2005 Nissan Altima SE-R Press Kit

Forged 18-inch wheels. Three-gauge center instrument cluster. Aggressive front fascia. Rear spoiler. Painted brake calipers. High-flow mufflers. Large diameter chrome dual exhaust finishers. Black leather-appointed sport seats. The Nissan Altima SE-R doesn’t look like any previous Altima because clearly it’s not. When Nissan launched the redesigned 2005 Altima in February 2004, it held one surprising element back – the new Altima SE-R, which joined the previous five 2005 Altima models in late September.

“The letters SE-R have come to represent fast, affordable and fun to Nissan performance enthusiasts,” said Mark McNabb, vice president and general manager, Nissan Division, Nissan North America, Inc. “Until now, our SE-R editions have been limited to the Sentra line. With the new Altima, the SE-R not only grows up, it reaches a wider audience.”

The Altima SE-R is the sixth model in the 2005 Altima lineup (others include 2.5, 2.5 S, 2.5 SL, 3.5 SE and 3.5 SL), yet in reality it stands alone with a special list of features and equipment designed for the sports enthusiast.

“The Altima SE-R is targeted at the performance buyer who wants it all – but wants it for under $30,000,” said McNabb. “The Altima SE-R is all about providing a great driving experience for enthusiasts without money to burn.”

The SE-R model builds on the substantial refinements introduced for the 2005 model year, including styling enhancements and greatly revamped interior.

Serious, Sporty and Functional Inside and Out
For 2005, every Altima model features restyled headlamps and taillights, a restyled smooth front end with a distinctive raised hood and new Nissan family grille – which gives Altima a bolder, more athletic, look than the 2004 design.

The Altima SE-R adds an array of special styling features, including a new front fascia, headlight bezel coloring, compact fog lights and dark window molding coloring. In the rear, the SE-R stands out with a new rear fascia and spoiler, smoked taillights and large dual exhaust finishers. Also visible are the new side sill spoilers, silver painted front and rear disc brake calipers, with the SE-R logo on the front calipers. SE-R badging is located on the rear of the vehicle.

The Altima interior incorporates all of the upgrades for the 2005 model, including a new instrument panel design with fine vision meter illumination, center console, trim finishes, 3-spoke steering wheel, seat material, headliner and added chrome accents and chrome door handles.

The most prominent difference between the SE-R and other 2005 Altima models is the three-pod center-mounted gauge package, similar to that found on the legendary Nissan Z®, with volt meter, oil pressure and fuel consumption gauges.

Other changes include sport-shaped front seats and headrests with perforated red or gray leather-appointed inserts and matching stitching on the seats, steering wheel and shift knob, dark chrome trim treatment and drilled aluminum pedals. The front seats are also heated, as are the SE-R’s outside mirrors. Altima SE-Rs equipped with the standard short throw linkage 6-speed manual transmission also feature a new gearshift knob.

Additional features shared with all Altimas include a power port inside the center console storage area for a mobile phone, large cup holders and power windows and locks (windows can be opened remotely via key fob for cabin venting).

The SE-R also comes standard with a Bose® premium audio system with 8 speakers and AM/FM/in-dash 6-disc CD changer with RDS, speed-sensitive volume control and steering wheel audio controls.

From a safety standpoint, the Altima SE-R comes with standard Zone Body Construction, dual-stage supplemental air bags that sense seatbelt use and collision severity and deploy accordingly, available front-seat side-impact supplemental air bags and roof-mounted side-impact curtain air bags for front- and rear-seat occupant head protection. Other standard safety features include front seat belts with pretensioners and load limiters and the LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) child seat anchors and tether system.

Performance Worthy of the SE-R Heritage
At the core of the SE-R philosophy since the beginning is performance. The Altima SE-R’s standard 3.5-liter DOHC 24-valve V6 engine offers 260 horsepower and 251 lb-ft of torque - a higher level of tuning than the Altima 3.5 SL or 3.5 SE’s 250 horsepower and 249 lb-ft torque. The SE-R also offers a performance exhaust system with large outlet pipes.

The 3.5-liter V6 is part of the VQ engine series, which has been recognized as one of the “Ten Best Engines” by Ward’s Auto World magazine for 11 consecutive years and features continuously variable valve timing, modular engine design, microfinished crank journals and cam lobes, molybdenum coated lightweight pistons and electronically controlled throttles.

The SE-R model is offered with a choice of standard 6-speed manual or optional 5-speed electronically controlled automatic with manual shift mode. Both automatic and manual transmission-equipped SE-Rs offer a traction control system, which uses a combination of throttle and fuel cutoff (along with shift schedule on A/T models) to help aid traction in off-the-line starts and slippery situations.

