Intl Project Car Nissan B13 Sentra - Project Nissan Sentra

Every good tire is available in 205/50-15, and 15x6.5 and 15x7-inch wheels are abundant in the bolt pattern (4x100mm) and offset (+35mm) the SE-R requires. Despite the myriad choices, the decision was not hard. Motegi Racing's Traklite has the perfect balance of reasonable cost, forged strength, and almost unbelievable lightness. At 10.5 pounds, they knock 4.5 pounds of unsprung weight off each corner compared to our already light 16s. They also have enough brake clearance to clear the popular Fastbrakes SE-R front brake kit that mates Wilwood four-pot calipers and 11-inch Corrado rotors. Oh, and they're already flat black, so I don't have to get my spray can.

Wrapping the Motegis in R-compound Nitto NT-01s dropped another 2.5 pounds from each corner compared to our old, discontinued 215/45-16 Falken Azenis Sports. That brings us to a total savings of 28 pounds of unsprung weight and 36 pounds of high-polar-moment bumper weight.

We first sampled the NT-01 in a much larger 245/40-18 on an RX-8. In that application, at least, they were brilliant, offering massive grip, easy breakaway, comfortable behavior when sliding, and perfectly reasonable track wear. Their good grip at high slip angles makes them particularly suitable to my personal 11/10ths driving style. The NT-01s' only vice on the RX-8 was the monster-truck howl they made when cruising on the street. They might not be the best daily-driver tire, but they're certainly civilized enough to drive to and from the track.

We're still not sure how the smaller size behaves on the SE-R though. We'll learn that soon when our longest-running project car meets its younger cousin, the B15 SE-R Spec-V, at the track next time. We're just a few little suspension tweaks away from actually wrapping up a project.

Previous Installments
December 1997
Part I: From Used-Car Blues to Type-R Track Manners, a Used Sport CompactWith Potential

October 1998
Part II: Shaving 21 Feet off Our Stopping Distance With an NX2000 BrakeUpgrade

April 1999
Part III: Tuning Up for Major Engine Mods and Other Go-Fast Goodies

July 1999
Part IV: Detailing our Power Enhancers

June 2000
Part V: Which Cams Produce the Most Power? Find Out in Our Performance Shootout

July 2000
Part VI: Suspension Magic

November 2000
Part VII: Keeping an Old Car New. Is That Possible?

April 2005
Part VIII: The Four-Year Leap