Here’s why the Nissan Pulsar NX was a way cooler Sentra
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 พ.ค. 2021
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In this episode I provide the history of the Nissan Pulsar NX, a sporty coupe from 1982 through 1990. As a replacement for the Datsun 310 model in North America, it shared many parts from the Nissan Sentra, but unlike the Sentra, it was marketed towards a a younger sports-car minded buyer. The second generation of the Pulsar NX also had a rear hatch that could be removed or replaced with a wagon-shaped design that they called the Sportbak. - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
I loved those "candy cane" taillights too! And altho rare I do remember seeing ones w the 'sportbak'. The 80s were so fun and cool. And remember when Nissan was a daring innovative company that built good cars? Now they are just the Chrysler of Japan :(
That’s what worries my about the new Z would you buy a sports car from Chrysler
I remember the sportbak too and saw a few. But what he didn't mention is you had to buy all those different accessories....and most people buying a Pulsar didn't have money to buy all those. Much less live in a house with a garage to store them all. Probably why so few were seen.
Reminded me of that Mustang from the 60's with the wagon back.
I do remember.. It was at that time called Datsun..
Chrysler of Japan😂
I definitely had a crush on a girl in college who drove a pulsar, great memories. If you don't already have a Subaru GL/Loyale video planned that would be a great watch.
The one that got away
I worked with this chick who also drove one of those, she was great :) must be a pulsar thing lol
My sister had this car. The day she got it, she took the sunroof off, but then just laid it back on the top, didn't slide it sideways to lock it. When she drove us to school the next day, the glass top flew off and hit the ground behind us. A thousand pieces of glass all over the road. One of my most vivid memories.
She would have had to get a replacement panel from the dealer! She is lucky she didnt lose both panels!! Did she ever completely remove the hatch as well and drive it like that?
I really liked my '93 Nissan NX 2000 with the T Top. The 5 speed was quick and fun to drive. Glad to see it made an appearance on this episode.
My first brand new car (at age 19, my dad cosigned the loan) was a 1978 Datsun B210 hatchback. It was spartan, which I actually liked, except for that Japanese thing for putting the radio antenna on the windshield pillar) It was a 5 speed. I paid it off in less than 3 years, and then drove it for almost 12 years, and it was still running great. Datsun built simple but high quality cars back then, now Nissan builds total JUNK.
I owned an 89 honda accord lxi...4door with pop up headlights...they really did make cars look sharp.
Love it! I also had as my first used car I bought was a 1989 Honda Accord 4 door DX model, it was the five speed with rollup windows and one side mirror. I think it had maybe 90hp if that, it was not the fuel injected one like yours, just carbureted. But it did have A/C thank god! But when you turned on that A/C you could feel the initial drag it put on the engine. The first few years I had it I kept having $1200 repairs I swear. The previous owner differed so much maintenance, I got hit up with everything it needed, odd for a Honda. But if you don't take care of the high mileage items, doesn't matter who made the car I guess. I drove it tell about 190k miles.
I would have taken it further, but I knew I was moving out west where 89 Hondas had no rust to speak of, and knew it wouldn't command any kind of price on the used market in a few years. So I sold it and got a 98' Honda Accord 2 door, also used but only about 35k on the odometer, and took it to 260k before the transmission finally gave out. I'm sure if it had the manual I would still be driving it today and taking it all the way to 300k. It was far more reliable over the years, fantastic engine with the VTEC. But just the four cylinder, not the peppier V6 they also made for the 2-door. Great handling car, everything else I drive these days, rentals, work vehicles, they all feel wallowie not planted. Some day I'll get another Honda, not financially in a position to get one at the moment, driving around in a cheap Chevy HHR right now that I got from a friends mom who passed away just as my Honda gave up. Do that for a few years and then trade up to a more current Honda.
We need an old Civic video! Total economic departure from what they are now.
The ‘89 hatchback is my Great White Buffalo....
yes. The 1999 civic SI is one of my favorite
Good job! This brought back memories of seeing those taillights back in the 80's! I never saw a wagon conversion in real life, though, just lots of magazine ads. 👍
Oh man! I had to see this. I used to own a 1988 Nissan Pulsar NX SE that looked identical to the one in your video, except I had tinted windows. One of the best cars I've ever owned. I took so many trips in that car, and the fun factor was off the charts.
