NISSAN SILVIA TRIVIA

• The original Silvia debuted in 1964. Code named CSP311, it was fully made by hand.


Following that, the S10 was launched in 1974 (also sold as the Datsun 200SX in some countries), the S110 in 1979, S12 in 1984. In Singapore, we got our S13 200SX (above) as early as 1988, and the S14s in 1993. The S15 was launched in Japan in 1999.

• 2 import versions of the S15 were sold here, a JDM 250bhp Spec R from Japan, and a 220bhp New Zealand spec model.


• A couple of NA hardtop convertible S15s called the Varietta (above) also made it here. So far we've spotted a grey one and white one.


• The S15 is the last of Nissan's S-Series platform sports cars.

S15s are getting rarer as the years go by. I remember seeing my first one in a parallel importer's showroom along Upper Paya Lebar/Macpherson back in 2000. The shop had only 2 units, a yellow and a grey. They were priced at a ridiculous S$160K. It was sexy as hell, but at that price, the car was free of my fingerprints.

"THE RESULT IS A
VERY CLEAN AND SLEEK FINISH THAT EXUDES
A SENSE OF
UNDERSTATED
AGRESSION..."
I never knew who registered those 2 units, but it wasn't until 2002 that the car's popularity picked up. While Tan Chong did not bring in the car, there were a few PIs that did. One of the major importers for this car was EZ-Import, which I happened to work for at that time.

The company sold numerous JDM and NZ spec models, like the one you see here.

This black beauty is one of the last beautiful examples available in Singapore.

Sporting a Nizmo rear bumper and side skirts, the owner matched a Vertex front bumper with a pair of complimentary carnards to complete the look. A carbon fibre hood sits atop the engine bay, while the original wing mirrors have been replaced with Ganador units.

The result is a very clean and sleek finish that exudes a sense of understated agression.

The engine has been tweaked to produce 400 brake horse power at the crank. Thanks to a bigger turbo and strengthened internals. "At 6,000 to 7,000 rpm, things get pretty scary!" admitted the owner, as we were chatting about what 400 bhp is like. We can imagine.

A lovely set of 18" Prodrive GC06 houses Brembos that were taken off a GTR. Overall setup is a 10 upon 10 in my opinion, but that's just me, I like my cars clean.