Speculation about a belated successor to the 200SX in the form of a 2026 Nissan S16 Silvia has been rampant for so long we have lost count over the years.
Sold in various forms internationally as the Gazelle, 240SX and 200SX, the Nissan Silvia was a popular rear-wheel drive, four-cylinder sports car, featuring the famed SR20DET. It was quick, handled and drifted well, and was even crowned Motor Magazine‘s Performance Car of the Year in 2001.
Enthusiasts have been yearning for a successor ever since the S15 was killed off in 2002, with Nissan threatening to satiate those calls with various concepts – most recently the IDx in 2013. Japanese magazines have been rife with rumours that the new car could either be electric, or built on a truncated version of the 2025 Nissan Z NISMO’s platform.
These renderings, by Cole Attisha – he skilfully crafted the BMW M4 Gran Coupe using AI technology – help assist our imagination as to what the new model could look like. There is an over-saturation of AI masquerading as real news online, but there is a higher calibre to the craft, putting it close to – if not on par with – traditional digital renderings.
In this rendition of the S16, we can see styling references to the IDx concept in the blacked-out A-pillars and kicked back C-pillar. The front end adopts a new interpretation of Nissan’s V-Motion grille with an intercooler peering through.
Inside, Nissan’s proprietary steering wheel is faithfully recreated, with console grab handles, a floating infotainment screen with circular outer and hexagonal inner HVAC vents.
According to the creator, power comes from a PR25DD, naturally aspirated 2.5-litre four-cylinder, as seen in the Altima. Developing 140kW, this would mirror the philosophy used by Subaru and Toyota in the GR86/BRZ.
What do you think of this potential 2026 S16 Silvia? Tells us your thoughts in the comments below.