The Nissan Silvia, the once abundant sports coupe and darling of the drift community, was recently name-checked by Ivan Espinosa, the company’s new chief of global product planning. Espinosa has been in product planning since 2017, and starting in 2019 worked on the sports car and NISMO programs. He says that the idea of a Silvia revival is far-fetched, but that it would be a dream of his to make it happen.
In an interview with Top Gear, Espinosa was asked whether a cheaper sports car to attract younger customers had any place in Nissan’s lineup. In response, he throws out an idea he admits is far-fetched, but acknowledges, “There’s a lot of Silvia fans everywhere. As soon as I say the name, people start nodding,” before adding “This is my dream.”
The interviewer follows up with a question of likelihood. To that, Espinosa replies, “The chances are there, but in the end, it’s a business, so I need to find ways to make this sort of proposal interesting to the company.” He goes on to explain how it would have to be a global product, since the customer base for a car like this would be small, and thus it wouldn’t make business sense to build a regional product. That already doesn’t bode well, since the current Nissan Z is unavailable in Europe due to emissions and noise regulations.
Espinosa ends the interview on a hopeful note: “It’ll be a challenge, but it’s my job to find ways to do stuff like this because I think it’ll be great for customers and the brand, and if I can put the right formula in place we could make it work.”
As much as we would love for this to happen, it feels like a pipe dream. Nissan has hinted at an electric Silvia based on the 1965 CSP311, but followed that with three years of silence. It’s brought up again now but with a mountain of caveats. It reads as one executive’s wishful thinking. Contrast that with Toyota’s methodical and consistent hint-dropping about a Celica revival. We won’t hold our breaths for this one, but we hope Nissan proves us wrong.
What really is a Silvia?
I mean throughout most of its production it was a rwd coupe featuring many shared parts with other Nissan models. If anything that’s what it should become once again.
Don’t need much in terms of power if you don’t have much in terms of weight either.
The ideal Silvia:
A rear wheel drive coupe, let’s style it after the S12 in a more modern guise.
I’m looking for bare bones big square headlights that look like the pop up-deletes on the ks110 group 5 racer, yes we need a liftback and a notchback option, I think we can do it just like Smart did on the roadster and Nissan’s own pulsar with the fancy canopies.
Modest power that’s easily increased, simple design and a four seater shot at the Miata and Toyobarus will do the trick. Spec-S and Spec-R need to make a return too, throw in a Spec-E to keep it green but for the love of all that is good, keep the weight down.
The Silvia we’ll most likely get:
Let’s be honest here, the new Silvia will most likely suffer the same horrible fate as the new capri or eclipse.
A few short months from now we’ll get to see the next angry ‘citizen blob’ come up on the scene but wait…there’s echoes of something we so loved in its day.
The front, a grotesque mixture of late model s14 and Nissan Ariya sneering at you in disgust with its own existence. down the side you see the once straight line of the S13’s two tone magnificence take an upward curve after the door which to my greatest horror is followed by another door. Curves and lines jolt out over the side like the aftermath of a too close tandem session.
A GreenSynergyTM powerplant sends a respectable 230 horsepower to the front wheels in hypermodeTM when the hybrid system is engaged but under normal operation electrical 100KW should suffice and the computerized sound of a turbo SR20 or L-series can be selected from the infotainment panel that also controls the glove box, heating and windscreen wipers.
‘The new Silvia is designed to echo the heritage of the sporty coupe offering crossover practicality and aggressive styling. The coupeover, a car for those with an active lifestyle that take their own paths through life.
‘Silvia, a drift on your individuality’ exclusively through private lease with prices starting at 420,69 a month.’
I don’t wanna do this anymore, our heroes are dead, either let them rest or give them the resurrection they deserve. Stop defiling their memory and good name to excuse poor product design and lazy marketing.
Ah man, great stuff! If The Onion had motoring pages…
Thanks, let’s hope it turns out to be satire after all!
That was absolutely brilliant. Well done!
thanks a lot! if ever you guys need a European correspondent or nerd to do comprehensive write ups on vintage aftermarkte parts i’d be more than happy to help!
This write-up is something else, great job, and a good laugh!
It is good to see product planners talking about stuff like that! When Toyoda first mentionned his dream of bringing back the celica, everyone thought it was just a dream, but it seems to be slowly happening. The Prelude might actually be coming back too. They might be on to something, maybe more manufacturers will start building stuff for enthusiasts!
When the AE86 remaster came back, it was called the FR-S, BRZ, GR86… not a Trueno nor a Levin… Maybe Nissan will make it but call it the Nismo 13SX, while the Silvia will get the Eclipse Cross treatment like StreetSpirit suggested.
I cannot imagine myself driving the Eclipse Cross and proudly saying Look Ma, I finally have my Mitsubishi Eclipse!… If the new Silvia ends up being a new nissan juke…
StreetSpirit mentionned something else of great value. The canopies! It would be a throwback to the Pulsar NX owners while also offerig both the fastback and coupé looks, but with a roadster or T-top added to the mix for added driving pleasure! It would be mighty annoying to store both tops so I guess most customers would only buy one canopy with the car, but it would be the same as any hardtop shell for roadsters.
I’m already driving electric so it is not too alien to me, so throw in a lightweight-ish battery as low as possible in the chassis, maybe front-ish to hint at a front engine-rear drive weight balance and a long bonnet, short-boot look, and put something like a 200hp motor on a limited-slip axle at the back, it would have enough torque to break the rear tires loose!
My lazy ass would appreciate a roadster with resurrection of the Type R engine [1600 4 banger not the i600 510 engine] and maybe God forbid a BW M35 transmission, Sneaky way to insure future support for my RL411.