With the GT-R on hiatus until the R36 arrives, Nissan's sole sports car is the Z. But at some point, there might be a new performance vehicle positioned between the two. Following the S15's demise in 2002, the Silvia could return one day. This isn't just the usual hot gossip from Japanese magazines, but an actual statement from a company official.
Speaking with Top Gear, Nissan's VP of global product strategy admitted there are chances we'll get a new Silvia… eventually. Ivan Espinosa said it would have "good power at the right price that customers find attractive." He didn't go into specifics but we can deduct it would cost more than the $43,000 Z while undercutting the defunct $121,000 GT-R. Similarly, it would pack a greater punch than the 400 horsepower currently offered by the twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 in the Z but less than the 565 hp of the twin-turbo, 3.8-liter V-6 inside the GT-R.
The problem sports cars face is that they belong to a niche segment, making it tough to create a viable business case with a limited customer base. Espinosa said the only way a new Silvia could happen is if it becomes a global product built in greater volume to cover the investment. Espinosa didn't mention a potential collaboration with another automaker to spread out costs like Toyota and BMW did with the Supra/Z4. The GR86/BRZ twins are also a joint effort, between Toyota and Subaru.
Even if the Silvia is coming back, we're not so sure it would have a combustion engine. Earlier this year, Nissan revealed it's not spending money on ICE anymore. Domestic rivals Toyota, Mazda, and Subaru are doing things differently by expressing their long-term commitment to gas engines, which will also run on carbon-neutral fuels.
The reality is that Nissan has been slow to update its sports car offerings, knowing that recouping its investment would be difficult. The 370Z was on sale for 13 years before the Z arrived, and the mighty Godzilla lingered for 17 years. It's understandable why the company is hesitant to add a third nameplate to the sports car lineup. Espinosa calls the Silvia revival a "far-fetched idea" for now, but he'll try to make it happen.
Launching yet another crossover is almost always the safer bet, often to the detriment of an exciting car targeting enthusiasts. Let's just hope that Nissan won't slap the Silvia badge on an SUV and call it a day. It's not like it hasn’t been done before: Ford Mustang Mach-E, Ford Puma, Mitsubishi Eclipse, and the recently launched Ford Capri.
Indirectly, Nissan has already kind of built a Z-badged SUV. The Fairlady X was a Murano/Z mashup created by students at Nissan Gakuen (Nissan Automobile Technical College). It’s not easy on the eyes, and thankfully it never entered production. We should also mention the Nissan Skyline Crossover, a rebadged Infiniti EX launched in Japan back in 2009.
While a new Silvia sounds great, perhaps it would make more sense to launch a cheaper sports car positioned below the Z. With a lower asking price, it would have a better chance of attracting younger buyers who can't afford to spend more than $40,000 on a new Z. If a dedicated model from each Japanese brand is not viable, it would be excellent for Nissan, Toyota, Subaru, Mazda, Mitsubishi, and Honda to work together and create a badge-engineered car. Better than nothing, right? Of course, this is just wishful thinking on our part.
The Toyobaru collaboration has proven to be successful, so there's precedent to try and make the math work for the bean counters to give their green light to an affordable sports car. Ideally, with a combustion engine.
