With the GT-R on hold until the R36 is released, Nissan’s only sports car is the Z. However, there’s potential for a new performance vehicle to fit between the two. Since the S15’s end in 2002, there’s talk about the Nissan Silvia making a return. This isn’t just speculative chatter from Japanese magazines but a statement from a Nissan official.
In a discussion with Top Gear, Ivan Espinosa, Nissan’s VP of global product strategy, indicated that a new Silvia might be possible. He mentioned that the car would offer “good power at the right price that customers find attractive.” Though specifics weren’t provided, it’s likely the new Nissan Silvia would be priced higher than the $43,000 Z but below the $121,000 GT-R. Performance-wise, it would exceed the 400 horsepower of the Z’s twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 but fall short of the GT-R’s 565 horsepower twin-turbo 3.8-liter V-6.
The main issue sports cars face is their niche market, making it hard to justify the investment due to a limited customer base. Espinosa stated that for a new Silvia to happen, it would need to be a global product produced in larger volumes to cover the costs. He did not mention any possible collaborations with other automakers to share costs, like the Toyota and BMW partnership for the Supra/Z4 or the Toyota-Subaru effort for the GR86/BRZ.
Even if the Nissan Silvia does return, it might not have a traditional combustion engine. Earlier this year, Nissan announced it would no longer invest in internal combustion engines (ICE). In contrast, Japanese competitors like Toyota, Mazda, and Subaru are committed to ICE technology, even exploring carbon-neutral fuels.
Nissan has been slow to update its sports car lineup, aware of the challenges in recouping investment. The 370Z was available for 13 years before being replaced by the Z, and the GT-R has been on the market for 17 years. Given this history, the company is understandably cautious about adding another sports car. Espinosa described the idea of reviving the Silvia as “far-fetched” but expressed his desire to make it happen.
Launching another crossover is often seen as a safer and more profitable option, which has sometimes led to the dilution of iconic car names. Examples include the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Ford Puma, Mitsubishi Eclipse, and the new Ford Capri. Nissan has also experimented with this approach, as seen with the Fairlady X, a Murano/Z mashup created by students at Nissan’s technical college, and the Nissan Skyline Crossover, a rebadged Infiniti EX.
While the idea of a new Nissan Silvia is appealing, it might be more practical for Nissan to consider introducing a cheaper sports car below the Z. A lower price point could attract younger buyers who can’t afford the $40,000 Z. A collaborative effort among Japanese automakers, similar to the successful Toyobaru partnership, could make an affordable sports car feasible.
Nissan’s VP Ivan Espinosa remains hopeful about the Silvia’s return, emphasizing the need for a global market strategy to make it viable. Despite the uncertainties, he believes that finding the right formula could make the Nissan Silvia revival a reality.
As for the GT-R, Espinosa hinted that the next generation might be all-electric. He noted that EVs, when properly tuned, offer excellent track performance, with quicker corner acceleration compared to ICE vehicles. However, the transition to an electric GT-R depends on advancements in battery technology, particularly solid-state batteries, which Nissan hopes to develop later this decade.
