The Nissan Silvia is a very popular sports car, which unfortunately has not been produced since 2002. Thanks to the limited production, (frequent accidents too) Silvia models are very limited, some models such as convertible S15 – Silvia Varietta but also the third generation. The third generation S12 was produced between 1984 and 1989. In North America, the car was sold under the name 200SX, which is also known to European fans from the fourth generation. But today we are interested in the third generation and its participation in the rally.
Nissan had something to build on. Even under the Datsun brand, it won a number of successes at the Safari rally, in addition to the Bluebird sedans, the 240Z and 260Z sports cars also went down in history. In the era of Group B, Nissan already fielded the 240 RS type, which was based on the previous generation of the Silvia model, which had the S110 code.
However, the popular angular coupe with flip-up headlights entered Group A for the first time at the Safari rally in 1987. Under the hood, it had a 2995 cc SOHC forked six-cylinder engine. Its output was 260 hp at 7,000 rpm. per minute, and the maximum torque of 295 Nm was at 5200 rpm. per minute. All this was transmitted to the rear wheels by a five-speed gearbox. The suspension was McPherson at the front, semi-trailing arms at the rear. The weight of the car was only 1250 kg.
However, the famous reliability of Japanese cars was more than expected for the 200SX model. At least the replacement of parts was easy, the entire rear axle could be replaced in 8 minutes. The team drivers were Shekhar Mehta and Mike Kirkland . Mehta’s shock absorbers exploded, Kirkland crossed the finish line in Nairobi in eighth position. On both the Acropolis and Olympus rallies, the crews only reached the finish line in tenth position. Only the Ivory Coast rally brought change, where Mehta finished second.
In 1988, the team focused only on African competitions. Kirkland took second place at the Safari and new driver Alain Ambrosino won the Ivory Coast . The last competition was the 1989 Safari Rally , where Kirkland defended his second position. However, this was the last appearance of this sporty model in a rally, as Nissan worked on the development of the Pulsar GTI-R – a turbocharged hatchback with all-wheel drive, as the rally trend was moving in that direction.
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