The Nissan Saurus was a
concept car designed by
Nissan
, trade name, trading as Nissan Motor Corporation and often shortened to Nissan, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The company sells ...
Motor and unveiled at the 1987
Tokyo Motor Show.
["In the distant past, Nissan has done a couple of similar stark, Lotus-style concepts (the Saurus from the 1987 Tokyo Show and Duad, from Tokyo 1991, for those with long memories)...]
Preview: 2006 Nissan Urge
December 28, 2005 Channel 4["Japanese market's tastes make car names a different animal" "For example, Nissan Motors' racy sports car, sold in the United States under the ..." "One example is Nissan's prototype roadster called Saurus, which the ..." Feb 5, 1989 Chicago Tribune
] It was a
roadster featuring a 2.0-liter
turbocharged
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...
engine,
[ ] with bulging fenders and a design reminiscent of the
Lotus Seven.
Nissan marketed the Saurus as part of a pair along with the
Jura minivan concept, introduced as a practical complement to the roadster. This approach was very radical for the Japanese market where space for two automobiles was unrealistic for most, so it was safely assumed the Saurus concept was never meant to see production.
Impact
The Saurus concept made its way into production in a modified form by Nissan's
Nismo, Nissan's motor sports division. The Saurus Cup race series debuted 1989 using the
Nissan Saurus Jr.
The Nissan Saurus Jr. was first sold in 1991. It is a race car version of the Nissan Saurus.
The Saurus Jr. was designed by Nissan solely for the one-make series known as the Saurus Jr. Cup, which was held at the Tsukuba circuit. It was available ...
, a race car version of the Saurus. The series featured single seater
sheet metal tub race cars with fiberglass molded bodies replicating the Saurus concept. The car was also used for Nissan Racing School. The successor to the Saurus race car, the Nissan Saurus Jr., is still used for advanced racing classes today.
The twin-charged engine of the Saurus made its way into production in 1989 through the
March/Micra Super Turbo.
The
Nissan Urge has been compared to the Saurus.
References
Saurus
Cars introduced in 1987
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