Work on a new Nissan Silvia has begun, 22 years after the last model – the S15 – left the assembly line in Japan.
The production model has not yet seen the light of day. But Nissan now confirms that development of a new Silvia has begun.
This is confirmed by the vice-director of global product strategy Ivan Espinosa in an interview with Australian Drive .
– We have begun the initial phases that show how the architecture (the way the car will be built, ed.) can look like, says Ivan Espinosa.
The confirmation, which has not yet turned into a production confirmation, comes just weeks after Boosted reported that Nissan was considering reviving the Silvia name.
READ ALSO: Copenhagen famously closes road to cars after 5 years
When Ivan Espinosa says initial stages it can be translated to the first stages of planning and early stages of development of the car.
Espinosa aims for Nissan to start production of the next Silvia before the end of the decade. So he and his colleagues still have six years to go.
In order for the car to meet the regulations in as many markets as possible, Nissan is going for electrification. In this way, a new Silvia – like the current 370Z – does not go beyond Europe.
However, this does not mean that the new Silvia will be a pure electric car. Not necessarily anyway. The most likely node is a hybrid solution. A car with such an engine will be able to meet the emission requirements in the vast majority of markets.
And while developing something as niche as a sports car is expensive, Nissan isn't about to ask others for help. So it won't be another disguised BMW like Toyota is doing with the current Supra.
The new Silvia will be an exclusively Nissan project. However, Nissan is part of an alliance with Renault, so it cannot be ruled out that the Japanese borrow parts that way. For example, from the revived Alpine, which is, however, for a long time just Renault with a different logo.
Read more exciting news from and about the world of cars right here!
