These are official conceptual illustrations from Nissan. The sketches are the work of Matthew Weaver, Vice President of Nissan Design Europe and his team. While a “what if” kind of exercise, it’s an official one nonetheless straight from Nissan.
The first-generation Nissan Silvia, also known as the Datsun 1600 Coupe, introduced one of the most iconic nameplates to the brand and has inspired Nissan Design Europe’s vice president and his team of designers to imagine a modern-day interpretation of the original.
In designing the car you see, Matthew Weaver wanted to pay homage to the first Silvia CSP311 and chose to do so with an electric powertrain. Weaver says that the use of an electric powertrain meant he didn’t have to design a large front grille for the car, smoothing out its design.
Watch Also: Nissan Silvia S14 With Rocket Bunny Bodykit Wants To Be A 1970s Dodge Challenger
A key feature borrowed from the original Silvia and featured on this new car is a single body line running from the corner of the headlight right through to the corner of the taillight. This modern-day Silvia also features squared-off wheel arches similar to the original and also has an angular glasshouse sitting above a surprisingly spacious interior.
“The key components of an electric vehicle are quite different and they can be packaged differently, compared to an internal combustion engine car. Consequently, the Silvia we’ve reimagined here would have a larger interior than its exterior dimensions would suggest,” Weaver explained.
Read: After The Acura Integra, What Other Nameplate Would You Like To See Revived?
“The Silvia was ahead of its time, in a very quiet, understated way. It has aged very well and would still have its place on the roads today. It’s also a great example of what is expected of a global product: high quality and universally appealing.”
Could It Come To Life?
Nissan pointed out that “reinventing classic cars for the modern, electrified world, even if they only start out as sketches, proves that future possibilities are endless”. Now, that doesn’t mean that the Japanese company had or has any intentions of bringing back the fabled nameplate. But given the resurgence of modern interpretations of classic models (see VW’s ID.Buzz, Renault’s 5EV etc) being re-introduced to the world as EVs for marketing and emotional reasons, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to say it’s possible some time in the future either.
