Nissan 200SX S14a | Spotted

Life is better when there are more four-cylinder, front engine, rear-wheel drive Japanese sports cars to choose from. Toyota remembered how to build fun cars again with the GT86 a decade ago, which has since been followed up by the excellent GR86, and Mazda has been committed to the formula for over 30 years with the MX-5.

What about Nissan, then? There’s been some form of front-engine, rear-wheel drive Z on sale in the UK for decades. That was until Nissan decided to keep the new Z and Z NISMO models out of Europe owing to emission rules, following on from the GT-R being culled in the continent a year ago for the same reason. And if I were to play by my own rules, all have six cylinders, not four. A quick glance through Nissan’s current line-up serves as a staggering reminder that the company – one of Japan’s all-time great performance car makers – doesn’t have a single enthusiast car on its books. No GT-R, no Z, not even a Juke NISMO.

Sounds like you could do with an affordable, four-cylinder, FR sports car to keep up with the Joneses, Nissan. And it’s not like you’d be dipping into unfamiliar territory, either, as proven by this S14a 200SX. If anything, a new model based on the principles of the S14 would at least offer something a bit different to the GR86s and MX-5s of the world. Unlike those two, the 200SX has a turbocharger strapped to its 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine. That’s good for 200hp but, more importantly, 195lb ft of torque, which is marginally more than what the modern, naturally aspirated cars are putting out. Granted, you’ll need to head a little higher up the rev range for peak power and torque, but a healthy dose of boost is a sure-fire way to get the rear swaying.

Naturally, this has made them incredibly popular with the drifting community. In fact, you’ve likely seen more 200SXs with wide body kits lightly sanded down by frequent contact with the road surface, than one in completely stock condition. And I don’t blame people for having a crack at tuning one of these, as they a) weren’t particularly quick to begin with (0-62mph in the seven second region) and b) there’s an abundance of aftermarket parts out there – especially from high-end Japanese manufacturers – that can add huge amounts of power without mucking everything up. To many, the 200SX was simply a blank canvas.

But we now live in a world where electric MG hatchbacks can out drag Lamborghinis. Speed isn’t everything anything, of course, and there are few joys greater than innocent little skids at reasonable speeds. So rest assured that the only modification made to this example is a new Sony stereo system with Bluetooth connectivity, although the original head unit is included in the sale. Other than that, it’s up to you on whether to use it as the basis of a project or keep it as stock and bask in its inherent goodness.

The latter could be beneficial in the long run, because stock ‘90s Japanese performance cars are a rarity these days and the market is responding as such. This 1997 Touring is listed at £16,995, marking a steep rise in S14 values over the past couple of years. That said, it does come with two folders’ worth of service history and has recently had its fuel, oil and air filters replaced, as well as new spark plugs and ‘overhauled’ brakes all round. Anyway, it doesn’t look like Nissan is planning a Silvia return any time soon, so this is the closest thing we have to a GR86 rival – and it’s from 1997.

SPECIFICATION | NISSAN 200SX S14a

Engine: 1,998cc four-cylinder, turbocharged
Transmission: five-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 200@6,400rpm
Torque (lb ft): 195@4,800rpm
MPG: 27
CO2: 227g/km
Year registered: 1997
Recorded mileage: 58,800
Price new: £25,000
Yours for: £16,995