The Nissan Silvia S110 is a classic JDM brand that may not be as memorable as many that came after it, but its quirkiness might just surprise you.
The Japanese have had an important influence on the international car industry for decades now with iconic brands like Nissan, Toyota, and Honda, bringing to the table their own unique taste on vehicle fabrication, based on reliability and simple yet enticing looks. There's one other aspect that might just be the most important of all, and that's just how easy their vehicles are to modify.
JDM cars are widely sought after by car enthusiasts that look to modify vehicles to their will at relatively low costs; not only is it fun to do, but it also gives each individual owner the chance to make their car look unique and exclusive. After several tuned and modified JDM cars made legendary appearances in movies such as those from the 'Fast and Furious' franchise, countless third party companies began fabricating aftermarket modifications for a wide variety of Japanese models, and the rest is history.
On this occasion, however, we're going to take a look at a classic JDM car that came before the whole movement began: the Nissan Silvia S110. It's a quirky two-door that was offered in the US and Canada either as a coupe or hatchback. Let's get into the details.
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Before getting into specifics, we should clarify that Nissan's S110 was sold in North America under the Datsun 180SX brand and model name. Produced from 1979 to 1983, the S110 featured several design aspects that are worth mentioning. Firstly, it had incredibly iconic and unusual side mirrors that were mounted on the vehicle's fenders even further than the front wheels, giving the Silvia S110 a beautiful and unique touch.
In terms of the overall shape of the '79 Nissan Silvia, the JDM classic featured many design aspects that were common of the time and region and many others that were quite particular. It was robust and edgy, with no curves to be seen and several sharp corners all around, almost to the point where the hatchback version kind of looked like an enormous trapezoid; the same shape can also be found in the vehicle's window frame.
The last noteworthy aspect of the S110s design were its pillars. The A-pillar was distinctly special because of how slim it was; they were made that way because of the position of the side mirrors, which were so far upfront that the driver wouldn't have been able to see them if the A-pillar had been any thicker. The B-pillar of the Nissan Silvia S110 was also quite unusual because it was fitted with an off-color, plastic panel that had no particular functionality aside from adding another quirky design cue.
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Throughout the Silvia's 4-year production run, the only engine ever offered was an inline-four-cylinder, though displacements ranged from 1.8 liters to 2.2 liters in different versions, with a horsepower rating that stood between 103 and 135 while torque was somewhere between 147 and 196 pound-feet; all this could be channeled either through a 3, 4 or 5-speed manual or automatic transmission. Depending on the model year and engine, the S110 could run 0.60 anywhere between 11.3 to 13.8 seconds, putting up a top speed of 100-105 miles per hour.
In retrospect, the Nissan Silvia S110 may not be as memorable as many other JDMs that came after it, and maybe even some of its own era, but that shouldn't take away from the fact that it's the predecessor of many Nissan JDM legends that we know and love today.
Santi for short, has been into cars for as long as he can remember, and took up writing as a hobby for nearly a decade to this day. As a student currently studying English Literature and Creative Writing, it's a dream come true to be able to combine both passions in this new chapter as an evergreen writer for HotCars. With a great range of knowledge about the past and current car industry, he looks forward to bringing new and engaging ideas to the website.