Cars - Nissan Silvia

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	Cars - Nissan Silvia

The Silvia series of cars are one of Nissan's low-priced rear wheel drive (RWD), front mounted engine sports coupes on the Nissan S platform. Generally powered by an inline-4 engine, the S-series chassis underpins a number of different cars, each generation an evolution of the last.

Early Silvias

Before the series of budget coupes, the Silvia name was first introduced in 1964. The CSP311 Silvia was a hand-built coupe based on the Fairlady convertible, styled with input from Albrecht Goertz. Production ceased in 1968 after a mere 554 were made, every one unique with hand-formed body panels. A majority of exports (49 cars) were sent to Australia. Most of the cars, however, remained in Japan. The Silvia name was to remain unused until 1974.

S Chassis

S10

The S10 was the first under the S chassis code, and featured a sports-coupe shape, as was popular at the time -- Unfortunately, it featured more traditional lines than rivals Celica, Capella and others, and was summarily less popular, even in Japan. It was available with many luxury features -- in Japan it was fitted with an L18B engine, as was fitted to the Datsun 610/Bluebird 180B. In America it was fitted with the same 2 litre variant, the L20B, as the 200B of the same series Bluebird. The car, as known in America as a 200SX, was unpopular, owing mostly to the federally-mandated "5 mph" bumpers ruining the intended lines of the car, and also, because America had yet to warm to the idea of a Japanese sports car. Its success in Japan was limited, most buyers opting for Celicas over the more humdrum Silvia.

S110

The S110 was the next in the chain. This Silvia was unusual because it was originally intended to feature a rotary engine, designed and built by Nissan. This engine however was fairly unreliable, and forestalled production. Ironically it shared a chassis code with the also ill-fated Mazda Cosmo, first Japanese production car to feature a rotary engine. This generation saw the debut of the "Gazelle" name, used for the luxury models of the S110. It was redesigned shortly after it was originally released, the rotary replaced by several piston engines for different markets, most based around the new Z-series engine, including the Z20, and the turbocharged and fuel injected Z18ET. It was not the most powerful though—the Silvia RS240 was a notchback S110 fitted with a 2.4 litre, DOHC, FJ24 engine, built between 1983 and 1985, past the end of production for the S110 itself.

S12

The S12 platform was produced from late 1983 to early 1988. This new series saw the debut of the CA-series engine, as well as pop-up headlamps. US and Canadian models were still all known as "200SX" even though displacement varied from 1.8L (the CA18ET turbocharged engine, only available in the fastback body style, 1984-1986, -1988 in Canada), to 2.0L (the CA20E, available in all models and all years), and 3.0L (the VG30E V6, available only in the SE-V6 fastback in the US in 1987-1988). In Australia, Europe, and Japan, quite a few different engines were available. The CA20E was available in all of these areas throughout the entire production run. Both a coupe and a hatchback were available in these markets. 1984-1988 hatchbacks were available with any engine offered in the given area (FJ20E, FJ20ET, CA20E, CA18ET) but the Coupe was only available with the CA20E, except for the RS-X version which came with the FJ20ET. The FJ20ET and the FJ20E are dual cam motors (this is not denoted in the engine code, unlike more modern Nissan engine series). The 1988 Japanese RS-X was equipped with a CA18DET in place of the previous FJ20ET.

S13

The S13, introduced in mid-1988 for the 1989 model year, was immensely popular in Japan, where it was sold as the Silvia (notchback) and 180SX (fastback). Both S13 models were also exported to North America as the 240SX. The S13 was one of the first uses of Nissan's multi-link rear suspension, the technology of which was previewed in concept cars in previous years.

Japanese S13s were powered by the CA18DET in the case of the K's or CA18DE for the J's and Q's in the very first years of production, but all S13s circa 1991 were powered by a SR20DET for the K's or SR20DE for the J's and Q's. Upon its introduction in the U.S. and Canada, the 240SX was powered by the KA24E, an engine that also saw duty in Nissan's light pickup trucks, U12 Stanza and Bluebird sedans, and Axxess minivan. In 1991, as the JDM S13s switched to the SR20, the 240SX received the KA24DE.

The S13 Silvia reverted to fixed headlamps, while the new 180SX (and export 200SX and 240SX models) retained pop-up headlamps.

The RPS13 180SX and its stateside sister, 240SX fastback, were the only exported S-chassis variants to incorporate Nissan's SuperHICAS 4-wheel steering system, which was included in an options package that usually included ABS and VLSD. However in Japan, the SuperHICAS was equipped on many of the Silvia S13s that were produced and LSD was standard.

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Cars - Nissan Silvia

Early Silvias

S Chassis

S10

S110

S12

S13

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