Nissan Exec’s Ambitious Plan: Bringing Electrified Silvia to Battle GR86, BRZ, and Miata

Right now, Nissan has two sports cars: the GT-R and the Z. The GT-R is a high-end model that’s about to say goodbye, while the Z sits in the middle of the pack. But according to Nissan’s Vice President of Global Product Strategy, Ivan Espinosa, the brand is trying to add a third sports car to the mix – and it might just be called the Silvia.

Espinosa told Australian media in Abu Dhabi that he’s been dreaming of a new Silvia, which would be a Mazda MX-5 rival. He’s even got a name for it: “But I’m trying, as I said and I keep saying it in my brain, three sports cars in my lineup, a GT-R, a Z, and something else. And this something else in my brain is called the Silvia. Now, will we do it? I’m trying.”

If the Silvia becomes a reality, it’ll likely have some form of electrification. Espinosa wouldn’t commit to a hybrid or battery-electric vehicle, but he did say it wouldn’t be purely piston-powered. And the good news is that it’ll be a global car, so we can expect to see it in North America too.

Nissan’s also planning to develop its own architecture for the Silvia, rather than partnering with another automaker like Toyota did with the Supra and GR86. “I personally, I don’t know what the company will do, but I will personally advocate not to [partner with another brand],” Espinosa said.

If the Silvia does happen, I hope it keeps its true name in the US. The last two generations of Silvia sold here wore the 240SX nameplate, but the Silvia name is way cooler. Unfortunately, none of this is happening anytime soon – or maybe ever. “It’s not an easy case. It’s not easy because the sports cars market is shrinking,” Espinosa said. Even if the Silvia does become a reality, it’s likely to be a long time coming, possibly not until the end of the decade.