We enjoy some monotony in life, whether we admit it or not. But sometimes, life gets stuffy, and we yearn for a breath of fresh air. My good friend and Las Vegas-based content creator Caden Underwood took that breath with a Nissan S15 Silvia Spec-S, breaking his years-long cycle of a one-car addiction.
A long-time devotee of the Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ platform, Caden cut his teeth in a silver ZC6 that he began building in high school. The car’s balanced dynamics, lauded by automotive journalists, entranced him, anemic FA20 be damned. Now enhanced with C-West and Blitz goodies, he still owns and drives the BRZ today.
Early into ownership, Caden’s love for the ZC6 turned to obsession. A turbo car here. A parts car there. Even an LS3-swapped build that earned him a degree of online fame. Yet while many chronically online enthusiasts of his generation fawn over faster, more technologically advanced machines, Caden’s heart lay elsewhere – beyond where even his beloved Toyobarus roam.
Caden’s passion for the JDM golden age ran deep enough to warrant buying this well-kept, ever-so-subtly modified S15 Silvia from a used car dealership in Kanagawa, Japan. Fun fact: If you go back through Google Maps archives, you can see the exact car parked outside the dealership, as seen here.
Caden acquired the car – which the internet still can’t decide whether its exceptionally rare BN5 paint is Light Bluish Silver or Silver Mint Metallic – before it became import-eligible, back when prices were far more palatable. A few months ago, it finally arrived at its new home in Vegas.
“I’d always wanted an S-chassis, and an S15 is kinda-sorta like a BRZ: balanced, rear-wheel-drive, affordable,” says Caden. “I thought, ‘Oh, it’s cool that I got this cheap years ago, and it’ll go up in value now that it’s legal,’ but I don’t really know. I’ll never find this spec for this price ever again.”
Caden threw me the keys for a day to experience his dream for myself, an opportunity I took full advantage of. A midday jaunt into the nearby mountains to microdose on that JDM golden-age aura was the perfect remedy for a strenuous work week. And although the harsh noon sun made for unflattering lighting, the BN5 paint still had its moment to shine – literally.
Both Caden and I adore the Honda VTEC-like powerband of the Spec-S’s 160-horsepower SR20DE, which howls a sweet induction song beyond its 4,000-rpm crescendo. The lively four-banger, paired with a svelte 2,700-pound curb weight, let it carve through the snow-capped Spring Mountains with a vigor that defied its age.
The late-afternoon descent through Red Rock Canyon into southwest Vegas, hunting for Vietnamese coffee, showcased the S15’s talents as a cruiser, with plush seats and vast interior space. Well, if you’re an average-sized Japanese person.
The aging Cusco coilovers ride firm but never harsh, delivering superb body control. The steering’s natural weighting reminded me of what spirited driving was like when sports cars were less reliant on lines of code to be fun.
I was clearly smitten. But more importantly, so is the Silvia’s new owner. “At the time, I told my girl I wasn’t gonna buy an S-Chassis, even though I wanted one,” Caden recalls. “But when I saw it, I just thought ‘god damn.’”
Caden’s S15 is an honest and joyous machine, one he intends to daily-drive, just as most S15s were in their day. It’ll never blow the doors off Skylines and Supras, nor will it break onlookers’ necks as his LS3-swapped or turbo BRZs did. But for Caden, it’s plenty. Or perhaps that’s just his excitement talking from having finally broken the cycle.