The only issue was no-one wanted to work on it. Even the Nissan techs at the dealers hated them. Turned out that the SE model's twin cam engine ((CA16DE in 1987; CA18DE in 1988-89) was exclusive to that car here in the US, so a lot of parts weren't interchangeable with other Nissans. Also, access was tight in the engine bay. Timing belt service required removing the right front wheel and going through the right wheel well. It even had a distributorless ignition....back in the 80's.
If you wanted the easier car, you bought the less powerful, less expensive base version. It used the exact same engine as the Sentra. Fun note: The RB engine block used in the R32, R33, and R34 Skylines, was derived from the CA block used in the Pulsar NX SE. So, while the later model NX's all aluminum, SR20 engine was an improvement, the cast iron, CA block was nothing to scoff at.
One of my best friends in high school had a 1989 Pulsar NX that she got brand new. We were in Florida and we had so much fun riding around with the t-tops off. That was the car I learned to drive manual on.
I had an '89 powder blue metallic NX and I learned to drive a manual trans just so I could get that car! My favorite car of all times and I'm 69 YO. Thought I was so cool and pretended it was a Ferrari 😁😁
Really enjoying your channel… great stuff!!
This is amazing!!! I love the Pulsar!!! I have always wanted one.
I remember both versions of the Pulsar! I loved it.
I thought of the early 80’s Pulsar NX as the cool “little brother” of the flagship 300ZX.
Those second gen tail lamps were undefeated. I actually remember and prefer the first gen NX, but the second gen definitely is more memorable. Great job!
I love this car. As a kid my aunt got one of these as a second generation. I fell in love. The first generation looks a heck of a lot like the Fiat Bertone X/9.
Chevy S10 next!
Whoa! @ 7:07, the pic of the black NX2000 with black center caps and t-tops off is literally MY OLD CAR!!! I took that photo in a parking garage near Washington Square Mall in Tigard near Portland. I have had 3 NX2000s over the years since 1997, that '93 NX pictured is my 2nd I bought around 2007. I currently have a white 1992 NX2000, im the second owner. Garage kept all its life. Had seat covers all its life until I bought it so the interior is amazing. That picture ended up on a bunch of ramdom websites over the years, and was a shock to see it here. Pretty cool! I LOVE NX2000s. If you cant already tell.
Great to see this. My '87 Pulsar NX is still my favorite car I've owned. Hope to find another some day. Love your channel!
I had an ‘87, too! Such fond memories of a fun car.
@@Barleyleg I owned the 1988 ….. so much fun
If your looking for one I have a 1987 with only 29k miles
Nicely done. Learned a few things I didn't know before. I owned a couple of Pulsars back in the 2000s and even turbo engine swapped one of them. Still have two Sportbaks even though the cars are gone.
I had a pulsar NX when I was a younger guy.. I had no idea I was getting 52 miles to the gallon.. those are freaking hybrid numbers! 😊👍
7:52 - I own an N16 in 5 door hatchback form. Named the 'Almera' in Europe.
Even me I have the same car n16 it's a cool car but me I have the sunny ex saloon 1.5litre.
I had a Datsun 200SX back in the day. Fully loaded including a “taped, vocal” warning system, 2.4 litre, 12 valve(3 per cylinder), 5 speed. Great runner.
We had one when I was a kid. Remembering the "AI voice" bonds us all. Hard to find this car on the road now.
Yessss !
You have done such a phenomenal job with your channel That we expect an amazing legacy of docu vids. Hope you are up for it
I went with a buddy to his pot dealer back in the 90s and the dealer had a black pulsar. He took us on a drive and I couldnt get over the awesome dashboard. Such a sweet car.
Thanks for doing a review of this… man, does it bring back memories. My first car was an 83 Nissan Pulsar. Turbo charged, light as a paperweight and just fast enough to literally get airborne on a rough stretch of road. I loved its 80’s-futuristic boxy styling, with its angular wedges, pop up headlights and “Knight Rider”-esque orange dashboard. Mine had regular square taillights (without diagonal stripe enclosures), a sunroof (not sure if they all had that?), and - peculiarly - a Nissan decal on the front, with a Datsun badge on the back. There were more than a few times that I got pulled over and the cop walked around the vehicle, spending an inordinate amount of time on the radio out of confusion over what make and model to call in. It was the only stick I ever owned and a total piece of junk, I’m sure it cost me twice as much in maintenance as I spent buying it used. Even so, it was probably the most fun vehicle I ever owned.
Always nice to see videos pop up like this. I have owned 3 N13 pulsar nx, and my current red one has a ca18det in it. My youtube picture bubble is actually the cluster from my pulsar. I had taken mine to the dragway a few times back before covid. Now I'm looking to get back out there and do some more racing.
