Nissan 200SX: Spotted
A car so beloved by tuners that a standard example has become unique in its own right...
A quick look at the Nissan 200SX/ Silvia section of the PH classifieds confirms the suspicion that an unmolested example is hard to come by. From Rocket Bunny body kits, to Time Attack builds, and even a V8-engined drift car, the 200SX continues to hold appeal as a platform on which petrolheads can realise even the wildest of their Fast and Furious fantasies.
But what if you're looking for a more authentic example? Well that's where today's Spotted steps in. With bodywork in seemingly original condition, and not a bolt-on arch or carbon fibre splitter to be seen, it looks to be in fantastic shape. The engine is described as having recently undergone a "massive overhaul", but that work was assumedly restorative rather than enhancing, given the ad makes no mention of any performance gains and there doesn't appear to be a giant intercooler poking out from behind the bumper... It even has its original wheels, which can't be said for many 200SXs.
Even without modification, though, the 200SX ought to be an enjoyable daily driver. With 200hp going to the rear wheels and a 7,500rpm redline, it's not hard to see how the combination of a 1,316kg kerbweight and five-speed manual make those numbers into a fun way to get around. After all, there's a reason why it's favoured as a starting point for so many tail happy antics...
This particular example may have over 100,000 miles on the clock, but with that recent work done, an MOT, and plenty of documentation, it's £4,500 asking price doesn't seem too unreasonable. The ad is honest about the presence of a little rust on the wheel arches, but even offers to take that into consideration should it not be fixed by the time the car is sold. Sounds like a true PHer. Aside from that, the only blot on the car's copybook is the lack of an interior photo, although given the external attention to detail you'd have to imagine things are pretty tidy inside as well.
All of this assumes, of course, that the next owner will be interested in the car in order to preserve its originality. There may well be more than a few out there with an eye toward a solid foundation on which to base their own project. That would seem a shame, though, given how few untouched examples remain. But then again, they say a species has to evolve or die, and within the genus of turn of the millennium Japanese coupes, few cars have proven better at adapting to their surroundings than the 200SX.
SPECIFICATION: NISSAN 200SX
Engine: 1,998cc 4-cyl turbocharged
Transmission: 5-speed manual, rear-wheel drive, LSD
Power (hp): 200@5,600rpm
Torque (lb ft): 196@4,800rpm
MPG: 29.1
CO2: 233g/km
First registered: 2000
Recorded mileage: 106,000
Price new: £22,000
Yours for: £4,500
See the full ad here.
I had an S14a and sold it when I moved out because I simply couldn’t afford it anymore, it’s one of my most missed cars.
Standard ones don’t normally stay standard once they change hands, it’ll get bought by someone who wants a clean base to modify.
Nice balance, certainly requires care if it's wet.
They are not really slow as standard, the quoted 0-60 was 7.5 seconds, but there was general agreement (on the main SX forum at least) that Nissan had underplayed that a bit to keep the insurance down. Certainly it was possible to time something in the mid sevens without theatrics or threatening the clutch, and at least one of the magazines (maybe Autocar) got their test car into the high 6s. I remember playing with a Cooper S, E36 328 and other quickish stuff of the time without being shown up, and it could certainly surprise many if you did a bit of planning and were ready on-boost.
My most missed car.
Rust definitely an issue then, let alone now! Paint extremely delicate (at least the black was) so I would have thought that most would have needed bodywork by now.
I still keep toying with getting another and I used to love the almost Q car appeal of them. Everyone that had a go in mine couldn't believe how quick it was. I love them.
The handling (although soft with wheels to narrow from the factory), was a joy of on limit communication to the driver. It was never as fast as any of the rally specials that were coming out at the time but it had great looks and high speed stability. I had one for 8 years and put 100K on it, completely reliable and always made every journey fun.
I sold it like a fool 8 years ago and having driven lots of interesting cars since none ever replaced the 200sx...so much so that last year I bought another one as a project. Hopefully its as good as I remember!!
I had the Norris Designs stage 1 conversion put on mine and while it was only around 40bhp extra, the boost was up a fair bit and it always shot flames out of its decatted stainless mongoose exhaust!
I remember mine being terrible on fuel...not helped by me planting it everywhere!
All the best with yours.
I still keep toying with getting another and I used to love the almost Q car appeal of them. Everyone that had a go in mine couldn't believe how quick it was. I love them.
I still keep toying with getting another and I used to love the almost Q car appeal of them. Everyone that had a go in mine couldn't believe how quick it was. I love them.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff