Why is the s15 banned?

The original 1964 Silvia was a white, elegant marvel.

Nissan's legacy as a manufacturer of high-quality automobiles spans many decades. Apparently, Nissan USA also has a stellar record in motorsports. In contrast, its Nissan Silvia is among the brand's lesser-known offerings. It has competed at the highest levels of motorsports. However, distribution in the US is prohibited as well. It has a deep and sometimes unspoken history, one that begins with Nissan and the company's penchant for making some of the finest and most distinctive automobiles available.

Nissan is a Japanese automaker started by Yoshisuke Aikawa early 1928, and the company hasn't slowed down since its inception. Before the Datsun caused a sensation in America, Nissan was mostly a supplier of car parts. As one of the earliest mass-produced Japanese automobiles, the Datsun had considerable influence on imported American cars and pickups of the 1950s. Nissan has always been known as a reliable, high-performing automobile brand.

The first-ever Silvia was launched in 1964, and that it was a beautiful white machine with a streamlined design. It had an excellent, if somewhat noisy, engine, and a 4-speed manual transmission that was quite sophisticated for the time. It also featured the incredible craftsmanship of the people who would sculpt each panel by hand. Its incredible weight, though, was its most remarkable quality. To date, no automobile had ever weighed less than a tonne, but now it has finally been accomplished. It weighed in at a whopping 977 Kg and included exquisitely made panels. The world needed to know about the legendary car Silvia. However, despite its excellent qualities, distribution was outlawed by the law. There have been no sales of the Silvia S15 in the United States for at most 16 years. The reason for this is that there are a few restrictions on driving with a foreign-made vehicle in the United States.

The S15 is, without a question, among the most aesthetically pleasing vehicles available, and its design has aged rather well. It's lighter than that of a Honda S2000 and, with some simple weight-reduction measures, can be brought down to under 2,500 pounds.

A later time, we'll examine all the variants. Still, the top-tier Spec-R comes equipped with a turbocharged SR20DET engine that is based on the S14, and unlike its American forebears, no truck engines have indeed been installed in the engine bay.

The apparent problem for our US viewers is that there is no road-legal US based counterpart for you to perform that hypothetical USDM S-15 240SX KA engine change you've been waiting for.

After being manufactured from 1989 till the last S-15 left the market in 2002, the blacktop SR20DET in the S15 would go on to become the greatest and most dependable SR20 ever constructed.

If you're familiar with SR20 engines, you know they're fantastic for tuning, and it's not unusual to get 400 horsepower out of one. When you consider that it could be reduced down to around 2,000 pounds, the chassis's power-to-weight balance in a setup that rides and handles so well is really intriguing.

Not only is it handsome, but as is customary for the Silvia line, a vast assortment of optional extras sits on the shelf, just ready to be installed to make it exactly what you've always wanted.

After Toyota decided to change course with the Toyota Celica, it was Nissan who stuck with the tried-and-true rear-wheel-drive sleek coupe formula for another 19 years.

The S15 is highly adaptable, allowing you to smash it and run massive camber while scraping your way to a local meet, visit the drag strip, make a nearly perfect time attack circuit, and of course trash tyres at the track.

Formula One Silvia S15s

Most of you have likely already seen the S15's meteoric rise to prominence in each Formula Drift set over the recent years, what with James Deane joining the contest and bringing the World title in his debut year along with Piotr Wiecek in pairing S15's, and top contender Forrest Wang aiming for the identical model.

These guys have been representing the S15 scene better than anyone else recently. See this 2,000HP pair thrash as they rip through some Falken Tires inside the Hoonigan parking area!

Additionally, it achieved great success in the D1GP series, where it won the championship seven times with five different drivers. Naoki Nakamura is now racing a 2JZ-powered S15 in the 2019 D1GP season. He will definitely give it his all to claim the championship.

The S14 and S15 each won their respective GT300 class championships in 1997 and 2001. Suzuki's S15 was the fastest ever around the Tsukuba circuit for a long period.

Have you ever been curious about what 500 horsepower per barrel looks like? S15s are popular in every type of motorsport you can think of. Wow, look at this completely insane (slightly modified) SR20DET tearing through the drag strip!

When Comparing Spec-S With Spec-R, What Are the Key Differences?

The S15, such as the S13 and S14 before it, came with a wide variety of customization possibilities.

A lot of people have been curious about the primary differences between the Spec-S as well as the Spec-R.

The Spec-R was the more sought-after S15 variant, available with either a 6-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission; the biggest distinction between the JDM Spec-R or the Spec-S was the Spec-247bhp R's turbocharged SR20DET engine, in contrast to the Spec-disappointing S's 163bhp SR20DE.