The second generation front end resembled the mid 80's 200sx. I had an 85 200sx coupe, an absolute beauty. Not a bad car to review, just a thought.
Loved this car and love this channel, filling a necessary nostalgia void
Great review and information for an often overlooked model. My first car was a 1979 Datsun 310, parents purchased for me after high school in 1985. The 2 1980's Pulsar's were unique and the NX follow up was a pretty sporty car for the early 1990's.
Lusted after the second gen NX when I was a kid, ended up buying a gti-r when I was an adult. Miss it dearly now. What a rocketbox
My grandfather got my aunt a red ‘89 Pulsar NX as a high school graduation gift. Was eight years old at the time. Never forgot what a huge deal that was!
The Beretta video was my first view on your channel and I look forward to keeping up with all you serve up to us.
I wanted the second gen - taillight love for sure! High school crush had a 1st gen that I couldn't fit into. Lol
FINALLY a video on pulsars, I have one as my first car and it's been my project car for a year, I love it
I didn't hear about this car until I was a senior in high school in 1999. We had an N13 we tinkered on in shop class that was owned by one of the teachers. It was a good looking car for its era, and the swappable back was way cool. I really wanted that car, and the teacher who owned it wanted to auction it off to the students, but the school said no for liability reasons. I hadn't thought about it in years until I spotted this video. Kudos, I'm really enjoying this channel!
Great video, I learned something new about that 2nd generation Pulsar,the hatch that switched from hatchback to wagon!,what an awesome feature!
The Pontiac Grand Ams were a staple 80s and 90s car. I would love to see a video on this one.
My first car was an 85 pulsar. Just like the one in the commercial. Sunroof and all. Love your videos. Love the old cars.
I had a black, 1989 Pulsar NX. It was my second car. Bought it from a friend in '98 who had it as an extra vehicle, but he never drove it. It was cherry condition with very low miles. Five-speed manual. Very fun car. Miss those t-tops.
I’ve been waiting for this one from you! I owned a 1988 Pulsar NX SE as one of my first cars and I loved it! I was too broke for a convertible, so the T Top was a great compromise. And I don’t know why, but the pop up headlights always seemed the epitome of ‘cool’. Thanks for the awesome flashback video.
Thank You. Your videos have really been bringing me back to a fun time for me lately. I was a Fiero guy myself. Try the Conquest and Starion or the Dodge Turbo Z maybe...or even Fiero.
I had one! It was an '88 SE...Red with black interior and the twin cam engine. It was sitting in the show room at the dealership and I had just gotten my first real job and I thought it was the coolest car ever. I didn't even test drive it...I just bought it. Drove it for ten years until the transmission went. The only regret was every time I would take it for repairs there was this lady who said "Twin Cam. right?" and the price would go cachiing caching. I don't know if I could even get in it today but I loved it.
This was great!!! The one thing I remembered just as you did about the gen 2 model was the striped brake lights. It reminded me of 80's sci-fi shows for some reason. I totally fogot about the gen 3, as the NX1600/2000. I wasn't old enough to drive at that time, but it was something I wanted.
Awesome! My cousin's wife had one of these when they first started going out and I couldn't remember for the life of me what it was.
Bro I totally owned a 1987 Nissan pulsar NX. as a matter of fact it was red with black interior like the one you show in your video. It was my first car that I purchased after getting out of basic while joining the army though it wasn't the first car I'd ever owned. I've got so many memories of that amazing car the t-tops everything about that car was awesome. I for the longest time when I was younger had wanted a Pontiac fiero mostly for the look that it gave but I remember the day that I first laid eyes on the Nissan pulsar NX. I just had to have it. I probably paid too much for it but the memories I had and the fun spent while driving it could never be replaced. Thanks for the awesome reminder of this amazing car and for teaching me some things that I didn't know about its production.
Just got an 88 and 89 this weekend. One has a sportbak. Such ridiculously 80's awesomeness.
Dang I didn't know how new this channel is, I'm sure it'll get a big following soon. Great vids!
My 1st car... 1986 Honda accord. 1st year for popup headlights. Dad bought me one for graduating high school in 1998. Because of the reliability & it being practical, this was alot of people's 1st car.
Had an '89 16V - such a cool little car. Heavy, understeery, but 19 yr old me loved it!
Pop up up and down headlights!
