The S15 is the last and best-loved Silvia: light, rear-wheel drive, turbocharged and never sold new in the UK. That makes it a natural import. The worry is that the same qualities made it a favourite with drifters, so finding a straight, honest one takes patience. The import itself is simple, and every S15 is old enough to skip the IVA test.
- Built
- 1999 to 2002
- Engine
- SR20 2.0 litre, turbo in the Spec-R
- Shipping from Japan
- From £3,575, shipping only
- Tax
- 20% VAT + 10% duty until it turns 30
Spec-R or Spec-S
| Feature | Spec-R | Spec-S |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | SR20DET 2.0 turbo | SR20DE 2.0, naturally aspirated |
| Gearbox | Six-speed manual, or automatic | Five-speed manual, or automatic |
| In brief | The one most people want | Lighter on the wallet, gentler to drive, rarer to find unmodified |
The Spec-R is the turbocharged car, and it is the one most buyers are after. The Spec-S uses the non-turbo version of the same engine. Plenty of Spec-S cars have since been given a turbo engine, which is fine if it was done well, but it is not the same as a factory Spec-R.
Nissan also sold the S15 in Australia and New Zealand as the 200SX. Those cars are right-hand drive too, and they are another place to look.
Older Silvias
If the S15 is outside your plans, the earlier S13 (from 1988) and S14 (from 1993) follow the same recipe. As of October 2026, an S13 or early S14 built before October 1996 is over 30 years old and pays the reduced rate of tax. Our guide to JDM cars to import covers other options.
Why condition matters so much
Rear-wheel drive, a manual gearbox and a tunable engine made the S15 a drift car almost from new. Many have been crashed, repaired and crashed again. A car that has been drifted is not automatically bad, but it needs a much closer look.
The good news is that clean, standard S15s do still turn up, particularly at Japanese auctions. They are worth waiting for, and they hold their appeal far better than a tired car with a mismatched set of parts.
What to check before you buy
Before you pay a deposit
0 of 8 done
Getting an independent inspection on a car you cannot see is money well spent on an S15. Our guides to buying a car abroad safely and the Japanese import checklist cover the general checks, and Japanese auction grades explains the repair codes to watch for.
Where to find one
- Japanese auctions, with an independent inspection and a translated auction sheet
- Specialist exporters in Japan
- Australia and New Zealand, where it was sold as the 200SX
- UK specialist dealers, if you would rather see it first
Shipping and tax
An S15 from Japan usually travels by RoRo, which costs less than a container, or in a container if you would rather it was sealed away for the voyage. Door to door, it is usually about 5 to 8 weeks. As a guide, shipping from Japan starts from £3,575, and from Australia or New Zealand from £3,200, shipping only.
Every S15 is under 30 years old, so it pays 20% VAT and 10% duty on the price plus shipping. The first cars were built in 1999, so the earliest will not reach 30 until 2029. Our worked tax examples show the sums, and the import tax calculator will run your own.
Value is worked out on what you paid plus shipping. Tax is charged on both, and VAT is added on top of the duty. Send us the auction result or invoice and we will work out the exact figure when we quote.
Paperwork
From Japan, the key document is the export certificate, alongside the purchase invoice or auction paperwork and your passport. Sending us the export certificate before the car ships lets us check its technical details early, so there are no surprises when it lands.
Bought at auction? The auction agent usually handles getting the car to the port. Our guide to the Japanese export certificate explains what it shows, and documents to ship a car to the UK lists the rest.
Getting it road legal
The last S15 was built in 2002, so every one is well over 10 years old and none needs an IVA test. It takes an MOT instead, and the speedometer does not have to be converted to mph, though many owners choose to. It does need a correctly positioned rear fog light if one was not fitted at the factory.
Japanese cars are no longer checked for headlight compliance, which keeps the work down. A modified car still has to pass its MOT, so loud exhausts, very low ride heights and lighting changes are worth thinking about before it ships.
We do the changes and the MOT on our own site in Castle Donington, and our dealer-level DVLA account lets us register the car within 10 working days. For the full route, see our guide to importing a car from Japan.
Insurance
A turbocharged, rear-wheel-drive import is something insurers will want to know about in detail. Tell them about every modification and keep the receipts. Our guide to insuring a Japanese import explains what they ask for.
Questions people ask
Does an imported Silvia S15 need an IVA test?
No. Every S15 is over 10 years old, so it takes an MOT instead, after a rear fog light is fitted if it does not have one.
Is the S15 old enough for the reduced import tax?
Not yet. Production started in 1999, so the earliest cars reach 30 in 2029. Until then an S15 pays 20% VAT and 10% duty.
Was the S15 sold in the UK?
Not new. It was sold in Japan, and in Australia and New Zealand as the 200SX, so every S15 here is an import.
What is the difference between a Spec-R and a Spec-S?
The Spec-R has the SR20DET turbo engine and a six-speed manual option. The Spec-S has the non-turbo SR20DE. Check the model code to see which a car started as.
How long does it take to ship an S15 from Japan?
Usually about 5 to 8 weeks door to door, plus the time for UK customs, any changes, the MOT and registration.
Found an S15 you like? Send it to us on the quote form and we will price the shipping, customs, MOT and registration.
