Blurring Lines With A Nissan N15

May 29, 2023

I love wacky creations, but one build at the recent Elmia Custom Motor Show in Sweden had me scratching my head for more than a moment.

There are certain models you are guaranteed to find at any modified car show in 2023, but an N15 Nissan Almera is not one of them. So you can imagine my surprise at seeing this example sporting a far more familiar Nissan face. It's all the work of Mika Palosaari from Oulu, Finland.

The N15 Almera is almost identical to the N15 Pulsar, the only real differences being various trim and engine options. If you compare how Mika's 1999 Almera GTi looks today with how it left the Nissan factory a long time ago, it's different in almost every way.

It's been Mika's labour of love for many years, and if you check out his Instagram you can see how the Almera has evolved over time.

The latest and wildest look for the car yet took Mika almost four years and three versions to perfect. Finding the S15 Silvia parts wasn't difficult, but marrying the front-end conversion – which uses an aftermarket FRP hood, bumper and fenders – with the Almera was a real challenge. None of those parts remain stock; the sheer width of the car now should give that fact away. It's also 35mm longer, having been stretched out at the front.

The rear fenders have been redone in steel, with Mika carrying out the serious widening work and side skirt blend himself. Finally, it was all painted in a Nissan GT-R favourite – Millennium Jade – before the under-lips and huge rear wing were added.

In its current form, the Almera is built for shows first and foremost, but it's ultra-low stance – achieved through Ksport air ride – and crazy-stretched tyres tell that story. Any metal under car that could be trimmed back was, and the front subframe was raised by 20mm. Mika also custom-modified the rear suspension beam for -6 degrees of camber.

Those with a keen eye might have spotted two different wheel styles on the car, for two different looks depending on which side you view it from. Mika runs Work VS-XXs with custom centres on the left, while the right side uses Work Rezax wheels. All four wheels measure 17×11.5-inch and are dressed in 225/35R17 Hankook Ventus V12 tires for ‘sudani style’ stretch.

Performance is often overlooked in show builds, but definitely not in this instance. As an Almera GTi, Mika's car came standard with an SR20DE engine good for around 140hp. It's making a lot more power now, and not just because of the turbo setup, but for the fact there's an SR20VE engine (that's the one that features Neo VVL – variable valve timing with lift) now sitting in the shaved and detailed bay.

In stock naturally aspirated form, a 2.0L DOHC 16-valve SR20VE makes 200hp; Mika says his one's now good for around 350hp thanks to the Pulsar G25-550 turbocharger with 44mm wastegate, front-mounted intercooler, modified Circuit Sport fuel rail, DeatschWerks 850cc injectors and more. It's all tuned through a MaxxECU engine management system.

Builds as wild as this one are always going to divide opinion, but I can safely say that Mika's S15-faced N15 was a highlight for many stance enthusiasts that attended this year's Elmia show. It is a breath of fresh air, and that's why I love it.

Alen HasetaInstagram: hazetaa

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Never saw an s15 front on a hatch before, and wow does it work! It's been a while an idea inspired me, but needing some practicality, trucking a rally car or sporting up a truck/wagon wasn't really hitting home... Serious front clipping hatchbacks tho I am feelin it!Some good choices and work here, but really cannot wait when the owner gets bored of showing and not driving it so we can see it on circuit or rally wheel geometry, less vulnerable taillights/etc, and just running as good as it can look.

I would love to see that honestly. Judging by how the car looked when he first got it I'm sure he will eventually venture into the track-side of things.

"Performance is often overlooked in show builds, but definitely not in this instance."Hahahahahaha....yeah...my guess is a stock ND Miata kicks the piss out of this build on about any track or mountain road. It's hilarious how we glorify people destroying the performance of a vehicle because it has a nice engine bay and a turbo. Laughable what has happened to this industry over the last 20 years. Seriously laughable.

Whatever makes you laugh :).

Is this based on Nissan Pulsar Sunny) GTi-R? Look similar but this is the first time I see the Almera hatchback

Almera was a replacement for the Nissan Sunny. Pulsar is the Japanese version while Almera is the European version if I'm not mistaken.

The tyre fitter must've been seriously careful

lol nah

I am kind of disappointed my comment was deleted for asking a genuine question. Forgive me for being curious.

What was your question?

All that effort, and for what? Frankenstein hatch with a painted engine bay, meme spoiler and ricer wheelsTo each his own, but I doubt many people like this car

What's the point of doing anything creative if you are constantly worried about what others think. I highly doubt he built the car to please other people :).

Yeah, so he built a *show* car in order to please himself, but not other people?Sounds reasonable.

Always loved S15 headlights. best looking headlights from that era. I really liked the mid 2000s trend of grafting oem headlight and tail lights onto other cars. CL lights on DC2 integra, MK4 supra tail lights. S15 headlight conversions look great on everything. I used to work on a guy's BB5 prelude with S15 headlights and it was a stunning car. some old front conversions from 20 years ago when it was popular - https://www.carthrottle.com/post/3lxk4e5/