Nissan Silvia K's (S13)
The clean-lined S13 looked elegant, but K's trim hid a turbocharged engine and a new multilink rear suspension underneath.
1988 Nissan Silvia Q's.jpg · TTTNIS · CC0
Research pending
A matching completed auction sale has not been verified for this exact year, body, trim, engine, transmission and market.
Joyride shows this gap instead of substituting an asking price, unsold bid or mismatched special vehicle.
More than a set of wheels.
Nissan introduced the fifth-generation Silvia on May 17, 1988 with the ‘Art Force Silvia’ idea. J's and Q's used a naturally aspirated 1.8-litre engine, while the top K's gained the 175 PS turbocharged CA18DET. Its compact rear-drive chassis, new multilink rear suspension and optional HICAS-II four-wheel steering made beauty and handling equal parts of the design.
Look a little closer.
K, Q and J were not random letters: Nissan says they came from the King, Queen and Jack court cards.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
One platform, several identities
The Japanese Silvia was a fixed-headlamp notchback. The later Japanese 180SX shared its platform and CA18DET but used a hatchback body and retractable lamps, while North America and Europe received 240SX and 200SX versions. This profile keeps the exact 1988 Japanese Silvia K's identity instead of treating every S13 as the same car.
Source: Nissan Heritage Collection · Nissan 180SX Type II ↗Why the rear suspension was a big deal
Rather than a simple single-pivot layout, the S13 used multiple links to guide each rear wheel's motion. Nissan says this idea was later adopted for the Skyline. With optional HICAS-II rear steering, the chassis could balance stability, comfort and quick response while the front-engine, rear-drive layout preserved traditional sports-car behavior.
Source: Nissan Heritage Collection · Nissan Silvia K's ↗Where these facts come from
- Nissan Heritage Collection · Nissan Silvia K's
- Nissan Heritage Collection · Nissan Silvia Q's
- Nissan Heritage Collection · Nissan 180SX Type II
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed October 1, 2026.