? Well, let’s look at Ferrari Mondial, which was innately a mid-engined four-seater grand tourer manufactured in the '80s. It’s V8 engine producing the mere 200-odd horsepower permitted 0-60 for the shocking 9.4 seconds. By the time CAR laid its hands on the Mondial, Ferrari had already upgraded the engine to 3.2 liters and celebrated its new 270 horsepower, which promised that the speed of the car had also been improved. The Mondial proved that managing the 0-60 in 6.4 seconds. But, ironically, it’s hard efforts resulted in an oil leak, with the liquid drenching the engine and rear window. The car had to be dismissed before the CAR review was officially completed. So yes, in the '80s, your friend’s Nissan was as fast as a Ferrari – so why not consider an engine swap, which could easily bring back to life the rusty old 240SX glorious days.
