Nissan Wants To Make 'Cool Cars' Again

Nissan’s global head of product strategy said the company wants to have a sporty lineup, which could include the return of iconic nameplates.

Nissan Silvia

Photo by: Nissan

Jeff Perez

By: Jeff Perez

Apr 16, at 2:13am ET

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THE BREAKDOWN

Nissan wants more sports cars beyond the GT-R and Z.
The company is exploring an entire 'sports lineup' with more enthusiast-focused models.
Executives have hinted at the return of the Silvia nameplate

Nissan is gearing up for a comeback. We were on hand earlier this week as the company unveiled the new Rogue E-Power Hybrid at its headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, while also teasing the return of the Xterra nameplate. But it’s not stopping there.

In a conversation with Richard Candler, Nissan’s global head of product strategy, he said that the brand is serious about bringing sporty cars back into the lineup. And not just the GT-R and Z—potentially other enthusiast-favorite nameplates as well. He notes:

'We are really deeply looking at a sports lineup again. We want to do some cool cars. The first car I ever bought was a Silvia, so I'd love to bring back that nameplate. I do think it's really valuable… I think there's still space for Silvia, and we need to find the right solution for it.'

1999 Nissan Silvia S15

1999 Nissan Silvia S15

Photo by: Nissan

This isn’t the first time Nissan has hinted at reviving the Silvia. CEO Ivan Espinosa previously suggested that more sports cars could be in development alongside the upcoming R36 GT-R. While he stopped short of confirming the Silvia nameplate specifically, he did say that we will see “more sports cars coming into the portfolio.”

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What a new Silvia might look like is still unclear, but it would likely target rivals like the Mazda Miata and Toyota GR86 / Subaru BRZ. As Candler puts it, "price access and accessibility are important for that product."

Motor1’s Take: If Nissan follows through, this could be exactly what the brand needs. Leaning back into affordable, driver-focused sports cars—especially something like a revived Silvia—would help bring back enthusiasts in a way crossovers and EVs simply can’t.

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