Japan's top two auto makers have a long and sordid history of ripping off each other's successful designs. No sooner had the Nissan Cube become a run away success in its home market than Toyota came up with the similarly boxy bB (Scion xB). Many years earlier, after the Toyota HiLux Surf (4Runner) proved a hit with, well, surfers, Nissan restyled their Terrano with nigh on identical lines, hoping to ride on the coattails of the Toyota. And let's not get in to the Supra vs. Z and Celica vs. Skyline wars.

Now, just weeks after confirming that Toyota does indeed have a successor to the lauded AE86 in the pipeline, Best Car magazine claims to have evidence that Nissan has got a team working on building a new Silvia. Like the final 2002 S15 Spec R Silvia the new car is reckoned to be powered by a turbocharged two-liter good for 247 HP, but will just be 10 kgs heavier at one and a quarter metric tons (2450lbs).

The new range should sell for between 2.5 and 2.8 million Yen ($21,000 - $23,700), but not until 2010. Best Car's scoop ties in nicely with photographs of a shortened Z, most likely a mule testing a new, smaller FR drive train, taken at the ring earlier in the summer. If the new Silvia is indeed to be based on a modified Z/Skyline LM platform, expect a similar wheelbase of 8' 6", but smaller overall dimensions, around 14' 4" long by 5' 8" wide.

Chances of Nissan bringing a concept car, possibly derived from the URGE shown in Detroit last year, to October's Tokyo Motor Show? 60-percet according to the magazine.

[Source: Best Car]

According to company insiders with whom we've spoken, Nissan has been working on its own compact, rear-wheel-drive vehicle for over three years, and the announcement from Toyota and Subaru about their own RWD coupe has caused Nissan to ramp-up development.

Details on the new vehicle are still scarce, but BestCar is reporting that Nissan is planning to utilize a shortened version of the Z's FM platform powered by either a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter or possibly a 1.6- or 1.8-liter turbocharged four. According to the Japanese pub, the successor to the S15 Silvia will be approximately 4,350 mm long, 1,750 mm wide and share the same wheelbase as the Z. Like the Subaru/Toyota vehicle, Nissan is attempting to keep the curb weight low, along with the price.

While the NA 2.0-liter is one possible form of motivation, Nissan is supposedly working on a new, direct-injection four-cylinder that could make use of Nissan's Variable Compression Ratio (VCR) system. Partnered with a small, efficient turbo, power could range from 140 to 215 hp, returning the fuel-economy of a smaller NA mill.

The Subaru/Toyota coupe is expected to debut in 2011, but Nissan wants to beat its competitor's offering to market, so expect the return of the Silvia to bow in late 2010.

Last month, we reported that Toyota and Subaru are joining forces to create an affordable sports car, one that embraced the spirit of the Toyota Corolla Coupe, aka AE86. We have just confirmed reports that Nissan has similar plans, intending to bring its "affordable sports car" to market a year earlier than the Toyota. Nissan's new 2+2 rear-driver will revive the spirit of the 240SX, which has experienced renewed popularity after its discontinuation in 1998, mostly because of the popularity of drifting.

The name of the future 2-door is still unknown, but we're fairly sure it won't be labeled 240SX (nor "Silvia," its Japanese moniker). Here's what we do know: It will be about the same size as the 370Z, sharing the same wheelbase of 104.3 in. Overall length is rumored to be 171 in., and will come in 4-seat/2+2 form.

There's a bit of mystery concerning the engine. While some at Nissan have hinted the 240SX successor will be powered by the company's trusty 2.0-liter inline-4, we're now getting reports of a new engine, one with about 1.5 to 1.6 liters of displacement, complete with a small turbocharger. This new 4-banger will feature Nissan's new VCR Piston Crank System. "VCR" stands for Variable Compression Ratio, and it does just that by using a multilink connecting rod/crankshaft arrangement.

In light load conditions, it will use high compression ratio and limited turbo boost to increase thermal efficiency and improve fuel economy. When stronger acceleration is required, the system will shift to a lower compression ratio and increase turbo pressure. The lower compression ratio allows higher boost to be used for greater power creation while avoiding knock or detonation.

According to insiders, this small engine, equipped with VCR PCS, can produce up to 225 bhp. There's also talk of a hybrid and a full-electric version of this car, but those are just rumors at this point. We know Nissan will be coming out with a full electric vehicle in the next couple of years, but it probably won't be a sports car — the 240SX reincarnate will be.

As for the handling of the 240SX successor, it will incorporate a similar independent suspension setup to the 370Z and Infiniti G37 Coupe. Nissan hopes to keep the price right around $20,000 and beat the Toyota/Subaru sports car to the U.S. market. Expect the car to arrive in 2010 as a 2011 model.