Autoblog

Some auto enthusiasts happened to be walking past their local Nissan dealer and were surprised to see a Ferrari badge peaking out at them from a crumpled wreck in the corner of the shop. On closer inspection they noticed the car was a complete write-off, but that it was also missing its drivetrain. Then they noticed a group of five mechanics huddled around a sporty looking Sunny (Sentra) on the other end of the garage. You can probably guess what they found when they sauntered over for a closer look. The newly-mid-engine Nissan Sunny has had quite a power upgrade. With twice as many cylinders and roughly 380 hp to play with, this F355-engined pocket rocket should be quite a wild ride. We hope they add a little rear ventilation in the extreme makeover. Revenge of the '80s, it's the return of the killer Bs.



[Source: Hemmings]

If it weren’t for those people with a lot of free time on their hands we wouldn’t get to marvel at such a mechanical masterpiece as this––a B15 Sentra (current gen.) with a VQ35DE engine. The VQ engine used for this project is the same venerable six-cylinder found in the Altima, Maxima, 350Z, G35… you get the picture. The VQ makes those cars fast, but it makes this car ridiculously fast. Try passing the traps in 12.9 seconds at 105 mph in a FWD pocket rocket normally restricted to 15.7 seconds at 88 mph.

Credit for the engine swap goes to a member of the SR20 Forum by the name of unlucky who eventually plans to offer his swap as a kit for not only the B15 Sentra, but the B13 (1991-1994) and B14 (1995-1999), as well. He’s looking for a donor car on which to prototype those kits, so if you’re insane and have $4,500 to donate to the project, you’ll end up with a Sentra whose front wheels turn to the tune of 250 wheel-horsepower. That's as crazy a combination as the 300-hp, FWD Caliber SRT-4.

[Thanks Dave for the tip!]