(first posted 12/3/2013) Why did I pick this 240SX to write up? Because its a fine-looking car, as well as being one of the last of its genre: affordable fun-to-drive, lightweight RWD coupes. They’ve caught my eye repeatedly, and I’ve imagined myself behind the wheel of one of these more than once. It’s almost ironic that this vintage of the SX/Silvia was a looker, because most of its predecessors sure weren’t. Some things do improve with age.
Of course, its lineage started out very good looking. The first Nissan Silvia appeared in 1964, as a coupe version of the Fairlady sports car. Built-in very low quantities (554 total), the Silvia left a lasting impression, one that undoubtedly influenced our featured car. But I’m inclined to think there was another too.
The Bitter SC coupe (1978-1989) perhaps? The timeline was right. Obviously, the Bitter didn’t even attempt to meet modern bumper standards, but nevertheless, certain similarities are undeniable.
As much as the original Silvia started out on the right foot, and ended that way with some European influence in both of them, Datsun certainly could have used some of that for the first generation of 200SX/Silvia S10 (CC here). It was from that rather dark period, where Japanese (and American) styling went a bit bizarre.
There’s clearly some early seventies Chrysler influence here, but with some of that uniquely Datsun flavor that graced us with such memorable cars from that era, like the F-10.
Finding that gen1 200SX Silvia was quite unexpected, as I hadn’t seen one in years. But I’m rather disappointed in not yet having found a gen2 200SX. It seems like just yesterday that these beauties (cough, cough) were gracing our streets. The gen2 (S110, above) is utterly boring and forgettable, styling-wise, especially compared to the very handsome gen2 Celica coupe , but the gen1 is a real classic of its era, if you have a thing for Japanese eccentricities.
Let’s make sure we don’t overlook the fastback version of that generation. These cars were obviously chasing the popular Toyota Celica, and sold well enough. Like the Celica, they were based on Datsun’s RWD sedan platforms, and in Japan, as usual, a variety of exotic engines were available. We suffered with the usual detuned 1.8 and 2.0 L SOHC fours.
I did find this S12 version of the family, a 200SX, built from 1984 through 1988. And I had such a perfect fastback turbo version, really clapped out; but it was on the one file that somehow got lost in translation to my new computer. I’m still smarting about that one. It may also still be a forgettable car, but the record must be kept regardless.
And lets not forget that this generation was available with the 3.0 V6 in 1987 and 1988 only. And I did find one of these more recently, in appropriate red. All of these cars are starting to get rare on the streets, so I feel a sense of mission in capturing them before they’ve all gone to Nissan heaven.
The S13 generation appeared in 1989 and was built through 1994. It featured Nissan’s excellent multi-link independent rear suspension, which turned it into one of the better handling cars of the era. A combination of light weight (2700 lbs) and a well set-back engine resulted in excellent front-rear weight distribution. Its only shortcoming was a lack of serious beans: the US versions had 140 hp in 1989-1990 (SOHC KA24E engine), increasing to 155 hp for 1991-1994 (DOHC KA24DE engine). These were cars that called for a stick shift and the willingness to use it liberally.
This car is an automatic, which probably explains why it’s still in such good shape.
The ease of modifying the Silvia for more performance makes them eminently suitable for drifting and other such activities, on the street and off. A full range of readily swapped Nissan engines, fours and V6s, as well as forced induction makes this a perfect platform for tail-happy motoring.
To each their own. I appreciate the 240SX in what it essentially started out to be: a coupe version of a sports car, and as such, this car is the equivalent of a coupe version of the…Miata. Same basic formula, a semi-usable back seat, and a handsome fixed roof.
I may be partial to the notchback coupe, but that’s no excuse to not show the hatchback version, which was undoubtedly the more popular with the crowd that makes them even less common now.
The S13 was replaced by the S14 in 1995, whose sales were a big disappointment. While the S13 sold 60-70k in the US during its best years, the S14 quickly withered a way to four digit numbers, and was pulled from the US market in 1998. It wasn’t quite as handsome to me, and the Lexus 300/400SC was clearly the styling influence now. But soldiering on with the same basic four in an era of rapidly exploding horsepower numbers, as well as the general weakness of the sporty coupe market conspire to its early demise.
