The Nissan Silvia S10 featured an attractive design and not-so-stellar driving dynamics, but it was enough to put it on the radar.
Nissan’s Silvia is one of the most popular Japanese sports car nameplates. Since its inception, the coupe was a magnet for car enthusiasts worldwide, thanks to the excellent price-to-performance ratio.
Its beginnings were not so rosy, though. The first generation, the CSP311, couldn’t capture a lot of market share, finding its way to only 554 customers. As a result, Nissan thought of abandoning the model first, but it quickly had a change of heart. In 1975, the Japanese brand launched the second-gen S10 Silvia (Datsun 200SX in the US), a vastly different model.
Today, the second-gen car is a very sought-after piece, despite some disadvantages. But what made the S10 Silvia so special? Join me on a journey through Japanese automotive history, where we’ll discuss the car that launched one of the most popular automotive nameplates in the stratosphere. Welcome to another enticing “Japanese Legends” story!
Background
Ever since the first-generation Silvia ceased production in 1969, Nissan never intended to continue the nameplate with another model. However, the 70s had been very fruitful years for the carmaker as it came up with many new and exciting cars that did quite well in the market. Looking at the growing popularity of the Toyota Celica, Nissan’s top brass decided to compete in the small to medium sports car market by reviving the name after a brief 7-year hiatus with the S10 Silvia. The S10 would later go on to be the foundation of Silvia’s reputation as a mean drifting machine.
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Nissan Silvia S10 LS — Base Model
The second-generation S10 Silvia was the first model built on Nissan’s famous “S” chassis that we all know and love today. The S platform was Nissan’s framework for front-engined rear-wheel-drive sports cars. Moreover, also unlike the CSP311, the S10 series Silvia was available in several trim levels. Nissan dubbed the base model Silvia LS, with the others being Type-L, Type-S, and Type-X.
Nissan had such high hopes for this car that it decided to sell the S10 Silvia exclusively in high-end dealerships. It called these places the “Nissan Prince Store” and also sold the iconic Nissan Skyline there.
Under the Skin
The S10 Silvia featured Nissan’s L18 1.8-liter straight-4 engine. The powerplant produced 105ps (103 hp) at 6,000 rpm and 109 lb-ft (147 Nm) of torque at 3,600 rpm. While it wouldn’t smoke its more potent 150 hp Fairlady Z brother with such power, at that time, the S10 was made to rival the Toyota Celica A20 and Mazda RX-7 SA of the world, with lightness being its ace up its sleeve.
The fuel was supplied to the engine using a single, double-barrel downdraft carburetor. It had an 85 mm bore and a 78 mm stroke with a compression ratio of 8.5:1. Furthermore, the L18 had an aluminum cylinder head, a fully balanced crankshaft, and a deep skirting single-piece cast cylinder block.
Owners could choose from two transmission options available for the Silvia – a 4-speed manual and a 5-speed manual. Both transferred the power to the rear wheels. As a result, the S10 series could go from 0-60 mph between 10 to 11 seconds, depending on the model — not as quick as today’s standard, but it was pretty good for a budget sportster in the 70s.
Stopping power came from the front disc brakes and rear drums. Meanwhile, the front axle featured a McPherson strut setup, while the rear was a more traditional leaf spring suspension system.
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Styling Features
Like the CSP311, Nissan continued the new trend of styling the Silvia by following a non-traditional design language. As a result, this generation also faced some criticism in the design department. The car had radical new design features, such as the wrap-around lights at the back, a style that is gaining popularity in modern cars even today. Following suit from the first generation, the S10 series was also less than traditional design for Japanese car enthusiasts; design features like the side profile, massive C-pillars, sunken headlights, and front grille contributed heavily to this perception.
As a response to critics claiming the CSP311 was a bit small, the new Silvia grew considerably, both inside and outside. Nissan increased the overall length by 150 mm, width by 90 mm, height by 25 mm, and the wheelbase by 60 mm.
A personal favorite is the design line that starts from the headlights and finishes to shape the rear wheel arch. The cut-away wheel arches also sit really well with the rest of the silhouette. The designers at Nissan have truly picked up from the CSP311 era and created a body that embodies and retains Silvia’s original essence as a specialty sports car.
