The S15, which debuted in 1999, has an astounding 247 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 203 ft/lb of torque from the most potent inline-four SR20DET ever.
The upgraded ball bearings in the turbocharger and engine management changes were largely responsible for the improved output. Also released was an SR20DE variant with only 163 horsepower.
The S15 was totally redesigned, making it stand out from its elder relatives. It also included aggressive aesthetics to keep up with the prevailing trends—personally, we believe it succeeded very well!
The body dimensions were decreased in order to return it to the compact class and address the S14’s Japanese tax width difficulties, which surely boosted sales in that country.
With the exception of the US, this model was only marketed in Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, however it could be shipped to the majority of other nations.
To comply with local rules, the ADM cars had various body alterations that were fairly unsightly and slightly detuned. In neither nation were they ever offered for sale with the N/A SR20DE engine.
Let’s examine the various S15 models in-depth and respond to the most often asked questions.
In This Article...
When will the S15 Silvia reach the age of 25?
Beginning in January 2024, the 1999 Nissan Silvia S15 will turn 25 years old. It will no longer be subject to NHTSA regulations after it turns 25 and can be legally imported into the USA.
The S15 came in three different variations: Spec-R, Spec-S, and Silvia Varietta. The S15 is a development of the Nissan S13 and S14 models. They were offered with both automatic and five and six-speed manual gearboxes. The SR20 also comes in turbo and naturally aspirated models.
Beyond the purchase of the car, there are additional expenses. The price to export and import to the US is $5,500. Transport to our facilities in Cypress, California, is included in this pricing, which is all-inclusive. We cannot guarantee that the current import tariff of 2.5% will remain the same when the car is imported because import tariffs are subject to change. There is additionally storage for the car in Japan. There are many different storage options and prices. Additionally available are maintenance and adjustments made while in storage; pricing depend on your preferences.
We cannot guarantee that the vehicle will be able to meet emissions standards if you reside in California or any state that mandates ODB2 emissions testing because the R34 GT-R was not built with OBD2 from the factory. Prior to the car becoming 25, some States may decide to exclude them or adopt new legislation, but we have no influence over it. Please consult your local laws for further details.
The vehicle is yours once the balance is paid in full. Contracts and purchase agreements with a focus on the chassis number will be in place to make sure you have documentation proving you own the vehicle. Under no circumstances will we help in the unlawful importation of the automobile or import the vehicle to you before it turns 25. You have the choice to retain the car registered in Japan in the storage plan. For those of our clients who want to travel to Japan and keep their automobile there until it turns 25 years old, we provide this option.
When was the S15 released?
Released in 1999, the Nissan S15 was exclusively offered for sale in Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. Sales outside of Japan were so dismal when production stopped in 2002 that some items didn’t start to sell in New Zealand until 2007. Even though Australia was their second-largest market, just 10% of S15s were sold there, thus sales there weren’t much better.
Unlike the earlier USDM S-Chassis cars with a totally different engine, local rules in these nations didn’t necessitate any significant changes to the original JDM cars, which is why the S15 was only offered there. Even though Nissan continued to sell that engine in the US until 2002, the additional R&D expenses required to incorporate it into a new model outweighed any possible earnings.
The fact that Nissan sold more than 200,000 S13s in North America but fewer than 40,000 S14s over roughly the same period of time is the primary indicator of the decline in popularity of tiny sports cars. However, both NA and turbocharged SR20 engines were always available in Silvias in Europe. What a tragedy that the SR20 was prevented from entering European roads by new and strict pollution requirements.
What is the Nissan S15’s history?
In 1965, the Nissan Silvia made its debut. The Japanese-made sports coupe model rose to fame thanks to its aerodynamic, ideal for racing design. Over the years, the Nissan Silva underwent numerous versions, but the Nissan S15 is the most well-known. A
In 1999, the Nissan S15 made its debut. It was only offered in New Zealand, Australia, and Asia. Pre-owned S15s are still in high demand even though they are no longer being produced.
A succinct history of the Nissan Silva and S15
According to James Pumphrey of Donut Media, Nissan had a problem in 1976. The Datsun Z, the company’s cheap sports car, was getting bigger and costlier every year. They revived the Silvia with the S10 to fix the issue. A
The S10, which was given the 200SX name for the American market, immediately established itself in racing and was even driven by actor Paul Newman.
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The vehicle continued in this vein with later iterations, including the S15, competing and triumphing in rallies, touring car races, and (of course) drifting championships.
Production tally
Sadly, we could only discover conclusive information on the last three Silvia generations. They are significantly better documented because they are the most in demand.
S13:
18056 S13s were constructed in total.
S14:
- S14s built overall: 302,761S13s built: 165,932
- KS13: 24,492
- PS13: 100,128
- KPS13: 12,209
S15:
- Built S15s in total: 43097 (41954 coupes and 1143 convertible)
- Japanese Silvias, 38741 (37598 coupes, 1143 convertible)
- Australian 200SX 3879
- New Zealand 200SX 477
The Nissan Silvia S15 is how old?
The Silvia S15 hasn’t ever been sold in the United States and is only 16 years old at most. This is due to a few rules the US has regarding imported vehicles.
Why did Nissan discontinue the Silvia?
Currently, the Nissan Silvia S15 is prohibited from being driven on American roads. Good.
The stated justification for the S15’s exclusion on American roads is our 25-year import law, which prohibits any vehicle that was not first offered for sale in the country and is under 25 years old. The Nissan Silvia is only 16 years old at its oldest and has never been sold in the US, thus it does not meet our safety and emissions rules. Because of this, a man who recently imported one risked 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Safety is the unofficial justification for keeping the S15 from American drivers. protection from lingering horror
Just imagine what would occur if S15s were made legal in the US. That would be insane.