In certain other parts of the world, the Silvia/SX story continued, and only ended in 2002 when the final versions of the S15 Silvia were sold in Australia and New Zealand.
The 240Sx is gone, as well as the whole genre. Yes, the V6 Mustang and Camaro can eat these cars for a snack, but for some of us, it’s more than that. A car is also like wearing a suit, and some just don’t…suit, regardless of the label. The 240SX’s disappearance left a hole in the rack.
I’m pretty sure the S12 notchback was built until at least 86 because I bought the hatchback version of the that very same color in 1986 and I do remember notchbacks being available.
I had it for almost 3 years – it was good car except for having a tendency to warp front disc brake rotors too quickly. It was also pretty bad in the snow if you weren’t careful – as during a snowstorm I was carefully following an Escort through some back roads – watch him slide off and promptly hit the same slippery spot and landed in the same ditch.
I traded it in on an 89 Celica which I absolutely hated.
As a Nissan enthusiast (I currently own a very-early-MY85 hatch, my third ’84-’88 200SX) and here is what I can tell you about the S12 200SX at any rate:
The notchback was made right up until the end of S12 production for the ’88 model year, but whether you could get it depended on what market you were in. In the US, the notch was generally sold as a more loaded out personal-luxury coupe. Here in Canada, it could be had as the basest of base models.
The SE V6 was only sold (officially) in the US market in ’87-’88, and it was a homologation special for Group A rallying. In order to replace the Group B 240RS (based on the previous S110 notchback, and made on the regular production line!) and in order to meet Group A regs, Nissan needed to sell at least 5,000 homologation versions. Since the 240RS, despite being available through dealerships in Japan, the UK and South Africa only sold about 500 or so cars through it’s three year run, Nissan looked to the US. It was simple enough: the entire drivetrain from the 300ZX was dropped into a standard S12 with only the front crossmember requiring modification. The car did reasonably well in African rallies such as the Safari and Ivory Coast, but was outclassed elsewhere by more specialized European machinery. Interestingly, this car was the sleeper performance bargain of the time, as the relatively lightweight S12 chassis mated to the 200+ hp VG30E meant it could (and still can) outrun just about anything in it’s class — and some much more expensive hardware besides. If you knew someone at a Nissan dealer in Canada in the day you could arrange one, but they were never officially sold here.
Everywhere else we had the choice of either the amazingly bad 110 hp CA20E twin-spark two-liter, or the 165 hp 1.8L CA18ET turbo. There is quite literally nothing that can be done to make more performance out of the CA20. In fact, most normal tuning tricks (less-restrictive exhaust, more open intake) actually rob the engine of power. The CA18 is somewhat more amenable to tuning, but the general trend is to ditch the stock boat-anchor and drop in either the 2.4L (KA24) out of a 240SX or the 2.0L (SR20) out of a Sentra. I have also seen Skyline engines used, and an acquaintance is using the V8 from an Infiniti Q45 in his.
A few lucky markets in Europe (and Japan, of course) got the lovely 200SX-GP “Grand Prix” widebody with BMW M3-style box flares, and the 200RSX notch. Both were powered by the excellent FJ20 two-liter — the kissing-cousin of the old FJ24 Group B engine.
So there you go. There were a few other engines available in other markets (it was labeled as a 180ZX in Scandinavia, and as a Gazelle in ANZAC).
Huh, the reverse CC effect… I just happened to see a beautiful S13 hatch yesterday on my way to work. I thought the Northeast Ohio tinworm had eaten them all. Never have been much of a Japanese car fan but those S13’s were quite the handsome ride. And that S15 we didn’t get? Very nice.
I had forgotten how horrid-looking the “the first generation of 200SX/Silvia S10” was! A guy in our local auto-x club bought one new and I was not kind in assessment of the car’s appearance (sorry, I was young).
IMHO, the S110 reminded me then of sort of a Japanese Monte Carlo. Probably sold to a similar demographic.
Just another example of cars being “dumbed down” for the US market. Other countries get the best suspension gear and more powerful engine options. We get some corporate committee designed “Broughm-ized” underpowered sled.
