• The Altima coupe delivers a sporty alternative to the larger sedan.copper 300z nissan headlight image by Jorge Moro from Fotolia.com
  
  The Nissan Altima sedan was first introduced during the 1993 model year. The fourth-generation sedan was introduced in 2007 with the first ever Altima coupe hitting show room floors a year later. The fourth-generation Altima uses an all new Nissan D platform and fresh exterior styling, but carries over the power-train options from the previous generation.
  
  

2.5 L Inline-4 Engine

• The base engined offered in the 2008 Altima coupe was a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter, inline four-cylinder. This 16-valve, double overhead cam (DOHC) motor had a 3.5-inch bore, 3.94-inch stroke and a compression ratio of 9.5 to 1. This engine produced 170 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 175 ft.-lb. of torque at 3,900 rpm.
  
  

3.5 L V6

• The up-level engine offering for the 2008 Altima coupe was a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6. This 24-valve DOHC motor has a 3.76-inch bore, 3.2-inch stroke and a compression ratio of 10.3 to 1. This V6 motor generated 270 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 258 ft.-lb. of torque at 4,400 rpm.
  
  

Exterior Dimensions

• The Altima Coupe sat on a 105.3-inch wheelbase with an overall vehicle length of 182.5 inches, width of 70.7 inches and a height of 55.3 inches. This coupe had a 37.4-foot turning diameter.
  
  

Crash Test Data

• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's frontal impact tests yielded a four-star rating for both driver and passenger. The NHTSA's rollover rating for this vehicle was five star, and the coupe also garnered five-star safety ratings for side impacts. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's frontal offset crash test, the Altima Coupe received a good rating in every category, which is the highest rating it administers.
  
  

Fuel Efficiency

• The four-cylinder Altima coupe yielded fuel economy ratings of 23 mpg city and 32 mpg highway when mated to the six-speed manual. The four-cylinder, when mated to Nissan's continuously variable automatic transmission, yielded 23 mpg city and 31mpg highway. The V6 model produced fuel economy of 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway when matched with the six-speed manual gearbox, while the V6 matched with the continuously variable automatic transmission yielded 19 mpg city and 26 mpg highway.
  
  

Pricing and Warranty

• The Altima Coupe 2.5 S, when new, had a $20,950 base price, while the Altima Coupe 3.5 SE initially had a $24,470 base price. The factory warranty covered basic problems for 36 months or 36,00 miles, and power-train failure for 60 months or 60,000 miles.