The Nissan 240SX was the brand’s effort to regain its lost status in the sports car market. The massive success of the legendary Fairlady got to the brand’s core and the vehicles produced during the mid-70s to mid-80s simply lacked athleticism. The 240SX replaced the Silvia 200SX and was aimed at young drivers and enthusiasts. The 240SX is also among the most tunable JDM cars out there as well.

The Nissan 240SX is the successor of the 200SX and arrived without the drawbacks of the latter. After the surmounting success of the Fairlady, Nissan, in a way, stopped caring much about its lineup of affordable sports cars. As a result, the 200SX and a couple of its generation models lacked the fun factor. To rectify the situation, management was changed, and under the new management, the 200SX was developed and launched.

Staying determined on its mission, the 240SX was aimed at young drivers and enthusiasts, especially for the JDM and the American markets. The 240SX stayed away from quirky styling and complex engineering. Instead, the car’s understated and simple design made it appealing to driving enthusiasts. However, in the aftermarket world, the car offers endless modification capabilities along with extensive performance upgrades as well.


10. The car is endlessly tunable

Modified Nissan 240SX variants

Being extensively tunable is one of the prime reasons behind the 240SX’s cult following even to this day. There are plenty of tastefully modified examples of the 240SX out there. If you can get your hands on a stock version of the car, consider yourself incredibly lucky!


9. Spare parts are easily available

Being an easily tunable car has its demerits too when it comes to spare parts. However, the 240SX has got you covered. Being a Nissan and given the popularity of the car, the availability of spare parts isn’t gonna be a problem. Several online vendors and stockists can provide you with spare parts as well.

Black Nissan 240SX - side and rear view, Red Nissan 240SX - front view

Unlike several other sports cars, Japanese ones are daily-driver-friendly enough. The 240SX is one of them. Even if you choose to modify it while retaining its practicality, you can drive it daily with little to no issues. The interior of the car is decently spacious and the suspension is comfortable enough for everyday driving purposes.


8. You can daily drive the 240SX

nissan 240SX

Unlike several other sports cars, Japanese ones are daily-driver-friendly enough. The 240SX is one of them. Even if you choose to modify it while retaining its practicality, you can drive it daily with little to no issues. The interior of the car is decently spacious and the suspension is comfortable enough for everyday driving purposes.


7. Reliability is one of the 240SX’s forte

Reliability is one of the fortes of Japanese cars, and the 240SX is a prime example of the same from the 90s. The 240SX will give you complete peace of mind with its bulletproof reliability and durable powertrains. Unless you break something while working on the car yourself, a well-maintained 240SX won’t leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere.


6. Get the 240SX SE if possible

1993 Red Nissan 240SX SE - side view

The 240SX, in a tuned guise, is a popular sight if you look out carefully. But the SE model of the car is as rare as seeing a unicorn! Most of the examples out there are already tuned. However, if you manage to get your hands on a stock SE or a slightly modified one, grab it! It has a liftback rear end that can practically double the practicality of the car as a daily driver.


5. Look out for the S15

Here comes the black spot among all the goodies. Back in the day, importing sports cars from Japan and other countries required stringent adherence to the federal laws of the US. While the 240SX was imported to the country with the necessary modifications, the S15 model of the car is still banned. Yes, you might see a few examples out there but they do require extensive expenses for altering some mechanical bits to comply with the rules and regulations laid by the Department of Transportation.


4. It can be your go-to drift car

Nissan 240SX Drift Cars

Finally, the Nissan 240SX is a legendary drift car, and even with a few modifications, the car can drift courtesy of its RWD layout. The affordable parts and the aftermarket modified enhancements of the 240SX make it an easy and pocket-friendly build as a drift car, and you can daily drive your drift machine too!


3. Stay away from ricer-tuned 240SXs

While a majority of the 240SXs are quite well-tuned, there are certain examples of shady custom jobs. The models with extensive visual customizations along with unnecessary electronic additions such as fancy lighting might be a dreadful recipe for disaster while driving.


2. The car’s handling is impressive in its stock form

1993 White Nissan 240SX - front and side view, interior, steering wheel

Yes, after tuning the 240SX, it can surely challenge some premium-tier sports cars out on the tracks. How about its stock handling then? Well, it does pack plenty of surprises there. Even though a stock 240SX is a rare sight, it has great handling prowess when thrown into corners.


1. Easy-to-understand mechanics

The 240SX is not only an easy car to live with, but it also makes life easier than predicted when it comes to repairing it. Like its design, the car’s mechanicals are simple and easily understandable. Practically a majority of mechanics will be able to fix it if anything goes wrong.