Shenanigans and Conspiracy, I say! An evil plan by the Illuminati controlled corporations to keep “The Good Stuff” out of the USA and inflict uninspired dreck upon the citizenry.
Not true. The actual cause is the cost of getting a car model certified by the United States Government to be sold in this country. It is so high that only cars that will get strong sales are suggested for the US market. Notable exceptions to this are on the high-dollar end of the market.
That 70s model is an obvious restyle of the Datsun 240K coupe also sold as a Skyline different lights and thats about it. Nice cars Sylvesters but here they are a boyracer favourite and that has pushed the value up and seeing a stock one is next to impossible, plenty have turned up ex JDM over time but they are still a rare sighting.
The 70s Silvia was smaller than the 240K. Different body with similar styling.
The S10 Silvia was based on the 810 Bluebird chassis, shortened (the 810 Maxima was an 810 Bluebird, lengthened). The 240K was a C110 Skyline, a more upmarket, larger car.
Ohhhh! I remember this car being so cool back in 89 that it had a tiny head up display to show the speed on the windshield. The very first one I have ever seen.
Nissan actually put it into service as opposed to GM’s vaporware.
Might want to get your GM-bashing facts straight – GM has been putting heads-up displays in cars since at least the C5 Corvette. It’s still offered in the new Camaro as well as the C7 Corvette. I think some Cadillacs have gotten it, too.
I had a 5MT 1987 notchback that looked very similar to the maroon one pictured above, white with a blue interior. Purchased 2-3 yrs old from a woman who had recently gotten married and wasn’t using it much anymore. It was competent transportation, the only quirk I remember was consistent lifter tap-tap-tapping even though I was dilligent with the oil changes (perhaps she wasn’t). I lived up in Rochester NY for a few years and was surprised at how well it got around for RWD, I never got stuck despite the constant snow. One day my sister borrowed it for an impulsive run up to Burlington VT to see a favorite band and wrecked it trying to take a left across two lanes of traffic … I think around 1996.
Surprisingly the 70s S10 Silvia isn’t a C110 Skyline 240K restyle. Same design themes, but different size cars and share no panels. See pic below.
The C110 Skyline/240K is actually a restyle of the C130 Laurel/200L, which is virtually identical under the skin.
It wasn’t until the late 80s that the Silvia/SX effectively became a restyled Skyline – the S12/13/14/15 Silvia/SX is basically a shortened version of the A31 Cefiro, the C32/33/34/35 Laurel and R31/32/33/34 Skyline.
Sharing the Cefiro/Laurel/Skyline underpinnings means that Nissan’s RB-series straight-6 engine is a direct bolt-in proposition; the VH-series V8s fit easily too.
Paul’s comparison with the Bitter SC is very apt. The Bitter is basically a family sedan Opel Commodore/Senator with a haircut and a nice suit; the S13 is a family sedan Nissan Laurel with a haircut and a tighter suit. Although the Bitter was straight-6 engined, its humble origins mean the range of its donor’s engines (S4, S6 and V8 in the Holden Commodore version) are all interchangeable. The S13 was 4-cylinder, but its humble origins mean the range of its donor’s S4, S6 and V6 engines fit, as well as the larger V8).
As a Laurel (and Skyline and A31 Cefiro) tragic, by default I like the S13 Silvia too. Given that I like Brougham with my JDM means I’ll stick to my Laurel though!
Thats not the model I was thinking of but your probably right. Nissan got the Commodore body in exchange for the RB30/RB20 they used briefly in the Holdens I guess, strange because under the Dutton plan Nissan was to share cars with Ford.GMH shared with Toyota as they did in the US.
It was the “Button plan” not the “Dutton plan”
Whoever it was a stupid idea
Nissan didn’t get the Commodore body, Toyota did (from VN to VS) and sold it as the Lexcen (named after the late Aussie yachtsman Ben Lexcen). According to Urban Dictionary, “…fourteen vehicles were sold. Interviews with buyers of the Toyota Lexcen claimed that nine did so by mistake, four were from non-English speaking backgrounds and one was purchased by cheapskate friends for a blind person who really wanted a Commodore. All Lexcens were retrofitted with Holden hubcaps, steering wheels and badges.” Untrue of course, but humourous!
Nissan got the XF Falcon ute body, and in return Ford got the Y60 Patrol and R20 Maverick.
I don’t think the RB-engined Commodores was part of the Button plan as Holden actually had to buy the engines. It was more expedience on Holden’s part as the old 202 couldn’t be adapted for the 1986 Aussie emissions regulations and unleaded petrol. They always knew the Buick-V6 engined VN was just around the corner, and the RB just filled a gap.
Holdens used the RB30 in OZ the RB20 was NZ only it was a disaster due to the height of the Nissan engine if the header tank gets low the cylinder head runs dry cooking the engine the Holden had a much lower frontal area compared to the Nissan, GMH knew this from their proving ground testing and went for the Buick V6 for the new model VN
More importantly the exchange rate to the Yen changed drastically, doubling the cost of the engines. You can tell it was a last minute decision because there were several quick revisions of the plumbing changes needed to stick the fwd 3800 in a rwd car.
There was a Holden Commodore version of the Bitter?
No, the Bitter’s Opel Commodore/Senator donor car had S4 and S6 engines. The VB Holden Commodore was basically the same as the Opel but in addition to S4 and S6 engines, the Holden version also offered a factory V8. Because the Bitter SC is based on the Opel Commodore/Senator, the Holden Commodore V8 running gear would be a bolt-in proposition for the Bitter. Assuming you could find a Bitter SC and an appropriate vintage Holden Commodore V8 in the same hemisphere.
Interesting proposition. I remember Brock brought in an Opel Coupe with the possibility of putting it to market.
Yes he built a V8 Monza but Holdens refused to manufacture it because it had none of the body strengthening of the Commodore and would have put their regular cars in a bad light when the Monza fell apart on Aussie roads
That was the Monza, I’ve seen a/the Brock one at a few car shows.
The Bitter also reminds me of Ferrari 400 or Dino 308GT4 styling cues.
The Opel body will not withstand the V8 from Holden nor can the back axle these were problems faced when the Opel was adapted by GMH into the VB Commodore. GMH massively strengthened the Opel Reckford body and actually only used the Senator front panels on what was originally a 4 banger FWD car
Which brings us back to the Nissan engine- the cost of designing essentially an all new body that just looked like a European Opel burnt up development funds for a new or massively re-engineered Holden motor. So they hurriedly had to buy in Nissan ones until the Buick v6 became available.
BTW, Bitter did show a sedan based on the current body Holden Caprice a couple years ago. It was called the Vero, but I don’t know if it was actually produced.
Very nice write-up, and especially interesting to see the first Silvia as well as the final S15 (I’ve never seen that one before, and it is good looking). I miss this whole category of fun-to-drive, affordable, small sports coupes (I know Scion and Subaru are trying a small-scale revival but the segment is basically dead). My brother was an early adopter when he got a Celica in 1976, and my first car was a 1988 Prelude Si. When I bought the Honda, I didn’t even bother to check out the S12 200SX as I thought it looked very clunky. But I loved the design of the 1989, including the interior with the unique “molded fabric” seats with no visible seams or stitching. A guy who lived next door to me bought a new ’89 240SX Fastback in gray metallic with a stick. He let me drive it, and I thought it was fun to wring out in the same way as the Prelude. Not tons of power, but a blast to drive quickly. However, I still couldn’t quite bring myself to seriously consider the Nissan when I got another Prelude Si in 1992 (the one with the more “radical” styling inside and out). The ’92 Prelude was also a fun car, though not as lithe as the ’88. After that, I wanted something with a more usable backseat and moved on out of the category, like so many, many others.
Ohhhhhhh. THIS is the car I wanted in 1989 when I went new-car shopping. It was juuuuuuust out of my reach. Kinda wish I’d gone for it anyway now.
The hole in the rack has been filled by the Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ. I’ve had the pleasure of driving them, and for all the shortcomings that people harp on about, they replicate the driving experience of a 240SX almost exactly, minus the failing electrics, rattles, and previous owners’ poorly thought out modifications.
I agree. Nice to see those cars back in the market.
I much prefer the looks of the S14 and S15. The S13 I always thought had a nice basic shape, but detailing that didn’t quite come together, plus those maddening motorized belts on U.S. cars; the S14 was a better-resolved design. (I love the Z30 Soarer/Lexus SC coupe, so saying the S14/S15 looked like that is hardly a detriment in my book.) It’s a pity that it didn’t have a refined engine or more power — the KA24DE was not exactly silky. I’ve read that the 1,998cc engine used in JDM cars wasn’t a huge improvement in that regard, although in turbo form it at least had the power to compensate (240 PS in the S14, 250 PS in the S15).
Were the S13s the last rear drive SXs? If so, that trumps everything else…
No the S14 & S15 were rwd too.
I’d have to go with the 2nd generation 200SX notchback, for sentimental reasons.
My mom’s 2nd car (and 1st new car purchased) was a 2nd gen Datsun 200SX notchback, like the one in the 7th picture. Bronze with tan velour-like upholstery. I believe it was a 1980 or 1981 model. It was one of her favorite cars she’s ever owned, and thus one of the longest periods of time she’s kept a car. Eventually it was traded in for an ’88 Camry.
Oh how I wish they still sold these, or maybe not since I still couldn’t afford one anyway. These were great, I have a couple of friends who had/have them. One still does from new, and he gets “offers” all the time.
So many Asian cars from this time period seemed to rock, not just these. The “Sciobaru” is the modern equivalent, but I’m not crazy about the looks; they could have done so much better which is how I feel about most Asian cars now.
PAUL,are you still planning to have a CC on 70s DATSUN B210?
Yes; so long overdue. Will do very soon, I promise.
Nissan’s products of the very late ’80s and early ’90s obviously had a lot spent on their development. Aside from excellent suspension, there was vastly improved fit and finish, one-piece dashes, durable upholstery, and a uniform aesthetic across the model line, from the Sentra to the Q45, with random dashes of limited slip differentials, four wheel steering and active suspension thrown in for good measure. They’d obviously blown their budget when it came to choosing a powertrain for this car.
Who could blame them, really, when no one bought the Celica All-Trac and Honda only brought over detuned Preludes until 1993? Just such a shame, because Japan’s emissions regs are intentionally designed to mimic our own.
Perhaps Nissan knew that no matter how hard they’d try, people would just ignore their best offerings; “Oh don’t worry about that SR turbo, Nakamura; the gaijin won’t buy the Silvia anyway. Just toss in the HICAS and LSD and join me at the yakitori bar in an hour.”
I owned two S13 hatchbacks -a ’90 and a ’91. The ’91 was the top of the line, having the the HICAS -4 wheel steering (High Capacity Actively Controlled Steering) = FUN.
No lie, this was one of the BEST cars I’ve owned -and a good $-value: it had incredible reliability, required no maintenance, it was FUN to drive, got decent mileage. I was fortunate that both of mine were 5-speeds so even if it was a bit under-powered (by ’91 it was up to 155 bhp) I could get at the power.
Styling? the S13 finally resolved all the odd proportions/lines of its near predecessors (coupe or hatch) -and although the grill was perhaps an acquired taste, it was nevertheless appropriate to the period -and very gen-1 RX-7 retro.
I completely regret trading that car.
I like the first gen and the S15, the others not so much. The S14 was originally too ‘soft’ in the styling and the restyle as pictured only went part-way to fixing that. I’m pretty sure all the S14 & S15 200SX’s sold here had the 200hp SR20 turbo.
The S12 looks ok but I have a memory that they were a bit flimsy in the body department which was common for Japanese cars of the era. The S110 is more of a Brougham sports car and reminds me also of the Mazda RX5/121/Cosmo. That said the 240RS rally version looks good.
The main car shown would probably be termed a “Onevia” by the JDM fanboys, being a Silvia with 180SX front panels (although they might be slightly different). There is also the reverse case called the Sileightly (Sil80).
The Skyline/Laurel/Cefiro front panels fit fairly well too – here’s a Lauvia (C35 Laurel mashed up with S14 Silvia) and a…um…whatever you call an S13 front on a C33 Laurel. Sil33?
Don’t know – does it get done enough to have a name?
I’ve seen a couple on the net (as well as a Gloria-fronted Silvia, sorry Glovia!). It seems like every possible Nissan mash-up has been done – as I understand it, the shape of the front door/guard intersection is the same on most of the S13+ Silvia/C33+ Laurel/R32+ Skyline/A31 Cefiro/WC34 Stagea, so the front ends interchange fairly easily. Even the dashboards are easily interchanged (mismatched door trims excepted). Sometimes the results get blended names (Lauvia, Skyfiro, Sil80 etc), sometimes they get blended model designations (R32.4, C33.5 etc). Actually, rather than blabbing on here I really should write a Nissan mash-up article!
S12s? Floppy? You’d better believe it. They have the torsional rigidity of a wet lasagna noodle.
I seem to have a tie to this car…my two youngest sisters have each owned 2 apice (well, one of them was a 200sx, not the 240sx)..My middle sister still owns her 1998 240sx that she bought new, it seems not many people knew the ’98 was going to be the end of the line, and she’s gotten many offers from people to buy her car (guess RWD sporty Japanese cars except for Lexus, Infinity, and Acura aren’t that common).
Its an automatic (I think unfortunately), and has low miles (she also had a company car for awhile so she stopped driving the 240SX, and doesn’t take long trips). The car has been generally dependable, but has had some weird things go wrong with it (like gas tank rupture, I guess due to pressure, along a seam). She previously had a ’93 Coupe (was totaled in an accident unfortunately) but she liked the car enough to buy her current car…I don’t think they were inexpensive cars, maybe why they didn’t sell very well.
My other sister had an ’85 200 SX and a ’92 240SX (both coupes, not hatchbacks).
One totaled in a hailstorm, other she kind of gave up on when she got married (she didn’t take good care of it). I think the ’92 had a heads-up display (she had the model with all the gadgets on it). I bought the shop manual for her ’85, and a month later it was totaled (not her fault, I guess you have hard time avoiding hailstorm.
I never owned one, but had a ’74 Datsun 710, which I think the original Silvia may have been based on…it came out a couple years later…I had a sedan, but they also had a 710 coupe that was really scarce that I think later became that “way out” looking 200SX in ’77. I remember a really attractive lady that had one of these where I was working in very early ’80’s.
Maybe it is the insurance that caused lower cost sporty coupes kind of disappear, I guess it is our loss in reduced automotive landscape. To me they were kind of a smaller version of the Thunderbird.
1989, Yuma, Arizona, the Enterprise rental counter. I told the young attendant behind the counter that I wanted something “two door, fast, and sporty.” She gave me a spanking new 240 SX hatchback identical to the one pictured, except that it had a rear spoiler. For the two weeks that I had it, it was a great car, fun to fling about, although not seriously fast. Alas, the golden glow of memory has impacted my view somewhat! Interestingly enough, at the time, I thought that the “mechanical mouse” seat belts were cool; however, it was not long before I came to absolutely LOATHE them!! 🙂
S13s and drifting: proof for the old adage that youth is wasted on the young.
Would love to have a stick coupe as a DD, but the kids have clapped them all out… at least in MD.
I had a ’98 S14 that was my daughter’s car, though I drove it quite a bit and really had a hard time with selling it, I was going to keep it for myself and get her something safer and more practical. But in the end I decided I had too many projects in mind and the S14 was too much to take on. While it was a nice car, reliable, well made, I didn’t love driving it. The driving position was very low and had a long reach to everything, one thing I remember was just how far from the dash the steering wheel stuck out, I would guess it had a good 6 inches of column there. It was also very easy to spin, I know everyone thinks these are underpowered, but ours was an automatic and still could easily spin the tires on damp pavement, and it would lose traction very easily. One of the main reasons I didn’t want my daughter driving it was because of the twitchy wet weather performance. If Nissan had given it more power it would have been much worse for most buyers.
But ours was mint, and the last year made, so I was tempted to keep it and modernize it a bit… 350Z wheels look awesome on them, 300ZX brakes just bolt right on, you can get all the suspension components for them to improve the handling, and there is an LSx swap kit for it too. Could have been a hell of a project car.
