Nissan’s S15 Silvia needs no introduction. Even if you’re not into drifting, the amount of content available on the internet alone compelled us to conclude that it is mega tough, designed for sideways action even with a transmission that’s half-baked from constant torture. Because all we need is a big turbo and rear wheel drive, right?
And then we chanced upon the Varietta, a retractable hardtop (RHT) version of the S15. To be honest, I've not heard about it until some senseless scrolling on Facebook Marketplace. At first glance the pictures even looked like a scene from Rust Valley Restorers, albeit in ready-for-sale configuration.
With a (purists, look away!) 4-speed automatic and a mechanism-filled roof that gave the Varietta 130kg more heft at 1,330kg, it’s not something we can accord with the highest level of affection. But previous owners have added a lumpy motor up front. The non-turbo SR20DE made way for the venerable SR20DET, which surely supplies this with more S15 familiarity than it had out of the Autech factory.
Speaking of which, Autech treatment in this case bears no motorsport-related resemblance to the GT500 Motul-Autech GT-R. Three Autech variants were produced for the S15 - two were worked on from traditional coupe styling, one of them powered by a turbocharger. It’s not far to conclude that in current Autech form, it sort of continued where it began judging by how Nissan gave free reign for Autech to beautify the Nissan Kicks.
Can we be critical of the Varietta though? Not really - Japanese ads marketed the Varietta as a lifestyle car. JDM Varietta brochures could even be mistaken for sample leaflets pasted on Cosmopolitan. One page ended off in English: “In Cool Now”.. we get it! In a period where the NB MX-5 found it challenging to walk away from its hugely popular NA predecessor’s shadows, we cannot fault Nissan’s attempt to layer their fundamentally stylish cars with traces of “bling”.
Back to this unit. It is asking for “only” THB1,990,000 (S$80,000), twice that of a 6-speed manual NB MX-5 manufactured five years later. We couldn’t locate a 4-speed auto for a more equivalent comparison, but that could only work in the Varietta’s favour. And for similar Varietta money now you can get a 2000 S15 coupe with NISMO goodies. Not that it matters for aspiring Varietta owners, we reckon.
The Varietta will likely not end up on Drive Krub’s most wanted list, but who are we to dismiss its lifestyle-centric appeal? With 1,143 examples produced, it is not trying to be a Spec R. There were around 43,000 S15 coupes produced in total. Sounds pretty special to me if you’re rolling into town in a chopped Nissan Silvia. Time for some Viennetta with the roof down, too.
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