Bigger anti-roll bars & strut braces are just two examples of how the Spec-chassis R's and suspension have been beefed up in comparison to the base model.

The Spec-R has larger brake boosters and 4-pot front brakes like those seen on the Z32 300ZX, whereas the Spec-S only has 2-pots.

All Spec-R cars have a coiled limited-slip differential installed in the back. This unmistakably paid homage to the Spec-drifting R's roots by making it an excellent package right out of the factory.

However, a sticky limited-slip differential was installed in the Spec-S.

The Spec-S could be had with either a 5-speed manual or the identical 4-speed automatic as the Spec-R. Brake booster and chassis bracing were both scaled down.

As with the Spec-R versions, the Spec-S offered a helical differential, chassis bracing, and a 6-speed manual transmission tailored to the needs of Australian drivers.

HICAS or (High-Capacity Active Steering) 4-wheel-steering was an option, as it was on many Nissans of the era, but it's not well suited to the S15 and is more likely to cause problems than it's worth.

The use of Spec-S vehicles, originally designed for racing, has grown in popularity in recent decades. Spec-S models are more suitable as a jumping-off point than Spec-R models when extensive modifications are planned, such as an engine swap and numerous changes to the vehicle's suspension, steering, and braking systems. This will save you from damaging your pricey Spec-R and free up some cash for customization.

If you're interested in an SR20 but prefer a more straightforward street build, the Spec-R is your best bet.

When It Comes to the Nissan Silvia S15, Why Should It Still Be Prohibited in America?

In the United States, the Nissan Silvia S-15 is currently illegal to drive on public roads. Good.

The S15 is technically banned from U.S. roads due to the 25-year import restriction, which prohibits the entry of any vehicle that (1) was not initially sold in the U.S. and (2) is younger than 25 years. Nissan Silvias are only 16 years old at most, and they were never manufactured in the United States (thus they do not comply to their safety and pollution regulations). Which is why a man who recently imported one risked a maximum 20-year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine.

Unofficially, safety concerns are the reason why the S15 is not available to drivers in the United States. Refuge from the lingering horror.

Consider the repercussions here in the US if S15s were legalised. It's insanity to think that might happen.

Everyone and their mother would be drifting down your street, into the waiting arms of school buses, and into the arms of the youngsters at the nearby orphanage administered by blind nuns. In Drift Wars, rival groups of drivers would engage in furious and sometimes hazardous drifting on public roadways, just like in a certain Fast and the Furious, only all the time.

We appreciate the United States government's efforts to prevent the Driftpocalypse. Pray that the S15 gets banned in the United States forever.

The world needed to know about the legendary car Silvia. However, despite its excellent qualities, distribution was outlawed by the law. The Silvia S15 has been around for nearly 16 years, yet it has never been offered for sale in the United States. This is due of a few restrictions on imported vehicles in the USA.

Some of these rules are:

• Any vehicle that wasn't sale in the US initially is not allowed.
• It's illegal to drive a foreign car that's just under 25 years old.

Breaking these statutes carries a maximum possible prison term of 20 years. That's a lot of pressure, but it's for your own protection. During a time when foreign cars were widely employed in illegal cross-country drifting, which is why these regulations were enacted. As more and more individuals got entangled in it, it posed a threat to their safety. So, although the US restrictions on foreign automobiles are the formal grounds for the ban on the Silvia, the real reason is probably safety concerns.

Punishment for S15 Importation Includes Imprisonment

When compared to the harshest possible sentence, he got off easy and was eventually cleared. Court documents show that on January 30, 2019, he confessed to smuggling prohibited goods into the United States and was sentenced to 36 months of supervised release and a fine of little more than $18,000.

His pleading led to the dismissal of the remaining government accusations, which included four wire extortion checks. One year ago, he was first accused.

The daily Sun Herald has the story. When Noble, age 31, imported his right-hand drive Silvia, he was aware that it did not comply with DOT and EPA principles. The S15 generation of the Silvia was never imported to the United States.

But the issue extends more than just a fanboy's desire to pilot his ideal vehicle around the streets unfettered by the law. The newspaper also claims that Noble tried to sell the car to a guy in South Carolina by using deceptive claims and wire transfers, despite warnings from government specialists. His lawyer for the vehicle accident in which he suffered no injuries went unmentioned.

Why Would You Take the Chance of Importing It Into The US?

To begin, only the accused (Kendall Noble) knows the full story behind the entry of this automobile into the country. The Nissan Silvia S15, however, is widely sought after by vehicle fans due to its proven performance in street-class drag racing, drifting championships, and street racing. Seven D1 Grand Prix titles have been won by the S15 and five different drivers (Nobuteru Taniguchi in 2001; Ryuji Miki in 2004; Yasuyuki Kazama in 2005; Masato Kawabata in 2007; Youichi Imamura in years 2009,2010,2011)

The S15 is undeniably one of the finest automobiles ever made. Simple modifications might transform this car into a joy to drive, as it has a fantastic engine and outstanding handling in a compact and light chassis.

Despite the severely limited rear legroom, even with aftermarket seats, they can be useful as daily cars. Depending on the length of your children's legs, you may want to rethink making this vehicle part of your family.

The low seating position of an S15, especially when equipped with an aftermarket seating, is ideal for fast driving and, more specifically, drifting. Right out of the shop, it offers pinpoint accuracy and a stiff ride; add coil covers and you'll find yourself laughing.

The SR20DET is the ideal engine for this setup because it can be reliably upgraded to produce up to 400 horsepower.

The inexpensive Spec-S is the best option, though, if you plan to perform an engine switch. Alternatively, the Autech will handle the punishment nicely and put a huge smile on your face if you're into some high-revving drifting crazy from a N/A engine.

If you want to wait for the import prohibition to be abolished after 25 years, though, you may have to delay your plans. Get a 240SX and start honing your driving talents in the interim. If that's the case, keep in mind that many components for both the S14 and S15 may be used in either vehicle, making the transition between builds much easier.

When the S15 launches in the United States, we have really no clue what the retail price will be, but we have no doubt that it will be well worth it. We've already seen how the price of GTRs has skyrocketed, so don't miss out on your chance to own a future classic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH8VoN6Y7nQ

Conclusion

Nissan Silvia is among the brand's lesser-known offerings. It has competed at the highest levels of motorsports. Distribution in the US is prohibited as well. There have been no sales of the Silvia S15 in the U.S. for at most 16 years. There is no road-legal US based counterpart for you to perform a hypothetical USDM S-15 240SX KA engine change.

The chassis's power-to-weight balance makes it ideal for drifting and drag racing. The Spec-R has larger brake boosters and 4-pot front brakes like those seen on the Z32 300ZX. The Spec-S could be had with either a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission. HICAS (High Capacity Active Steering) 4-wheel-steering was an option, but not well suited for the S15. In the United States, the Nissan Silvia S-15 is currently illegal to drive on public roads. The S15 is technically banned from U.S. roads due to the 25-year import restriction.

Safety concerns are the real reason why the S15 has been banned. Kendall Noble was sentenced to 36 months supervised release and a fine of little more than $18,000. The S15 generation of the Silvia was never imported to the United States. Noble tried to sell the car to a guy in South Carolina by using deceptive claims and wire transfers. The low seating position of an S15 is ideal for fast driving and drifting.

The SR20DET engine can be reliably upgraded to produce up to 400 horsepower. Many components for both the S14 and S15 may be used in either vehicle, making the transition between builds easier.

Content Summary

• The original 1964 Silvia was a white, elegant marvel.
• In contrast, its Nissan Silvia is among the brand's lesser-known offerings.
• However, distribution in the US is prohibited as well.
• There have been no sales of the Silvia S15 in the United States for at most 16 years.
• After being manufactured from 1989 till the last S-15 left the market in 2002, the blacktop SR20DET in the S15 would go on to become the greatest and most dependable SR20 ever constructed.
• Naoki Nakamura is now racing a 2JZ-powered S15 in the 2019 D1GP season.
• In the United States, the Nissan Silvia S-15 is currently illegal to drive on public roads.
• The Silvia S15 has been around for nearly 16 years, yet it has never been offered for sale in the United States.
• The S15 generation of the Silvia was never imported to the United States.
• The newspaper also claims that Noble tried to sell the car to a guy in South Carolina by using deceptive claims and wire transfers, despite warnings from government specialists.
• Simple modifications might transform this car into a joy to drive, as it has a fantastic engine and outstanding handling in a compact and light chassis.
• The low seating position of an S15, especially when equipped with an aftermarket seating, is ideal for fast driving and, more specifically, drifting.
• Get a 240SX and start honing your driving talents in the interim.
• If that's the case, keep in mind that many components for both the S14 and S15 may be used in either vehicle, making the transition between builds much easier.
• When the S15 launches in the United States, we have really no clue what the retail price will be, but we have no doubt that it will be well worth it.