I think the earlier S14 was the best looking one, the first cpl years they had a more Skyline like nose, and 97/98 models got that Silvia nose that didn’t quite gel with the rest of the curvy styling. I wasn’t crazy about the S13 but I do prefer the hatch to the coupe version, it flowed better IMO.
I’m almost tempted to say the S10 is my favorite because of how bizarre it is, and I love all of that far-out 70s Japanese styling anyway. I think of it more as an ode to weird French cars than something fuselage-influenced, however. The shape is more Renault 17 than anything else with perhaps a little Panhard in the wraparound tail lamps, and the dashboard design was undoubtedly a tribute to the Citroën SM. I can’t deny that it’s ugly as hell, though!
My actual favorite is probably the S12 200SX hatchback, although only because I owned one and really liked it. If we’re judging on looks alone I’d go with the early S14 240SX – the one with a rounder front end than the later car pictured in the article. Someone above noted that their appearance was criticized for being “too soft” and I agree that they definitely cribbed that rounder look from the Lexus SC/Toyota Soarer, but both are OK with me. The S13 hatchback is a very close second, and I like that only slightly better than the notch.
That is, of course, only if we’re excluding the original, Fairlady-based car – which is clearly the best looking of them all. I can’t find anything bad to say about any Silvia, however. I even like the Broughmantic 2nd gen S110 as well, but make mine a 240RS please!
A couple more comments on the S12:
1) If you took out the door pillar on the hatch model, the window openings would form a perfectly symmetrical trapezoid. There are almost nothing but straight lines on that car, which makes it probably one of the most extreme examples of “angular” that actually made it into production.
2) I’m not sure if this was unique to the North American-spec cars, but the ’87-’88 SE V6 models gained an independent rear to go along with the extra two cylinders. My perfect Silvia would be the IRS S12 200SX sans body kit plus a very mild SR20DET. The V6 would suffice, but that styling just begs for twin cams and a turbocharger!!
I think the S10 is pretty decent looking too, actually. I think the very wide, narrow taillights and the dashboard center stack look rather sleek and upmarket also.
The turbos also had semi-trailing arm IRSs, also; not just the V6s.
http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?3983691-The-Archive-1984-Nissan-200SX-Turbo
I just have to wonder why they bothered with the V6 only to discontinue it the following year.
Oh wow, thanks for posting that link. I never saw this C&D article and it’s making me wish I had one of these so badly!!! Mine was an ’86 with the solid axle underneath and I always assumed the independent rear wasn’t added until later; didn’t realize they had it all along on the Turbo models. Seems like it would have been cheaper to just go with one design across the whole model range, but who knows.
I picked up an S10 200sx back in the mid ’80s. It was one of those spur of the moment cheap projects that I couldn’t resist. Goofy styling, 5spd and L-series 4banger. What’s not to like other than the battering ram steel bar bumpers with the big plastic ends that can do double duty as wheel chocks at the airport. I wanted to wake it up with a pair of 40dcoe carbs but it was too narrow to fit them in. The project never went anywhere but the drivetrain did end up in a 510. I never could get past those bumpers. I would consider one again just for the oddball factor but only briefly.
I did lust after the 240sx when it first came out but now see them as organ doners for the 510. There’s two rather mint 240sx convertibles that I know of. One is only a few blocks from me and does duty year round as a daily driver. The other is a summer time cruiser.
Since the possibility of a first generation Sylvia is way out of the question the only others that do anything for me are the S10 200sx and the S13 240sx but then the thought of a horrible bumpered 200sx or slammed and tinted riced out fart-can endowed 240sx would only get me harvesting organs for the next project that may come along. Odds are there wouldn’t be much worth while on a beat to death 240sx from the rustbelt. A well cared for 240sx convertible or similar unmolested 240sx with a trunk would be spared.
