A new Nissan Silvia could be on the horizon

Affordable sports cars are in short supply these days, but Nissan is rumoured to be working on a new Silvia to bring the sector back to life. The model’s return has previously been hinted at by Nissan executives, and with Alpine set to produce a series of electric sports cars under the Renault-Nissan Alliance umbrella, this could pave the way for the Silvia to get the green light with tech borrowed from elsewhere in the group. 

It’s been over two decades since the Nissan Silvia was last on the market, and even longer since it was sold in the UK (the final S15 model wasn’t sold on our shores). Plans for a new one are rumoured to be in very early stages, but with Alpine confirmed to be building an electric sports car, Nissan could lean on tech from its sister company to make the project more cost effective. At the same time, such a move would sidestep the European emissions regulations that make ICE sports cars difficult to produce these days. 

You’ll need to look back as far as the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show to find any hint of Nissan returning to the small sports coupe market. Back then, the firm pulled the covers off the IDx – a concept car inspired by the Datsun 510. In its raciest Nismo form the IDx packed a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine and a CVT gearbox with a six-speed manual shift mode, as well as a pumped-up body shell with side-exit exhausts. 

Nissan’s design language has evolved dramatically since the IDx – just look at last year’s GT-R-inspired Hyper Force concept for evidence – so if the Silvia does materialise, it’s unlikely to bear much resemblance to the concept car. 

There also remains the bigger question of how a future electric Nissan sports car will capture the basic, accessible thrills that have garnered the Silvia a cult following. The S15 was a no-frills four-cylinder, rear-drive coupe with a manual gearbox – a spiritual ancestor to the Toyota GR86, you might say. If the Silvia does return powered by batteries, we hope it continues to prioritise an involving driving experience over raw performance.