The Nissan Silvia remains as one of those long-gone models which enthusiasts yearn for the return of, even if it never appears any closer to happening.
Built across six generations from 1965 to 2002, the Silvia became best known for being Nissan’s affordable rear-drive sports car, and later versions are still highly valued as well as sought after in the tuning scene.
Still, we’re approaching 25 years since the last Silvia was made, though Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa has continued to tease a revival – or at least hesitate to say it won’t happen.
“Of course, sports cars are the core of what we are as a company,” Espinosa told US publication CarBuzz.
“So we’ve been there doing that for many generations, and there’s multiple nameplates that we could leverage on… If you ask [one] part of my brain, I would love to do that [a new Silvia] very quickly.
“But the other part of my brain is telling me that we have to be prudent at the moment and move step by step. But for sure, we will see more sports cars coming into the portfolio.”
The executive added that a new Silvia, if it does come to fruition, would need to stand as its own model, rather than be a badge tacked onto an existing offering.
“If I want to make, let’s say, an affordable car that is sporting instead of making a spicy Sentra. I will probably go and make a Silvia, a real affordable sports car. I’m not saying I will probably go into a Silvia.”
Espinosa, who took the helm of Nissan towards the start of 2025, has long been an advocate for a new Silvia, even if the numbers haven’t added up to put one into production yet.
“I get asked this question all the time and my answer is always the same: I would love to bring the Silvia back,” Espinosa told Japanese outlet Kuruma News last year.
“I don’t know if it’s possible, because the concept is very difficult to realise in the modern era.
“The S15 [the last generation of the S-chassis], especially with its high-output 2.0-litre turbo engine, is one of my favorite cars in Nissan’s history. To me, it’s one of the best lightweight sports cars we’ve made.
“It’s a very light, well-tuned chassis, and the combination of chassis and powertrain is a lot of fun. We’re really excited to deliver a car like this.
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“However, considering today’s regulations and crash safety performance, it is extremely difficult to create a car with such a lightweight chassis. Nevertheless, this is one of the car names I would very much like to revive.”
Nissan last officially hinted at the Silvia’s return in 2013 with the IDx concept, however this never led to a new sports car, while the Z and now defunct GT-R have served as its de facto performance models.
“I think (a car like the IDx) will serve many purposes. One, as I said earlier, is that it will be a car that helps express the Nissan brand,” Espinosa said last year.
“Secondly, it has the potential to appeal to a younger demographic, as it is very important for an automaker to continue to attract younger customers to its brand.
“It’s not just about price, although price is certainly a factor, but there needs to be something compelling that makes young customers want to follow the brand.
“This is one of the reasons why I am very interested in this car name (Silvia) from a business perspective.
“There’s nothing I can share at this point. It’s just an idea in my head, but I hope one day it will come to fruition.”
This week the executive announced there is a new Skyline sedan on the way for Japan, as well as a new R36 GT-R in development.
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