Im no fan of Asian cars by and large, but a clean 2-door coupe with rwd, good handling and adequate yet hot-roddable powerplant is tough to argue with. Someone mentioned a small market for these cars…I don’t think that’s true at all. I think the beancounters figure that if they can sell 10 sedans to every one coupe then the coupe should be axed. That’s garbage! If it has a stable following and it makes a profit then its worth building. You have to have something ‘car guys’ will actually WANT. Sedans, minivans, econoboxes are all a matter of need–whether real or perceived. No one ‘needs’ a sporty car…its something that a person buys when they can make a completely uninhibited choice in what to drive. Kids, work, and finance tend to dictate many car purchases. A high end sportscar is something most people would want but cant afford. Wanting a Viper but getting stuck on an Elantra budget would suck mighty balls indeed. Those 2 things aren’t even remotely related and what a slap in the face to an enthusiast to have to settle for a crappy sedan. But wanting a Viper yet having a 240 SX budget is a lot easier to swallow. And theres no reason on earth why a sporty coupe using off the shelf mechanicals from other cars cant be priced reasonable with an attainable cost of ownership. The Toyobaru seems to be flying right off the lots even in a shit economy where few are splurging on things they ‘want’. I hope Dodge takes the hint and offers the new ‘Cuda in a lower priced, simple trim level without all the doodads, widgets, and gimmicks that drive up the price, attract non enthusiasts and distract from the pleasure of driving.
Best looking is a tie between the S13 Coupe (not Fastback) with Sport Pack (the 1st, 10th and 11th pics) and the pre-facelfit S14. The car in the 14th pic is a facelifted S14 where they squared off the lights and grille which never worked right with the softer body forms. The S14 was pretty but had zero headroom with a sunroof.
The S13 looks better with the Japan-market front end (12th pic) rather than with the US-market pop-up headlamps.
These were great handling cars, better even than the Z32 300ZXs.
I’m fairly certain I was behind a gen2 200SX notchback coupe in traffic recently. I couldn’t positively ID it at the time because the badges were missing from the trunk lid, but it looked like a boxy, early 1980s, Japanese-looking, 2 door, notchback. After doing a little research online after I got home a 200SX seemed the most likely fit.
Is this what would be considered the “reverse CC effect”?
Beautiful cars in notchback form. The Silvia actually won Japan’s Good Design Award for 1989. The ad campaign went all out proclaiming these as the Art Force Silvia, and the early brochures did a good job projecting that image. I do prefer the front end on these to the 240SX “pig nose”. That said, the US cars had that agricultural KA24 engine, and they eat brakes like potato chips. I considered one of these before I bought a Celica, but that backseat was useless for real people and they weren’t exactly cheap new. I still enjoy their subtle elegance, however.
Final US S14 with the restyled nose still look amazing in my opinion. I never really cared for the previous generations, just too bland and generic.
That car was never going to sell with the engine they put in US models, of course it was a dud. I just dont understand how Ford can put 5.0 pushrod V8 engine in the Mustang or Chevy a 350 in the Camaro, but for compliance “reasons” Nissan can’t do anything better than a gutless NA 4 cylinder you put in a stripper fleet mini truck.
It was a chicken and egg paradox, not enough sales to justify better engines, but sales would never come with poor engine option.
When people buy a sporty coupe, they want it to have some semblance of power.
Well, as with Toyota and the Celica, Nissan was struggling with a combination of two problems: 1) The Silvia was designed to satisfy the demands of the home market, where engines over 2 liters are prohibitively expensive, so the extra power of the hot versions was obtained through turbocharging, and 2) it was built in Japan, so the increasingly unfavorable exchange rate was threatening to make it prohibitively expensive in the U.S. even with the thoroughly lackluster 2.4-liter four. Adding the turbocharged 2-liter or the VG30E V-6 would have made the U.S. car even more expensive than it already was — and probably made it a competitor for the 300ZX, whose sales were already in bad shape.
That’s also more or less what happened to the Mazda MX-6, which had a nicer engine (the slick 2.5-liter K-series V-6), and the Honda Prelude VTEC, which had a bunch more power than the 240SX. They had more suitable powertrains, but they cost nearly $30K in mid-90s dollars, and very few people who wanted cars like this could afford them.
I always thought the ’89-94 S13 notchback coupe clearly showed styling influence from the Lancia Gamma coupe, especially in the greenhouse and taillights.
And speaking of Lancias, the original ’65-68 CSP311 Silvia IMO cribbed some styling notes from the Lancia Fulvia coupe.
The CSP311 was first shown at the 1964 Tokyo Motor Show, a year before the Fulvia coupe’s public appearance at Turin in 1965.
Of course…