HKS Super Silvia — The Twin-Turbo Madness

The HKS Super Silvia is one of the most legendary tuner cars in Japanese history. Built in the late 1980s and early 1990s by HKS (Hasegawa Kogyo Sangyo, one of Japan's premier tuning shops), the Super Silvia was a heavily-modified Nissan S13 Silvia with twin-turbo SR20DET upgrades, custom aerodynamics, and competition-spec preparation. It became one of the fastest grassroots time attack and drag racing cars of its era.

HKS Background

HKS, founded in 1973 by Hiroyuki Hasegawa, became one of Japan's most respected tuning companies. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, HKS developed performance products for virtually every Japanese performance car platform — including the Nissan Skyline GT-R, Toyota Supra, Honda NSX, and Nissan Silvia.

The HKS Super Silvia was a flagship demonstrator vehicle — a car built to showcase what HKS engineering could achieve when applied to a single chassis without budget constraints.

The Build

The Super Silvia was based on a Nissan S13 chassis (originally an SR20DET-powered K's variant). HKS modifications included:

• Engine: Twin-turbo SR20DET conversion
• Output: 600+ hp depending on tune
• Transmission: HKS-modified 5-speed manual or sequential gearbox
• Chassis: Significant weight reduction, roll cage, racing seats
• Aerodynamics: Custom HKS body kit with extensive front splitter and rear wing
• Brakes: Race-spec components
• Cooling: Multiple intercoolers and oil coolers

The car was capable of sustained high-speed running for time attack and drag racing applications.

Time Attack and Drag Racing

HKS used the Super Silvia for:

• Tsukuba Super Lap: Achieving competitive lap times in the unlimited class
• Drag racing: Quarter-mile runs in the 9-second range
• Magazine demonstrations: Best Motoring and other video features
• Trade shows: Promotional appearances at SEMA and other events

The car established HKS as a serious tuning company capable of building competition-grade vehicles, not just selling individual parts.

Legacy

The HKS Super Silvia is one of the most influential tuner builds in Japanese history. It demonstrated:

• The S13 Silvia's potential as a high-performance platform
• HKS's engineering capabilities at the highest level
• The viability of twin-turbo SR20DET conversions
• The performance potential of a relatively inexpensive base chassis

For tuning historians, the Super Silvia is a reference build — what happens when a top-tier tuner takes their best engineering to a single platform without compromise. The car remains a benchmark for what's possible with a Silvia chassis.