2008 Nissan Altima Coupe – Preview: The 2008 Nissan Altima Coupe is obviously much more than an Altima sedan minus two doors. Its sleek fastback shape brings to mind the Infiniti G35 coupe, the Nissan 350Z and the recent Nissan GT-R concept car. It aims to do battle with the Honda Accord Coupe and Toyota Solara, which is the coupified version of the Camry.

 

But unlike those cars, the Altima Coupe rides on a shorter wheelbase, is significantly shorter overall, and is considerably lower than its sedan counterpart. It also shares only its hood with the Altima sedan. The rest of the exterior, including the headlights and taillights, are unique to the coupe. Not surprising considering the smaller dimensions, the Altima Coupe will also weigh less than the sedan.

While not the biggest segment of the midsize market, coupe versions of the Accord and Camry have been popular and profitable enough to remain in the lineup since their introduction in 1988 and 1992, respectively. However, those—and other coupes such as the Pontiac G6—are closely related to their sedan counterparts, despite significant styling differences and a different name on the Toyota Solara. Scan through the competition, and it's hard to find any direct competitor that you'd call sexy, inspiring, or even more than moderately attractive. The 2008 Nissan Altima Coupe promises to inject a big dose of performance and style to an otherwise snore-worthy segment.

The 2008 Nissan Altima Coupe will be powered by the same choice of engines and transmissions available in the sedan. That means a 175 horsepower 2.5-liter four cylinder or a 270-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 engine. Either transmission can be mated to a six-speed manual or a CVT automatic transmission with manual controls. Power in either case is routed to the front wheels.

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