Nissan is set to bring back the iconic Nissan Silvia with a brand-new model slated for future production, and today, we’ll dive into everything currently known about this exciting sports car revival.
Few Japanese sports cars hold the same revered status as the Silvia. For several decades, it offered affordable driving pleasure to enthusiasts in Japan, Europe, and North America, where it was known as the 200SX and later the 240SX. Nissan halted Silvia’s production in the early 2000s, shifting focus to the 350Z to uphold its sports car legacy until the GT-R made its return. However, neither of these models came with a particularly budget-friendly price tag.
What We Know About the New Nissan Silvia
After years of speculation and anticipation, Nissan is now working on a new Silvia model. This exciting update comes from Ivan Espinosa, Nissan’s vice president of global product strategy, who confirmed that the car is in its initial stages of development. With the affordable compact sports car market dwindling, the idea of a new Silvia, positioned just below the Nissan Z, seems to be gaining traction.
Although the car is still in early development, and official details remain scarce, Nissan has hinted at enough information over the years to give us a glimpse into what we can expect. Let’s explore what we know so far about this highly anticipated revival.
The Name of the New Sports Car
While “Silvia” might seem like the obvious choice for the car’s name, there’s more to consider. Historically, this car has been marketed under different names depending on the region. In Japan, it could retain the Silvia moniker, while in the U.S., it might be branded as an SX model. Additionally, with the likelihood of hybrid technology playing a role in its powertrain, this could introduce new terminology into the car’s name.
Anticipated Design
Since the project is still in its infancy, Nissan likely hasn’t finalized the car’s design yet. However, we believe the Nissan IDx Nismo concept, shown in images, provides clues about the design direction.
Our guess is that the design language from the IDx concept will influence the final look of the production Silvia. The envisioned design emphasizes clean, simple lines, mostly straight, and ditches the previous small V-Motion grille. We’ve also updated the side exhausts with a more conventional rear setup and modernized the floating roof ornament. While the changes aren’t drastic, this concept could very well lay the groundwork for the new Silvia’s design.
Expected Performance and Specifications
Electric power will likely play a significant role in the new Silvia’s development, as Nissan has hinted towards electrification. That doesn’t necessarily imply that the car will be fully electric, but a hybrid or electric-assisted model is highly probable. Specific details about power output or range remain speculative, but if Nissan positions this car as a more affordable option under the Nissan Z, we shouldn’t expect radical performance figures.
The new Nissan Silvia will likely deliver under 300 horsepower. If it becomes fully electric, we anticipate it would use a single electric motor. There’s also the possibility that the new Silvia could feature a small combustion engine paired with hybrid technology, similar to potential competitors like the Toyota 86, Subaru BRZ, and the forthcoming Honda Prelude Hybrid.
The Challenge of Developing New Sports Cars
Designing and building sports cars is an expensive endeavor, and sales in this segment have been relatively slow. These are niche vehicles, and in recent years, several automakers—particularly Japanese brands—have formed partnerships to share technology and reduce costs. The current Toyota Supra, for example, was developed in collaboration with BMW, and Toyota’s GR86 and Subaru’s BRZ also share a joint development process. However, Espinosa expressed a desire to keep the new Silvia entirely in-house at Nissan, though he acknowledged that this might be a challenge, leaving the door open for potential collaborations down the line.
Projected Price
It’s too early to determine the exact price of the new Nissan Silvia, but it’s expected to come in below the base price of the 2024 Nissan Z, which starts at $42,920 (around 160,950 Saudi riyals).