YAY my suggestion made it!! Thanks for the episode! :)
Consider highlighting the 1980's Olds Cutlass. It was a best selling model of the early '80s of the oldest car company in the US. Some of us wish it was still around. My first car was an '80 Cutlass I bought in '82. I bought an '84 Cutlass new and traded it on an '87 442 new and still have the car. These '80s Cutlass models deserve some attention as they led US sales for at least two years of the early '80s. Maybe dovetail all the G Body cars from the 1980s and compare the similarities & differences. Thanks for the channel!
Would buy 1 now if they were still made!
This is THE coolest YT channel !!! We can all relate to it. My friend had a Pulsar in the 80's.
Thanks for making these videos! Very entertaining
Great episode! It was a fun unique car. I had the gen2 in silver. I still remember taking those off and driving high school girls around. To be clear....I was also in high school!
I still miss my 1986 Chevy Nova. Would love to see a video on the 80’s Novas.
Please do the Mazda mx-3/precidia
That was now excellent, I am also very nostalgic of the 80'2 era Nissan cars. that and the Mazda 323's is what we grew up with. Owned a Nissan 1400 LDV, Tracker 4x4 but nothing came close to the Exa Turbo in styling and looks. In 2 weeks I will be home and take possession of my restored 1984 Exa Turbo. Been building for 10 months now, never ever had the privilege to drive it. Doing a 350o km road trip end June....
I loved the second generation pulsar! My mom almost bought one and I was so excited but she opted for a sunbird turbo coupe instead which was also pretty cool at the time.
I also remember fitting NX1600 rear disc brakes to my B13 Sentra all because it was cheaper to get all the parts from the wreckers than to replace the one failed handbrake cable on the existing drums in order to get a safety. Plus the discs just looked cool. They were basically a bolt-in. Same chassis.
I had a red 1986 Pulsar. Favorite car I owned. I have a Sentra now that I re-badged to a Pulsar.
I used to own a red ‘85 Pulsar NX just like the one in the add the video started with. I loved that thing. How about a video about the Maxima?
Really enjoying your channel! Thanks!
Love you videos!
I owned a 1988 Lincoln town car (amongst other vehicles from the 80s-00s.
I would love to see a video on the Towncar!
When I was a college intern....one of the managers at the company had a blue first gen Pulsar Coupe. I was staying at a house and one of the roommates bought a white 1988 Pulsar with the t-tops and the hatch. I think he referenced removing the rear hatch but it was kind of a pain to do so it stayed on. He would remove the roof panels though. So I had a chance to spend the summer of 1988 with that car and had the opportunity to ride in it a few times. I thought it was a cool car but not widely marketed or easy to find. Eventually, I returned to school...the guy with the Pulsar moved to CA and not sure what happened to him or the car.
Later...in the early 90s....my fiancé had an 87 Nissan Sentra and then traded it a for a 93 Sentra XE sedan. I recall the NX of that year was documented in the Sentra's owner's manual. Later we would buy a 98 Altima...which gave us some mechanical issues during its stay with us....and later, a '14 Nissan Maxima which has been a comfortable and reliable sedan for us.
I own three of these .... in 2021.
Got my first one 1997
Had so much fun with it, I had to hold to them 2 decades later.
Wanna sell one?!
@@lilwill6985 I mean .... always open to persuasion .... 😉
Are they reliable cars ? Also are they fast or ? I’m really having an eye on this car so I want a little more info ...
@@cutecupcakes5980 actually ... reliable as The best of them!!!!
Fast ... I have one that makes 300 hp, so yes .... they can be ....
🥳
@@amadoxxxx7593 damn yeah these car def caught my attention . Really debating to get this one , an S2000 or a Honda prelude 😅😅
My sister had a 1rst Gen Pulsar which I never rode in but thought it was very odd looking. I had at least 2 friends with 2nd Gen Pulsar NXs and after riding in them fell in love with Nissan!! I ended up owning a 73 240 Z for a few years then a 240SX both of which were 2 of my favorite cars. My best friend had a 300 ZX back then so we were some of the coolest guys in town, or so we thought! Nissan really had it goin on back in the 80s to early 90s but then something happened..
Ford Tempo I had a 94 Ford Tempo all wheel drive it was one of the most unique cars of the time we could turn on the all-wheel drive and turn it off
Cool! I heard the tempos had an all wheel drive option but I’ve never seen one.
I requested doing a video on the Taurus, but a ford tempo/mercury topaz video would be cool too.
My dad had one back in the early 90s, he loved it. Manual with the efi engine.
