The S10 featured less "traditional" lines than similar offerings from rivals Toyota and Mazda sharing a common appearance with the larger Skyline.

Maximum power is 105 PS (77 kW) at 6,000 rpm, sufficient for top speeds from 165 to 175 km/h (103 to 109 mph) depending on which of the three transmissions were fitted: four-speed or five-speed manual, or a three-speed automatic.

Like the previous generation, the S110 Silvia was uniquely progressive in that it was originally intended to feature a rotary engine, designed and built by Nissan.

Coincidentally, this Silvia shares its chassis code with the Mazda Cosmo, the first Japanese production car to feature a rotary engine.

The car was redesigned shortly before it was released and the stillborn Wankel power plant was replaced by a line of twin-plug conventional piston engines from the new Z-series range.

Power is 100 hp (75 kW; 101 PS), channeled through a five-speed manual or a three-speed automatic and coupled with the H165 rear axle.

[19] The top model was the luxurious SL, which received a remote opening hood, trunk, and gas tank lid, more adjustable seats, and a removable glass skyroof.

[21] The Violet GTS' first outing was at the 1982 Rallye de Portugal, where team leader Timo Salonen failed to finish after the suspension broke.

The honeycomb radiator grille was replaced with a slatted version that spanned the entire front end (previous was shorter), and cornerlights were shortened.

The "SE" model and the Turbo (Canada, Europe) came with new fiberglass ground effects and mudflaps, painted in the color of the car, and a new and more pronounced lower deflection lip in the front.

The S12 Gazelle was strictly a hatchback, available in regular, RS and RS-X variants and exclusive to Nissan Store locations as a junior companion to the Fairlady ZX.

The ZX name was also used because Nissan's Swedish importer decided to stop carrying the Z31 300ZX when the naturally aspirated version was discontinued for Europe; the Silvia acted as a partial replacement for the Z-car in that region.

According to the May 1984 brochure, the coupé added: alloy wheels, mudflaps, electric windows/mirrors/antenna, a six speaker sound system (over four), time delay interior lighting, variable intermittent wipers, an armrest, carpet kickpads, and cloth headlining/sunvisors/door trims (over vinyl).

The FJ20ET-powered Silvia RS-X of 1986 would have been Nissan's first choice – however, not enough examples of this Japan-only model were sold to meet the WRC's Homologation requirements (minimum 5000 units).

The V6-engined SE was only sold in the North American market but was selected as Nissan projected to easily sell the 5000 cars required for WRC homologation.

Identifiable by its black and silver rocker-cover (as opposed to the traditional red/silver cover), it featured a number of minor changes, which resulted in little performance gains.

The Onevia was never retailed as a complete car in Japan (though it was in North America: the coupé version of the 240SX used the same body shell as the Silvia but with the 180SX/240SX nose).

Demand was low at the time due to high cost (3.25 million Yen in 1988), heavier curb weight, and chassis flex.

For example, all K's Club Selections came with projector headlamps, a rear spoiler, and 15" aluminum wheels while all Q's models came out with automatic climate control.

Trim-wise, the Almighty offered options not available on the J's (such as the 15" alloy wheels) but also not including all the standard features of the Q's (power windows and sunroof).

It includes an Aero style HUD with white displays and gauges for oil pressure, boost, and voltage in the centre console, along with a MOMO steering wheel and leather gear knob.

Handling improvements include multi-link suspension, firmer shocks and springs, front strut brace, and a rear sway bar.

The Spec-R was fitted with a turbocharged SR20DET engine, and differed from previous Silvia models by featuring a 6-speed manual gearbox as well as a 4-speed automatic transmission.

One of the biggest changes to the S15 model of the Silvia fitted with the 6-speed manual transmission built by Aisin Seiki was the implementation of a helical limited-slip differential.

[38] The S15 line was later expanded to include various luxury and upgrade option packages for both the Spec-S and Spec-R. Autech, a specialty car developer, also offered several tuned versions of the S15; one with body and interior trim modeled after the Ferrari 456, called the style-A, available in both Spec-S and Spec-R based trims; and a second tuned version was based on the Spec-S trim level with the engine output increased to 200 hp (149 kW) through the use of increased compression, more aggressive camshafts, and free-breathing intake and exhaust tracts, along with ECU tuning and upgrades to the chassis and suspension.

Unlike with the New Zealand-spec S15 Silvia that came about a year prior, these were not official models from Nissan, and was built to different specs from the factory, featuring a unique 17-digit VIN instead of the Japanese "S15-XXXXXX" one.

magazine, Nissan Vice-President Global Product Strategy "Ivan Espinosa" confirmed a new third sports car in the works slotted below the Z and the GT-R and will revive the Silvia name.

This is due to the extreme versatility and huge aftermarket for the S-chassis; many professional racing cars have been built with off-the-shelf suspension and engine components.

The car has enjoyed success, having won 11 D1 Grand Prix championships with 8 different drivers driving the S15 (Nobuteru Taniguchi: 2001; Ryuji Miki: 2004; Yasuyuki Kazama: 2005; Masato Kawabata: 2007; Youichi Imamura: 2009, 2010, 2011; Masashi Yokoi: 2018, 2019; Masanori Kohashi: 2020; Naoki Nakamura: 2021).

[41] In Europe, the S13 has also been very popular with pro-level drifters, especially in countries like the United Kingdom, Poland, France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Russia and Ukraine.