Everywhere, all the time, people would be drifting, including down your street, on their way to school, into school buses carrying students, and into the orphanage down the street staffed by blind nuns. Rival driving gangs would engage in Drift Wars on the public roadways, drifting aggressively and dangerously like in the Fast and the Furious movie but constantly and everywhere.
We appreciate the US government saving us from the Driftpocalypse. May the S15 never be permitted in this wonderful nation.
Silvia deserved to be shared with the entire world as such a renowned automobile. Unfortunately, despite its excellent qualities, it cannot be distributed due to legal restrictions. Despite being nearly 16 years old, the Silvia S15 has never been sold in the US. This is so because there are a few laws in the US that apply to cars from other countries.
the following laws
- Any vehicle that was not manufactured and sold in the US is prohibited.
- Foreign vehicles that are under 25 years old are prohibited.
These laws have a maximum 20-year prison sentence as a punishment. Pretty severe, but safety always comes first. These restrictions were implemented as a result of a period of time during which foreign cars were being utilized to drift throughout the nation. When so many people started becoming entangled in it, it started to pose a safety risk. Therefore, even though the US restrictions on imported vehicles are the legal justification for the Silvia’s ban, the actual reason is because of probable safety hazards.
Will Nissan bring the Silvia back?
According to rumors, Nissan will reintroduce the Silvia, also known as the 200SX and 240SX in the US. Unnamed sources told Japan’s Best Car that the Japanese manufacturer is bringing back the moniker as part of a “Pure EV Silvia Revival” project. If we assume this report to be true, it suggests that the Silvia will make a comeback as an electric car.
The article stated that the Silvia EV rendering from last year served as the catalyst for the entire idea. Vice President of Nissan Design Europe Matthew Weaver came up with the idea for the classic coupe’s reinvented revival.
The Silvia will Nissan bring it back?
According to a recent claim from Japan, the legendary Nissan Silvia sports car, also known to Australians under various names as the Nissan 200SX or Gazelle, could make a comeback in 2025 with retro styling and all-electric propulsion.
Nissan is reportedly planning to reintroduce its iconic “affordable” Silvia (or 200SX) sports car with electric (EV) propulsion in 2025 in an effort to demonstrate that its heritage will continue as the automotive industry shifts to electric vehicles. This model was sold from 1965 to 2002 across up to seven generations (depending on market).
According to the report, Nissan will draw its inspiration for the reborn Silvia EV from a previous generation of the sports car nameplate rather than the S13, S14, or S15 generations that gained notoriety in video games and 2000s tuner culture. Instead, Nissan will look to the original “CSP311” Silvia of 1965.
Although just 49 of the total 554 units produced worldwide, including the original Silvia, were sold in Australia as Datsuns in the late 1960s, it’s the subsequent generations, badged as the 200SX from 1994 to 2002, that local purchasers will remember the most.
According to Best Car, Nissan Design Europe vice president Matthew Weaver’s designs from September “received a lot of attention” and “inspired a resuscitation of the Silvia [as a] pure EV,” which led to the idea to bring back the Silvia nameplate as an electric vehicle.
The final “S15” Silvia models in Australia managed to get 147kW and 265Nm out of their tuner-favorite 2.0-liter “SR20DET” turbocharged four-cylinder engines (or 184kW/275Nm in Japan), which are numbers that an electric motor installed in the back would probably surpass.
Nissan has not yet officially confirmed the construction of an electric Silvia, but the Best Car article reflects the first rumors that such a model is in the works.
It’s not the first time, though, that a new “S16” Silvia has been rumored; in 2017, the Japanese website Spyder7 said a new generation model with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine would be revealed shortly, with a debut scheduled for 2018; these reports, however, were unfounded.
Nissan previewed a new entry-level Nissan coupe (influenced by the Datsun 510 of the 1960s) with the IDx Freeflow and Nismo concepts, which were unveiled in 2013. However, as a corporate engineer purportedly revealed online in 2019, low profit margins and niche sales killed plans to bring it to market.
Nissan might produce an S16.
A brand-new Nissan S16 Silvia is rumored to be in development for 2025, although it might forgo the traditional turbocharged gasoline engine in favor of an all-electric drivetrain.
The Silvia, also known as the 200SX in Australia, is one of Nissan’s most recognizable automobiles and is positioned as a mid-range sports car between the Zed models and the top-of-the-line Skyline GT-R.
After Europe design boss Matthew Weaver unveiled retro concept sketches modeled after the original Silvia of 1964, Japanese newspaper Best Car now reports that Nissan is working on a new Silvia.
Nissan Europe’s Silvia EV concept art. Top: A future Silvia EV as depicted by Best Car.
Weaver remarked at the time, “By recreating this car for the future, we wanted to pay honor to its tradition.
“Being an electric car, it offered us the chance to extend the clean surface across the front because an electric engine has significantly lower cooling requirements, thus there is no need for a grille where radiators are typically positioned,” says the author.
In comparison to an automobile powered by an internal combustion engine, the essential parts of an electric vehicle are “very different and can be packed differently,” according to Weaver.
Therefore, the Silvia that we have pictured in this scenario would have a larger inside than its outside measurements would imply.
Nissan may finally be considering releasing a vehicle that can compete with the Toyota AE86 Sprinter, Toyota GR86, and Subaru BRZ, which are vehicles inspired by the 1980s S12 Silvia (badged as a Gazelle in Australia).