I had the 2004 with the turbo, it was fast and fun. Thanks for sharing
my uncle used to own the firts gen pulsar nx
as a kid I watch him driving manual I learn the pattern like this!
around the sme time the 2nd gen pulsar caught my attention just like you mentionned : taillights
I had a friend from collage who would sometimes drive his moms 1st gen Nissan Pulsar NX. By that point it was over 10 years old, with rust in the wheel wells, had an exhaust manifold that needed replacement too. It didn't have that much get up and go with that engine, it must have been one of the early engines they used. But it was five speed and could corner decently. Certainly was light enough. For some reason I never made the connection to the 2nd gen version of the Pulsar NX, but I see that now. Earlier in high school I knew a young couple who bought the 2nd gen Pulsar brand new, sat in it, thought it was the coolest car, it's gear shifter felt fantastic, never got to drive it.. But within a year that couple had to trade in the Nissan Pulsar for a minivan because they had a baby on the way.. I believe they ended up with a Toyota Previa, man that was a quirky van indeed.
I had a 1984 Pulsar NX in high school. Great little car!
These are truly amazing 🤩☺️
The Datsun name was used on models they were not confident about, the Nissan name was given to the prestige models that they confident in and proud of!!
I own a 92 Nissan Primera P10 sedan, 1.8 auto, DOHC 16V multi point EFI (1 injector per cylinder ) very VERY few other cars would have had such an advanced engine, it can ( with careful driving ) do 43mpg on a trip, and is a VERY RELIABLE WELL MADE CAR!!!!
I am currently rebuilding a pulsar nx 87 right now kinda makes me feel honored to have the car
The Pulsar NX was really cool! I like its diagonal line taillights, and its tiny box design. ‘Twas a far cry from the blandness of other designs.
I think one of my neighbors here In eastern Oregon has one. Another has a running E80 Toyota Corolla, and one guy has one E80 sitting with its original Oregon number plates.
I commented and left a story on the Dodge Daytona video where I mentioned that my sister's boyfriend had a brand new Dodge Daytona while my sister drove a 1987 Pulsar NX. I remember him joking That he drove a real sports car while she drove a econo sport Box. Even though I was just a little kid I always Was very protective not of my sister but of her car lol. Whenever he rag on her little pulsar I would always have to remind him that his sports car was a lot faster to the Harbor Dodge dealership because it was always breaking down. My sister drove that little pulsar Until 1993 In the transmission head started to go out. She traded it in on a one year old mitsubishi eclipse. I loved that little pulsar. As many as they had sold down here in Miami they quickly started to just disappear. I remember in the year 2002 Working at a Publix Seeing a little silver one parked in the back of the lot where the employees parked. I was so excited that I tracked down the kid who owned it and grilled him on the history of the car. Even though I was young And just fresh out of college I was determined to buy the car off of him. It would have sucked because I had just gotten out of college in had gotten suckered in to a 5 year car loan that's still had 3 years left. But I was determined to figure out how I could make the numbers work until one day I heard the kid complaining that the car had so many oil leaks And Suspension issues That it was going to cost almost $5000 to replace all of the seals and the steering rack. I realized it was probably a good idea if I just kept my Camry At least until it was paid off. Well I still own that Camry which now has 438,000 miles N she's been paid off since 2005. Now that I work in auto finance I get to meet some of the most interesting "car freaks" like myself. I spoke once to a man who was One of the main parts distributors for Nissan In the 1980s, 1990s, And throughout the 2000s. I told him how much I used to love the Nissan pulsar And wanted to get my hands on one in the worst way. He told me that the little 1.6 L Centra engine voice notorious for Chronic oil and other fluid leaks, Head gasket, And transmission issues. The transmission issues mostly affected the automatic transmissions but most of the Pulsars War ordered with automatic transmissions because the owners liked to drive cars that looked sporty but didn't care that the car was not really a sports car. I wish another car would have come out with those cool squiggly tail lights.
I have not watched this yet but this was on my list to suggest. One other suggestion of a car that i bought new as a 1992 model in December 1991: the Toyota Paseo. I had it for over 10 years until I gave it to a neighbor as payment for work that he did on my house. It was still in excellent shape with 250,000 miles on it.
The Pulsar NC was so cool! It was buying three cars in one! A sport coupe, a convertible, and if so equipped, a station wagon!
Had a 89 NX..this video made me remember a lot
I love the Pulsar NX 🎉❤ love the video and always a good Top Gear / Jermey Clarkson clip!