The 2005 Altima SE-R also features performance-tuned front struts and rear shocks, stiffer front and rear springs and thicker front and rear stabilizer bars to the Altima’s advanced suspension. The front suspension design utilizes a cradle-type frame with an offset coil spring and lower transverse link layout provides better handling and riding performance and an extensive use of aluminum parts. The rear multi-link independent suspension, based on that used in the Japanese-market Nissan Skyline, separates the rear shocks and springs for reduced friction and the shocks are in line with the centers of the rear wheels, providing better damping and less harshness.

The SE-R comes with sticky 225/45R18 Y-speed rated summer tires mounted on unique 18-inch forged alloy wheels.
Braking is provided by large (12.60 x 1.10t front, 11.5 x 0.35t rear) 4-wheel disc brakes with standard 4-wheel, 4-channel, 4-sensor Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA).

Colors and Options
The 2005 Nissan Altima SE-R is available in four exterior colors – Super Black, Sheer Silver, Smoke and an SE-R only Code Red. The interior is offered with Charcoal leather-appointed seats with choice of red or gray inserts. The only options are the 5-speed automatic transmission, side air bags and Traction Control System.

“The Altima SE-R hits a critical position between the tuner-style Sentra SE-R and the sporty Maxima SE, which offers more refinement,” said McNabb. “The Altima SE-R is more aggressive, yet it has all the core attributes and affordability of an Altima. It’s the sports sedan for enthusiasts who’ve grown up – but not too much.”

When the redesigned 2005 Altima was launched in February 2004, Nissan held back one surprise – the addition of a new, first-ever Altima SE-R model. The Altima SE-R is the sixth model in the 2005 Altima line and shares all of the refinements (including new exterior and interior styling) with the others. And then some.

The Altima SE-R’s standard 3.5-liter V6 engine has been retuned to a higher level of performance and the suspension has been enhanced with performance-tuned front struts and rear shocks, stiffer front and rear springs and thicker front and rear stabilizer bars. The SE-R comes with 225/45R18 Y-speed rated tires and 18-inch forged aluminum-alloy wheels.

The SE-R’s exterior offers a number of special features, including new front and rear fascias, compact fog lights, new rear spoiler and side sill spoilers and large dual exhaust finishers. Inside, the SE-R features sport-shaped leather-appointed front seats with red or gray leather perforated inserts, dark chrome trim and a three-pod center-mounted gauge package, which is similar to that found on the legendary 350Z.

Highlights of the 2005 Altima SE-R include:

Body

• Unique front and rear fascias
• Unique rear spoiler and side sill spoilers 
• Restyled smooth front fascia with a distinctive raised hood design 
• New Nissan family grille with dark chrome treatment 
• Standard HID xenon headlights with unique bezel color treatment 
• Compact fog lights and unique taillight treatment 
• Special outside window molding color treatment 
• Large diameter chrome dual exhaust finishers 
• Available in four exterior colors –Super Black, Sheer Silver, Smoke and SE-R only Code Red

Engine and Driveline

• 260-horsepower 3.5-liter DOHC 24-vale V6 with 251 lb-ft of torque and dual exhaust
• Modular cylinder head design, lightweight pistons, continuously variable valve timing, variable induction system 
• Choice of 6-speed manual or 5-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission
• Available Traction Control System (TCS)

Suspension, Steering and Braking

• Performance-tuned suspension with recalibrated front struts and rear shocks, stiffer front and rear springs and thicker front and rear stabilizer bars
• 4-wheel independent suspension with extensive use of aluminum components, featuring a rear multi-link suspension design 
• Exclusive 18-inch forged aluminum-alloy wheel design 
• 225/45R18 Y-rated summer tires 
• 4-wheel disc brakes with standard 4-wheel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Brake Assist (BA) and Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) 
• Large 12.6x1.1-inch front brakes with silver painted front and rear calipers, SE-R logo on front calipers

Interior Features

• Sport-shaped leather-appointed front seats with perforated red or gray leather inserts
• Red or gray front seat and steering wheel stitching, heated front seats 
• New instrument panel design, center console, dark chrome trim finishes, seat materials and headliner 
• Three-pod center-mounted gauge package (volts, oil pressure, fuel consumption) 
• Aluminum pedals 
• Gauges feature a fine vision meter illumination system for better visibility 
• New 3-spoke steering wheel design 
• Standard Bose® Premium audio system with eight speakers, in-dash 6-disc CD autochanger

Safety

• Dual-stage supplemental air bags with seat belt sensors
• Available front-seat side-impact supplemental air bags and roof-mounted side impact curtain air bags for front and rear occupants 
• Front seat belts with pretensioners and load limiters 
• LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) child seat anchors and tether system 
• Zone Body Construction

Models and Manufacturing

• Offered in one well-equipped SE-R model, choice of 6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic transmissions
• Assembled by Nissan North America Manufacturing Smyrna & Decherd Tennessee Plants