Even before taking the top job earlier this year, Espinosa – who previously headed Nissan’s sports car division – made it clear he wanted to invoke the brand’s past successes in future models.
Speaking to Japanese outlet Kuruma News, the CEO was once again asked about if the Nissan Silvia could make a comeback, especially after it was previewed by the IDx concept way back in 2013.
“I get asked this question all the time and my answer is always the same: I would love to bring the Silvia back,” Espinosa said.
“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.
“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, which is facing multi-billion-dollar losses and the shutdown of multiple factories, is keen to turn its fortunes around, and the recent news of it launching a manual version of the Z Nismo as well as a performance sedan for the US shows it’s not afraid to take on a niche market in a bid to improve sales.
According to Espinosa, it’s the younger demographic which would be targeted by a potential Silvia revival, though he admits its comeback is still nothing more than a dream.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Arguably the leader of Japan’s sports car renaissance is currently Toyota, which is reportedly set to bring back the likes of the Celica and MR2 in the near future.
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