Lauren’s 2002 Nissan 200SX: low is the go for this sublime Silvia

Modified Japanese cars are often displayed at shows with their chins on the deck and wheels tilting inwards at extreme angles. The dramatic visual effect is of cars that have literally been slammed into the ground.
Adelaide-based Shannons Club member Lauren Hillard has embraced this ‘slammed’ aesthetic for her 2002 Nissan 200SX (aka Silvia), as it’s been reconfigured with custom-made suspension components and air-assisted height adjustment to drop its belly on the ground in an instant.
“When it’s aired-out (sitting as low as it can go) it has about neg-9 (nine degrees of negative camber) on the front wheels and about neg-7 on the rear,” Lauren explains, adding that such big camber angles become less extreme when the ride height is raised for driving due to suspension geometry changes.
Lauren loves this ground-scraping look and so do many others, given that her 200SX won the People’s Choice award at the 2023 JDM Speed festival held at The Bend in South Australia.

Lauren’s been into cars (particularly modified ones) from an early age, which is not surprising given her family’s influence when she was growing up. Seriously, if she didn’t want to be bitten by the automotive bug, she didn’t stand a chance!
Her dad owned a rare twin-cam TA22 Celica, multiple modified Beetles and numerous Falcons, while mum was into Ford Capris including a GT and another equipped with a twin-carb RS2000 OHC Pinto four. Her uncles were also heavily into cars and she was regularly surrounded by classics when attending rock-n-roll shows with her parents.
By 2018 Lauren was running her own car club and after attending numerous meets with 200SXs on display she fell in love with the S15 Silvia. It took about three years to turn her dream of ownership into reality but, as the old saying goes, good things come to those who wait.
She found her 2002 Australian-delivered 200SX Spec S for sale online in Queensland. After talking to the owner, she discovered that it was the same metallic silver car she’d been admiring at a meet about six months earlier.

The previous owner had done some mods to enhance its performance and appearance, but had largely returned the car to showroom trim for selling. This made it an ideal starting point for Lauren’s build plan after arriving at its new South Australian home in 2021.
We can understand her attraction to the predominantly four-cylinder rear-wheel-drive Silvia, as it’s revered by a global fanbase that embrace it as a more affordable and accessible alternative to the legendary all-wheel-drive Nissan GT-R.
Launched in the mid-1960s as a high-priced Japanese exotic, it soon became an affordable performance coupe which evolved through seven generations until its demise early in the new millennium due to shifting consumer preference for SUVs and 4x4s over sporty models.
During that time, its versatile success in competition was showcased across circuit, rally and drag racing disciplines and after production ceased it has continued to thrive in world-title drifting and ‘time attack’ lap sprints.

This success highlights the Silvia’s enduring design and engineering qualities. Prodigious turbocharged power is extracted from Nissan’s legendary CA, FJ and SR engine families by a thriving global aftermarket, which plays a pivotal role in the Silvia’s enduring appeal with a vast choice of engine, suspension, body and interior enhancements.
We also concur on Lauren’s choice of the seventh and final Silvia generation as it heralded a dramatic new styling direction, with a more aggressive and sporty appearance that is arguably the best of the bunch.
The S15 was only sold in three markets, including Japan as the Silvia and Australia/New Zealand as the 200SX. And there were just two model grades: Spec R and Spec S.


In Japan the top-shelf Spec R was powered by a potent 184kW version of the SR20DET (2.0-litre DOHC turbocharged four-cylinder) and was the first Silvia to offer a six-speed manual, enhanced helical LSD and optional HICAS four-wheel steering.
The manual-equipped Spec R body also featured suspension strut-bracing for increased chassis rigidity, along with thicker anti-roll bars and big four-spot front brake calipers sourced from the Z32 300ZX.
In Japan the lower-priced Spec S came with the 121kW non-turbo SR20DE, but for Australian-delivered models like Lauren’s, the only major difference between the two model grades was the Spec R’s sunroof.
To create the ‘slammed’ look required custom-made adjustable control arms, tie-rods etc to achieve the radical camber angles front and rear, combined with an Air Lift Performance suspension kit that includes an onboard compressor and air tank with a self-purging water trap that keeps the system free of condensation.

This set-up feeds compressed air through braided lines to airbag-equipped front and rear suspension, which allows Lauren to change the ride height from low as it can go for display purposes, to sufficient clearance for driving, to high enough for trailer-loading etc. This flexible system also allows separate height adjustment of nose and tail, or each corner individually if required.
The SR20DET turbocharged 2.0-litre four has also been upgraded with aftermarket goodies including a high-performance intake manifold, free-flowing exhaust system and front-mounted intercooler, with revised engine mapping controlled by a ‘piggyback’ ECU.
The result is 190kW at the rear wheels, which is close to Lauren’s original target of 200kW and more than ample grunt in a car of this size and weight that’s strictly for street use. The remainder of the drivetrain, including six-speed manual gearbox and helical LSD, remain stock.

The brakes have also been upgraded with DBA T2 slotted rotors and Intima pads, which reside inside exquisite 18-inch SSR MS3 three-piece alloy wheels with 215/35 front and 235/40 rear tyres.
Although the interior remains largely stock, Lauren has ensured the S15’s bodywork is even more eye-catching than Nissan’s stylists achieved, thanks to a full JDM-style aero body kit by aftermarket supplier JSAI.
She also spent a lot of time searching for the ideal exterior colour before settling on Storm Grey; a classy metallic offered by British supercar maker McLaren. In this application, it’s been topped with numerous coats of clear that make it appear deep enough to swim in.
As you can imagine, Lauren’s 200SX turns plenty of heads on the street. “Lots of people want to ask questions about it and I’ve had cases of people in traffic yelling out of their windows wanting to swap cars!” she says, adding that one of the greatest joys of owning a customised car is appreciating the work she’s put into it each time she goes for a drive.

However, Lauren readily admits that automotive labours of love like her Silvia are rarely finished as it’s a work-in-progress that will continue to evolve. Her plans include more power, upgraded seats, different wheels, painted calipers and lots more.
And given the quality of mods she’s done so far, we’re sure Lauren’s Nissan will continue to be one of the sharpest street-driven 200SX show cars you’ll see on Aussie roads. It’s just another example of the remarkable diversity and handcrafted quality of cars owned by Shannons Club members.
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