Calculations at Becke3LYP, MP2, and QCISD levels of theory are presented for different molecular structures of the 2-norbornyl cation (1). With the aid of the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (AIM) we show that 1 has a T-structure at the C-6-C-1-C-2 face (we view it as a Jr-complex with a tetracoordinate carbon atom C-6) and that the ("nonclassical") bridged structure with a pentacoordinate Ch, which is not a minimum on the potential energy surface, is only reached when the C-6-C-1 and C-6-C-2 internuclear distances are shortened to 165 pm. At the Becke3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level in the gas phase this bridged species is 7.25 kcal mol(-1) higher in energy than the equilibrium optimized geometry. NMR calculations show that C-13 chemical shifts of C-1, C-2, and C-6 Of the bridged 165 pm species differ significantly from the experimental values.