The S10 Silvia That Never Was
During the early development stages of the S10 Silvia, Nissan decided to power the sports car with a rotary engine. This plan was later scrapped due to the ongoing oil crisis of the 70s. In hindsight, this turned out to be a sage decision as the S10 performed quite well on the American market. Thanks to a lower displacement engine, Silvia’s fuel efficiency was much better than its American counterparts. As a result, people preferred Japanese cars like the Silvia, thereby driving up sales figures worldwide.
Indeed, scraping the idea of using a rotary engine might have saved Nissan a fortune in multiple aspects. It’s worth noting that developing a rotary engine that would beat Mazda’s expertise at that time would require a huge R&D effort, meaning it could’ve sacrificed Silvia’s affordability. Besides, it’s also the inline engine setup that allows the S10 to weigh lighter than most of its competition.
Datsun 200SX — Export Version
That being said, the S10 Series was the first Silvia to be exported in large numbers, with the main export market being the United States. For sale in the US and anywhere outside Japan, the car’s name was changed from Nissan Silvia to Datsun 200SX. Nissan gave the S10 series a mild facelift in 1977, and with the update, the brand also decided to ship the sports car overseas.
Different Under the Skin
The 200SX was mechanically different from the Silvia while retaining most of the exterior styling. The car ditched the 1.8-liter 4-pot for a larger 2-liter L20B engine. The larger displacement powerplant produced 97 hp and 102 lb-ft of torque. Although these figures are slightly lower than the domestic version, they represent a significant increase in capability compared to the CSP311 Silvia.
The L20B is a highly capable and one of the most versatile engines Nissan had at the time. The powerplant found applications not only in cars but also in trucks. There were as many as six different versions of the L20B in the US used in trucks and cars.
For the 200SX, owners could choose between two transmission options for the L20B engine. The first was a 5-speed manual gearbox for those who crave a more mechanical feel, and the second option was a 3-speed automatic. Both transmissions would send power to the rear wheels. As a result, the 200SX could go from 0-60 mph in 11.2 seconds, while the automatic variant needed two seconds more.
Subtle Styling Differences
The export versions of the S10 series were very similar to their domestic counterparts, apart from a few subtle differences. For example, all US-spec cars were fitted with 5 mph bumpers. These were federally mandated bumper extensions as required by the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act passed by the authorities in 1972. This law required all cars to be equipped with something called “5 mph bumpers”. These devices aimed to minimize or, in some cases, even eliminate the damage caused to one’s car due to a low-speed (5 mph) collision.
Paul Newman’s 200SX
Fun fact, despite having poor handling and high-speed characteristics, famous actor and racing driver Paul Newman raced the Datsun 200SX in the late 70s. Newman started racing the 200SX in the 1978 IMSA (International Motor Sports Association). The car he used started life as any other 1977 Datsun 200SX, but it was not long until Bob Sharp Racing and Newman got their hands on it. The inline-four engine was tuned to produce double the ponies using two 50mm Solex carburetors, a Mallory ignition coil, and a higher compression ratio of 10:1.
Newman raced the car from 1978 to 1979, winning 19 out of 22 races in the IMSA B-production category. Later on, Newman replaced his 200SX with a more powerful 280Z.
Last Words
Surely, the Nissan Silvia S10 marked a pivotal moment in the evolution of Japanese sports cars. While it may not have initially captured the market’s attention, it laid the foundation for one of the most beloved automotive nameplates in history. With its unique design, choice of trim levels, and the decision to export it as the Datsun 200SX, the S10 Silvia became a standout performer, even in the face of the oil crisis of the 70s.
The decision to forgo a rotary engine in favor of a more fuel-efficient inline-4 turned out to be a wise one, ensuring the car’s affordability and contributing to its global success. The S10 Silvia’s story is not only about its specifications but also about its enduring legacy as a mean drifting machine and a piece of automotive history that continues to captivate enthusiasts. It’s a testament to the innovation and adaptability of Japanese sports cars, making it a true Japanese legend in the automotive world.
Compared to the first generation CSP311 Silvia, the S10 series seems to be a much bigger success, with over 145,000 units sold globally. This newfound success indicated the need for such a specialty car in the market and paved the way for many more future generations of the Silvia. What started as a revenge exercise would later become one of the most iconic sports cars in history.
Read more:
• Nissan Silvia CSP311 — 1st-Generation (1965-1968)
• Nissan Silvia S10 – 2nd-Generation (1975-1979)
References:
https://www.nissan-global.com/EN/HERITAGE/new_silvia_ls_type_s.html
