This rear-wheel-drive compact sport coupe arrived in North American and other export markets as a 1989 model year, positioned as an attainable driver’s car with a strong emphasis on balance, lightness, and tuning potential. The early cars used the S13 platform and were offered in both coupe and hatchback-style body forms, giving the nameplate a wide appeal among everyday buyers and enthusiasts alike. In the mid-1990s, the model was updated to the S14 generation, which brought larger dimensions, smoother styling, and a more refined road feel while keeping the same basic formula.
Over time, the car became especially important to grassroots motorsport and drift culture because of its rear-wheel-drive layout, responsive chassis, and broad aftermarket support. Its reputation was built less on luxury or outright power than on affordability, modification potential, and a chassis that rewarded driver skill. Although the body and details evolved between generations, the nameplate remained a familiar entry point into Japanese sports-coupe ownership throughout the 1990s.
Nissan heritage material identifies the export-market debut as a 1989 model year and confirms that the later S14-era cars continued under the same overseas badge until the run ended in 1998. There was no later revival, so this nameplate is best understood as one continuous production period spanning the late 1980s through the end of the 1990s.