As brilliant as the new GT-R is, its premium price tag and limited availability means it will be out of reach of most sports car lovers for some time to come. Then there’s the 350Z but it too can be a bit expensive for younger fans. Sadly, Nissan’s affordable sports car, the Silvia (240SX), no longer exists. In fact, Nissan’s image of late has been skewed towards the SUV segment, but this may soon change with speculation there’s a Silvia replacement in the works.

According to latest reports, Nissan Chief Carlos Ghosn and the carmaker’s COO Toshiyuki Shiga have both hinted at the return of the Silvia in 2010.

This rendering, which turned up on RocketPunch, gives a possible styling direction for the new coupe, and draws some of its lines from Nissan’s own Foria concept car.

Whatever the final version looks like, we just hope it retains the punchy four-banger and RWD layout of its predecessors.