The Nissan Onevia and SilEighty are both famous for being creatures of fusion in the Nissan S-Chassis family, and are highly popular among JDM enthusiasts.
Both cars were born through trial-and-error merging parts from the Nissan 180SX and Silvia. Let’s compare these with their particular attributes and see which one comes out on top.
Nissan Onevia
Production: 1988–1993
A 2-door coupé, a convertible, or a fastback/hatchback
Nissan S platform
Engines:
1.8 L CA18DE I4
1.8 L CA18DET turbo I4
2.0 L SR20DE I4
2.0 L SR20DET turbo I4
Transmissions: 5-speed manual, 4-speed automatic
Key Feature:
Using parts from the Silvia, the Onevial is essentially a Nissan 180SX which inherited its fixed headlights. With the the previous model ‘s hatchback rear it “ obtained an almostbirth ” look.
Nissan SilEighty
Production: 1989–1998
3-door hatchback
S13
Engines:
1.8 L CA18 turbo I4
2.0 L SR20 I4
2.0 L SR20DET turbo I4
Transmissions: 5-speed manual, 4-speed automatic
Key Feature:
The SilEighty gets its name from the completion type character in Japanese, which has its headlights pop up when you turn them on; these were carried over from cars like other S13 front-ends ( 180SX with a 240SX hood gives you a S13 ). This combination was popular in Japan’s street car scene and even earned a limited production run by Nissan.
Key Differences Between Onevia and SilEighty
Front end:
Onevia: Silvia S13 fixed headlights on a 180sx Body
Sileighty: 180SX pop up headlights on a Silvia body
Rear End:
Nissan Onevia: Hatchback rear of the 180SX
Nissan SilEighty: Silvia’s coupe rear
Production:
Nissan Onevia: Not officially produced, mostly custom builds by enthusiasts
Nissan SilEighty: Limited official production by Nissan and Kid’s Heart
Popularity:
Nissan Onevia: Less common, more of a niche following
Nissan SilEighty: More popular due to street racing culture and anime influence
Aerodynamics:
Nissan Onevia: Slightly better due to fixed headlights
Nissan SilEighty: Pop-up headlights cause more drag
Performance and Handling
Both models are great and similar engines and platforms, which makes their performance nearly identical.
However, the headlights of the Onevia offers a minor advantage in aero compared to the pop up headlights of the Sileighty.
Engine: Both cars have the same engine, with 2.0L turbocharged 4 cylinder engine, producing around 250hp.
Aero: similar chassis and suspension setup, both handle well, with minor difference in their weight due to the different body parts.
Which One is Better?
That’s the question of everyone, which one of these amazing supercars is better?
Performance and Aero: Nissan Onevie little bit better, due to its fixed headlights.
Style and popularity: Sileighty leads the way, it’s iconic especially for it’s pop up headlights
Authenticity: Sileighty limited official production gives it a edge.
Overall winner: Nissan Sileighty
It’s a mix of style, cultural significance, and limited production, makes this car more desirable choice for most people
History and Origin
Onevia: It was born from custom builds by it’s fans, who swapped the front ends of S13 with 180SX bodies. This style gave the car better aero with fixed headlights.
SilEighty: Collaboration between Nissan and Kids Heart, Nissan produced a limited number of SilEighty models back in the day, with 180sx pop up headlights and Silvia’s coupe rear end.
Popularity in Drifting
Onevia: Gained popularity in the street racing, due to its unique style, and great performance, especially in drifting.
SilEighty: It became favorite in drifting due to it’s perfect balance, the pop up headlight made it iconic.
