The Nissan Silvia is the name given to the company's long-running line of sport coupes based on the Nissan S platform. Although recent models have shared this chassis with other vehicles produced by Nissan (most notably the European 200SX and North American 240SX in the S13 and S14 generations, and 180SX in the Japanese market), the name Silvia is interchangeable with the chassis codes. The Nissan Silvia's main competitors worldwide were the Honda Prelude, Mazda MX-6, Toyota Celica, Mitsubishi Eclipse, and Honda Integra.

Japan saw a new version of the Silvia (S15) in 1999, now boasting 250 hp (184 kW) from its SR20DET engine, thanks to a ball-bearing turbocharger upgrade, as well as improved engine management. The SR20DE (non-turbo motor) featured 165 hp (121 kW).

The S15 Silvia included aggressive styling inside and out, updating the previous Silvia styling in-line with modern car design trends. The body dimensions were reduced from the previous generation so that it would comply with Japanese Government compact class, which had an effect on sales of the previous model.