Infiniti G20

The G20 was Infiniti’s entry-level luxury car in the United States during most of the 1990s and into the 2000s. It was virtually identical to the Japanese/European market Nissan Primera sedan, although the G20 offered higher levels of standard equipment. It was launched in 1991 to compete with the Acura Integra, BMW 3-Series, Lexus ES 250 and Volvo 200 series; later advertisements emphasized its European heritage with the tag line “Born in Japan. Educated in Europe. Now Available in America.” However, despite the lofty ambitions of the Nissan marketing department, it only achieved niche status as a competitor to other contemporary offerings. Two generations of the G20 exist in the United States, the HP10 (P10), built from 1991 to 1996, and the HP11 (P11), built from 1999 to 2002. Most G20s were front-wheel drive but some were all wheel drive. The G20 was powered by a transversely mounted DOHC NA reciprocating internal combustion engine, the SR20DE, a 2.0 liter (1998 cc) square (Bore × Stroke: 86.0 × 86.0 mm) Inline 4-cylinder. This engine was also shared with the US-spec Nissan Sentra/Nissan 200SX SE-R, Nissan NX2000, and a host of non-US Nissan vehicles. The particular engine used in the G20 produced 140 crank horsepower at first, and 145 in ‘00+ editions (116 to 126 whp; stock range) and 132 lb·ft (179 N·m) or 136 lb·ft (184 N·m) torque (111 to 120 wft·lbf; stock range). These engines were also fairly high-revving with a redline of 7450 rpm for 1991 through 1996 editions, 6950 rpm for the 1999 edition, and 6750 rpm for 2000+ editions. Like other SR-powered cars, the G20 has become extremely popular among “tuners” who like the engine for its flexibility, reliability, fuel economy and high power-handling capabilities. These factors combined with a low buy-in cost have caused used SR-powered Sentras, 200SXs and G20s to become popular and prominent in the tuner or “import scene” subculture.