Few nameplates are as storied in the world of Japanese sports cars as the Silvia. For several generations, it delivered low-cost fun to enthusiasts in Japan, throughout Europe, and even in North America as the 200SX, and later, the 240SX. Nissan pulled the plug on the Silvia in the early 2000s, leaving its 350Z to carry the company’s enthusiast reputation until the GT-R returned. But neither car had a particularly low price point.
Now, after a decade of rumors and longing, Nissan is working on a new Silvia. The news came from Nissan’s Vice-President of Global Product Strategy, Ivan Espinosa, who revealed the company was in the early stages of development. As the affordable small sports car market teeters on the brink of extinction, the prospect of a new Silvia slotted below the Z sounds fantastic.
Being in the early stages of development, though, official details are still unknown. But Nissan has dropped enough hints over the years to give us a few things to talk about. Here’s what we know so far about the rebirth of this legendary machine.
What Will It Be Called?
Silvia is the obvious answer here, but there’s more to it than that. Previously, this car had different names in different markets. That could mean a new Silvia in Japan, but in the US, perhaps something with SX branding (although, we really hope it keeps the Silvia name Stateside). There’s also the powertrain to consider, which will hybridized at the very least. That could certainly throw some new jargon into the mix.
What Will It Look Like?
With the car currently in an early development phase, it’s likely that Nissan doesn’t even know what it will look like right now. That said, we think the Nissan IDx Nismo concept is a great place to start, and we wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to find designers doing the exact same thing. Though a decade old at this point, the IDx captured the essence of a small sports car with simple design language littered with retro cues and aggressive looks.
We think that ethos will carry over to a production Silvia. Our rendering uses the IDx concept as a starting point, we keep the simple, largely straight lines while nixing the dated mini V-Motion grille. We also swapped the side exhausts for a more traditional setup out back and made the floating roof motif a bit more modern. The changes aren’t dramatic, but we think they could at least serve as a foundation for the future Silvia.
What's Under The Hood?
We’ve already mentioned electric power, primarily because Nissan already pointed it toward an electrified powertrain. That doesn’t necessarily mean the Silvia will be a full-on EV, but electricity will certainly play a major role in its future. Details like power output and range are pure speculation at this point, but if Nissan hopes to slot this car as an affordable sports car below the Z, don’t expect anything radical.
The new Nissan Silvia will probably have less than 300 horsepower. If Nissan decides to go full EV, that would likely mean a single electric motor. But there’s a chance that Nissan goes after the Toyota 86 / Subaru BRZ with a small, combustion-powered engine with some form of hybrid assistance. That would also put it in competition with the upcoming Honda Prelude hybrid.
Who's Building It?
This might seem like a strange question, but sports cars aren’t cheap to develop and sales for that segment aren’t great. These are niche vehicles, and in recent years we’ve seen several automakers—notably Japanese brands—partner up to share technology while reducing costs. The Toyota Supra is a BMW underneath the skin, not to mention the Toyota/Subaru relationship with the GR86 and BRZ. However, Espinosa expressed a strong desire to keep the Silvia entirely in-house at Nissan. He also acknowledged it would be difficult to pull that off, so for now, call it a Nissan project that could see other partners in the future.
When Will It Debut?
The interview with Espinosa mentioned something percolating for Silvia by the end of the decade. With 2025 barely a couple of months away at this point, we wouldn’t be surprised to see some camouflaged prototypes in 2026, leading to a debut in 2028 or perhaps 2029. Of course, that all depends on the development process, and as we’ve seen repeatedly with Nissan over the years, development can move at a snail’s pace. Lest we forget, the GT-R and 370Z had lifetimes stretching well over a decade.
How Much Will It Cost?
Sticking to the classic Nissan hierarchy, the new Silva will need to slot below the Z. Currently the Z starts at $42,920, not including destination charges. Moreover, the least expensive Nissan EV is the Leaf at $28,140. If the new Silvia can strike a balance between those two benchmarks, a mid-$30,000 electrified sports car could be the perfect sweet spot for fun-hungry enthusiasts on a budget.
