Photo by Julian Dahl via Pexels
Forget smooth lines. The 1979 Nissan Silvia S110 arrived with origami edges and an identity crisis – sold as Silvia, Gazelle, or 200SX depending on where you stood. But beneath its angular sheet metal beat the heart of a future rally legend. This is the story of Nissan’s forgotten bridge between 70s Datsuns and 80s turbo monsters.
A Car With Three Personalities (And One Near-Miss)
Walk into a Tokyo showroom in 1980 and you’d face a choice:
- Nissan Prince Store: The sleek Silvia coupe (Skyline’s stablemate)
- Nissan Store: The practical Gazelle hatchback (Fairlady Z’s little sibling)
- Dealership Drama: Identical twins feuding through grille patterns and tail lights!
But the real story? The rotary that never was. Nissan planned a game-changing Wankel engine until reliability killed it. Instead, they unleashed the Z-series motors – including Japan’s first production turbocharged 4-cylinder in a sports car.
Under the Hood: Where Legends Were Forged
This parts-bin hero birthed icons:
The Z18ET Turbo (135 PS): Japan’s first turbo sports coupe – laggy but revolutionary. No boost gauge? Just feel it!
FJ20E DOHC: The blueprint for Skyline RB26 greatness – 150 PS of screaming NA fury
FJ24 (240RS): The 2.4L rally bomb (204 PS) that humbled Group B giants
Transmissions? A notchy 5-speed manual for purists or a drowsy 3-speed auto for commuters. No halfway measures here.
Global Nomad: From Sakura to Street Cred
- USA: Rebadged as Datsun 200SX – L20B engine wheezing with 100 hp (Californians got the cleaner Z20E “NAPS-Z”)
- Mexico: Marketed as the poetic Datsun Sakura (“Cherry Blossom”)
- 1982 Facelift: Sportier hatches, plusher coupes, and the SL trim’s party tricks – remote pop-open hood and a T-top skyroof!
The 240RS: When Road Car Met Rally God
Here’s where the S110 punched above its weight:
Homologation Hack: Nissan built ≈200 street-legal 240RS rockets to qualify for Group B rally
Rally Proven: 2nd place debut at 1983 NZ Rally! A giant-killer on Acropolis rocks and Swedish ice
Privateer’s Secret: Indestructible FJ24 engine + balanced chassis = underdog hero
What more?
This angular underdog is JDM royalty for connoisseurs:
Turbo Trailblazer: Pioneer of Japanese forced induction
Rally DNA: The 240RS birthed Nissan’s WRC legacy
Cult Rarity: Rust killed most – survivors are garage gold
Design Time Capsule: Pure wedge-era 80s aggression
Overlooked? Yes. Ordinary? Never. The S110 was a parts-bin rebel that accidentally made history. Its turbo tech previewed the 80s boom. Its rally spin-off shamed exotic teams. And that boxy silhouette? It screams “analog era” louder than a cassette tape rewinding.
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