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One of Nissan’s Best Affordable Sports Cars Could Be Coming Back, and We’re Beyond Excited

Nissan seeks to be the major provider of affordable and fun sports cars it was once known as.

Rear view of a black Nissan Silvia showing taillights, dual exhaust, and Nissan and Silvia badges.Nissan
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By Chris Chin

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Nissan is seriously doubling down on its efforts to jump back into the affordable Japanese sports car game. Multiple reports are coming in from the automaker’s recent investor and product strategy conference in Japan.

The news couldn’t have us any more excited. According to those multiple reports, CEO Ivan Espinosa confirmed Nissan’s newfound desire to make more affordable sports cars.

This could potentially pave the way for the revival of some of Nissan’s most cherished models.

Making Nissan fun again

Black Nissan 180SX coupe with pop-up headlights and silver alloy wheels on a gray studio floor.
The world has been longing for a successor to the original Silvia fastbacks, also known as the 180SX, 200SX and 240SX.
Nissan

It’s no secret that the affordable Japanese sports car wars are heating back up again. After years of making some of automotive history’s greatest hits, Nissan, like many other automakers, cancelled a lot of its fun cars in the 2000s and 2010s to focus on commuter culture and family demands.

But now, automakers are looking to revamp their images and return to their fun roots. Toyota has been on a roll with the revival of its Supra, the continuation of its GR86 and, now, the impending resurrection of the MR2 and Celica.

Nine modern Nissan cars in various colors arranged in a semi-circle on a white reflective surface.
Nissan recently announced its bold new strategy to once again make affordable sports cars for the masses.
Nissan

Honda brought back its Prelude. Mazda is still working on a new rotary sports car to succeed and bring back the RX. That leaves Nissan and Mitsubishi to continue the trend.

Though, while Espinosa announced Nissan’s new strategy to make affordable and “cool” cars again, he stopped short of any specific confirmations.

Beige and gray two-tone Nissan Silvia coupe with five-spoke silver wheels on a gray studio background.
The “S13” generation of Nissan Sivlia remains a cult favorite among Japanese sports car fans.
Nissan

“We are really deeply looking at a sports lineup again. We want to do some cool cars,” Espinosa told media during his press conference. “The first car I ever bought was a Silvia, so I’d love to bring back that nameplate. I do think it’s really valuable, I think there’s still space for Silvia, and we need to find the right solution for it.”

We’re still waiting for a Silvia comeback

White Nissan Silvia coupe with rear spoiler and five-spoke alloy wheels on a gray background.
Rumors began surfacing about a Silvia revival over the past several years.
Nissan

Over the past several years, rumors began surfacing about Nissan expressing a desire to revive its Silvia sports coupes. In America, they were better known as the 240SX.

Now, with Espinosa also sharing his love for the model, especially since he used to own one and is a self-professed car enthusiast, the anticipation is ramping up even more. A new 240SX would enter Nissan into the affordable sports car wars, which could potentially involve the Toyota GR86 and the Honda Prelude.

Dark gray Nissan 180SX coupe with white wheels shown in profile on a plain background.
Who wouldn’t like to see more affordable sports cars from Nissan?
Nissan

It’s been almost three decades since Nissan built an affordable sports car like the 240SX. While the Yokohama automaker gave us the GT-R and continues to offer the Z, they’re rather pricey vehicles, comparatively.

For instance, the Z still costs around $40,000 or more. The late GT-R was well over six-figures, despite initially being around $60,000 when it first launched.

We already know a new GT-R and next-gen Z are both in the works. However, should Nissan come back with a Silvia, it will once again put the brand back on the map as a provider of affordable sports cars.

About the Author: Chris Chin is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, trucks and anything else with four wheels. He has over a decade of experience writing news and reviews but considers himself an enthusiast first, with a passion for classics and European cars. His daily driver is a 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL with nearly 250,000 miles (87,000 are his).

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