10 Modified Nissan Silvias We’d Love To Own
The Silvia nameplate was first used on a Nissan way back in 1965, on the Silvia CSP311. But, it’s the Silvias produced between 1988 and 2002 that most enthusiasts will recognize since they’re more commonly known as the S13, S14, and S15. Those S-chassis cars have become favorites in the modding community for their drift-ready setups, huge aftermarket scene, and, until recently, affordable prices. However, in the last few years, demand for these cars has shot up, and they’re now worth several times what they were just a few years ago.
This newfound collectability hasn’t stopped project car owners though, and more modded Silvias than ever are cropping up at shows and events around the world. They might be famous for being drift cars or slammed statics, but the S-chassis platform is actually surprisingly versatile and can be used for everything from street builds to rally cars. Let’s run through ten of the coolest modified Silvias we know of, all of which we’d love to own if we had the chance.
10 Team Toyo Tires S13
It’s a global phenomenon now, but the practice of modifying Silvias has its roots in the JDM drift community. That tradition is still going strong today, as evidenced by the sheer number of S13 drift cars out there.
Few of them, however, look quite as cool as this car built in collaboration with Team Toyo Tires. It features Pandem over-fenders, a full race livery, and of course, a set of performance Toyo Proxes tires for optimal control out on the track.
9 LED Roll Cage S14
Highly modified Silvias are nothing new, but few stand out quite as much as this LED-covered S14 based out of Washington state. Its owner claims to be the first in the world to have installed a full LED roll cage in their car.
Finding any modification that a Japanese tuner hasn’t already made is an achievement in itself. Although, actually trying to drive the car with the whole roll cage flashing at the driver must be a challenge, to say the least.
8 Garagemak S15
Racing-inspired builds don’t come much cooler than this Garagemak S15. It looks ready to take on a hillclimb with its huge rear wing, but it would undoubtedly be a blast to drive on the streets too.
It’s built in the Japanese “time attack” style, and features a number of performance upgrades including a Garrett turbo and a HKS performance exhaust. It’s not clear exactly how much power this Silvia is packing, but it’s certain to leave any stock S15 in the dust.
7 James Deane’s S15
Formula D is one of the highest-profile drift competitions around, with many of the world’s best drivers battling it out for supremacy. Irishman James Deane entered a few years ago in a Silvia S15 sponsored by Worthouse, and it’s a beast even by drift car standards.
Unfortunately, in 2020 Deane announced his withdrawal from the series and so his S15 can no longer be seen competing. However, the plethora of wild footage shot from his previous events means that no one will forget the car in a hurry.
6 Clean S13
Sometimes modifying a car is all about accentuating its existing looks rather than adding anything big or crazy, and that’s exactly what this owner has managed to do.
The biggest mods here are the Volk TE37s and bagged suspension, but it still looks just as eye-catching as any of the crazier builds out there. Also, shooting in a deserted parking lot somehow always makes a car look better.
5 Rocket Boss S14
Infamous kit makers Rocket Bunny are known for their widebody kits, but they also make more transformative designs for a select variety of cars. The S14 Silvia is one of those cars, and the “Rocket Boss” is one of the most drastic aftermarket kits out there.
It radically alters the front of the car to include new, round headlights and a more old-school JDM front end. Despite looking so different from the stock S14, the new front end blends very well with the rest of the car. Who said Rocket Bunny kits can’t be tasteful?
4 Krisp S15
As its license plate suggests, this S15 is one crisp build. It has all the usual hallmarks of a stanced car, but it’s executed so cleanly that it doesn’t need outrageous camber or flashing LEDs like some of the other builds featured here.
There will always be some people that argue that a stanced car could never be tasteful, but taking a long look at this S15 would surely make them come around. Our main complaint about the car? That we don’t have the keys to it.
3 Purple S13
Sometimes all it takes is a fresh coat of paint to take a build from being good to being great. There aren’t too many purple Silvias out there, but this project S13 makes us wish there were more.
The owner of this car has fitted racing seats, a roll cage, and a body kit from BN Sports. The car sits about as low as it’s possible to get and still be driveable, with the front and rear of the car sitting just an inch or two off the ground.
2 Pristine S15
This S15 has been given a more thorough overhaul in the past few years than most cars get in their lifetime, but you wouldn’t necessarily know just by looking at it. It’s not a standard S15 either, rather it’s the higher-spec Autech version.
Throughout late 2021, the car’s 130,487-mile engine was taken out and completely rebuilt, ensuring it’s as good as new and ready for its next hundred thousand miles or so. It might look clean, but it’s far from stock, with mods including new taillights and a set of TE37 wheels.
1 Warehouse Auto Parts S13
This fully-modded S13 Silvia hails from New Zealand and is still being worked on at the time of writing. When it’s finished, it’ll be a tire-shredding drift machine that should be capable of taking on the toughest courses and competitors.
Its owner is already a Silvia fan, and also owns a 2JZ-swapped S15. With that kind of pedigree, this new project will surely be one of the wildest S13s out there by the time it’s finished. That is of course until someone else comes along and makes an even crazier Silvia build.
Read Next
About The Author