Now that is some forgotten JDM icon. Pulsars are so overlooked, even the GTI-R hatches and Sportbak versions of them. Nice work sir, I hope you can make a video on Isuzu's old sportscars next, particularly the Bellett and the Impulse👍
the car for japan is jdm
I've owned the 86 nissan pulsar, and 84 nissan sentra, and my father had the 87 sentra, and the 1980 datsun 200sx, good little cars. 👍
I remember this car as a kid. My mother and I liked it because of the taillights as well. Though, I wasn't a teen till the mid 90s. But those taillights give back a nostalgia. Crazy because I'm a Nissan guy and I didn't know till now that it was the Nissan Pulsar NX that had them. The more I know.
I loved my 86 pulsar. One of the best little cars I ever had.
Ah Datsun. I learned to drive on my dad's old 610 wagon stick. My sister's first car was a Datsun B210 Honeybee which got totalled and then she got a 510 hatchback, which was a 5 speed and once I took it up to 100mph. Loved Datsun back in the day.
I had a nx2000 back in the day. It was such a fun little car!!!
I digged the 2nd gen NX especially the 1.8! The modular rear and t tops were very cool ideas and great So Cal car.
Though my true crush as a teen these years was for the CRX SI... Loved the CRX SI
I had an 88 Pulsar NX SE with both a normai back and a Sportbak. I totally loved it for the T-toof, the pop-up headlights and those crazy taillights. For a while I regretted trading it in for a 1995 300ZX but I eventually adapted. I didn't see a 300ZX video on your list but I haven't made it to the end of the list because I keep stopping to watch the ones that brought back memories. Keep on keeping on!!
P.S. My vote for the second coolest taillights goes to the 1962 Imperial, which can be seen in the movie It's a Mad Mad Mad, etc. World.
Those Gen 2 taillights are the first things I think of when I hear Pulsar. It was the future!
You should do a video on Saturn. I have personally owned 2 a 99 SC1 and a 2000 SL2. The SL2 I bought for $400 cause it had a blown engine. I rebuilt it and did many upgrades before I sold it. My mom had a 2001 Saturn L300. She passed away in 2007 my dad still has it. That car has 2 personalities if you drive it normally it feels slow, but you floor it it takes off like a scolded dog.
Super excited about this 😆 always wanted one
I always liked the look of the 2nd Gen Pulsar NX. I remember my Algebra teacher in high school had one.
remember those well , they were a sharp looking car
I once saw an elderly gentleman drive a red Sportbak in the 80s. Man, was I jealous.
I had an 88 with the CA18DE and it was a great little car. One of the few FWD cars I miss.
I had Pulsar NX. Tended to rust badly along the bottom of the doors, and it was pretty slow. But it had one feature few people know about; it had (by a large margin) the best heater of any car I have ever driven. It was a freaking blast furnace.
another well done video. how about a 1982 Mazda GLC wagon? Had one. It was a trip!!
I almost bought one of these back in the day. Cool little cars. :)
I luv the 2nd GEN Pulsar. First time seeing it at dealer mechanic place. I was 12 and the car was on display.
Cool video, just found your channel. I thought the 2nd gen Pulsar NX was pretty cool (the one w/optional Sportbak). Some other cars I'd like you to cover: Honda CRX (especially 1st and 2nd gens), Mercury Capri XR2
I was handed down a 1st-gen 1986 Pulsar NX as my first car in the early 1990s. The US carburated 1.6L E16 engine had all of 69 hp and 92 ft/lb torque, and it wasn't really meant for speed, despite appearances. All low-end torque, but I could open up the upper-end of the power band a tad when flipping the air cleaner lid (except for really cold days when the carb would ice up). The thing was a dog climbing most any grade on a freeway, and the fastest I ever got it was 92 mph going downhill. Still have good memories of it. Even driving it like I stole it, I could manage over 22mpg.
I don't think we ever saw the turbo 1.5L in the US.
I still have a 1985 Pulsar NX and you are exactly right about heat, hills and freeways lol. I mostly avoid both hills and freeways but its fun to drive to the grocery store or weekend cruises now and then, people that remember them look like they just saw a ghost when I pull up! Fun flash back and the pop-up headlights work.
Had an 86 that was still Gen 1. The best thing about it was it was light enough to pick up the rear end to move into tight parking spots.
I never saw Pulsars around Dallas when I was in the market for my first new car. I bought a first year CRX that I loved. That Pulsar would have left my CRX in the dust. If I had seen one in black with those pop-up headlights, I would have been sold.