The Nissan S12------Nissan, Not Toyota.

Now, this is the main article of today, the Nissan S12. And in case you’re wondering why I listed the title as ‘Nissan, Not Toyota’, this is because back in the day, this car was so similar to a AE86…That at least one person mistook it for a AE86.

Now, the S12 was produced from August 1983 to 1988, with revisions to the exterior trim in 1987 (referred to as “Mark II”). It was sold in two configurations—a coupe (though often called ‘Notchback’ due to the side profile view of its rear window section) and a hatchback version.

The car ran an essentially Staggering number of engines,though depending on production year and more specifically on the geographic market. These engines borrowed from previous designs, or in some cases, inspired future engine platforms (with the exception of the FJ series, which was designed solely with Rally competition in mind). For instance, the CA series initially borrowed design cues from the NAP-Z series. The CA18DET’s DOHC head design was similar to that utilized in the later “RB” engine series, the inline-six engine that powered the Skyline GT-Rs. Certain trims had the S12 equipped with an optional V6 engine also shared by the 300ZX (Z31) of the same vintage; this engine would be augmented with dual cam heads for the Z32. Now, we get into the simply astonishing selection of engines….

Now, the choice of engines. There are:

The CA18ET, SOHC, 8-Valve, I4, 1.8l,120 hp, 134 lb-ft of Torque,
The CA18DET,Single Turbo, DOHC 16-Valve, I4, 1.8l, 169 hp,156 lb-ft,
The CA20E, N/A,SOHC 8-Valve, 2.0, I4, a slightly pitiful 102 hp, and 116 lb-ft,
The FJ20E, N/A, DOHC 16-Valve, 2.0, 148 hp, 136 lb-ft,
The FJ20ET, Single Turbo,DOHC 16-Valve, I4, 2.0, 188 hp, 173 lb-ft,

And last, but by no means least, believe it or not, the range-topping engine is…..
The VG30DE. You’ll remember this 3.0 SOHC 12-valve V6 which produces 160-165 hp, and 174 lb-ft as what would later go on to power the Z31, and the Z32, albeit with Single-OverHead-Cams swapped for Dual-OverHead-Cam’s. The engines were paired to either a 5-spd Manual or a 4-spd Automatic. The car was also RWD.

Now, the Special Variant of the S12: The Turbo Grand Prix.n Europe, a limited-run (about 50 units) version of the S12 was produced and sold as the “Silvia Grand Prix” model. Based on a Mark I chassis, it was powered by the FJ20E (with a few known to be sold with the CA18ET), and featured molded-in fiberglass wide body fenders and quarter sections and special edition wheels.

The widebody exterior takes design cues from popular European rally car platforms of the time (e.g. Audi Quattro, BMW M3 Sport Evolution, Renault 5 Turbo 2, etc.), although Nissan’s choice of the FJ20E over the FJ20ET suggests this was more of a “rally inspired” car rather than a serious performance trim. The Silvia Grand Prix holds the distinction as the rarest incarnation of the S12, and is generally considered something of a collector’s item. The Mark II revision of the S12 chassis marked the end of the Silvia Grand Prix.

As a matter of fact, the S12 WAS entered into rallying.

The elimination of Group B from the World Rally Championship signified the end of Nissan’s FJ24-powered 240RS. The FJ20ET-powered Silvia RS-X of 1986 would have been Nissan’s first choice, however there was an insufficient number of that exact trim sold in Japan to meet the WRC’s homologation requirements (5,000 units or greater). Nissan had to quickly find a car to replace the 240RS.

The North American 1987 200SX SE V6 was chosen and competed in 1986-89 as a 200SX. Nissan’s creation and choice of this car ensured they could sell 5000 cars required for WRC Homologation. The S12 ‘SE’ trim’s V6 held the only real appeal to the North American market, allowing Nissan to sell right at 5000 cars to a single specification. The V6 was a very unusual choice as the WRC was dominated by 4-cylinder 2.0 L turbocharged engines, although it is interesting to note that for similar reasons Toyota entered WRC with the 6-cylinder Supra at the same time. The 200SX achieved a 1st place in the 1988 Ivory coast Rally and 2nd place for two years running in the very challenging Safari Rally 1988 and Safari Rally 1989. Not bad, then.

Okay, to conclude, I’ve just covered a Nissan that was very,very similar to a AE86, a Nissan meant to replace a Group B rally car, and a car I think is the most unknown car of the S-Chassis Lineage.

I hope you enjoyed this one, just like the Sierra Cosworth article I posted yesterday, feel free to shoot me suggestions and ways to improve in the comments below.

And on THAT Bombshell, you have finished reading my article on the Nissan Silvia S12. I’ll see you at the next one.