Compromised Internals

Overview Specs Highlights Characteristics

Overview

Nissan developed its 240RS from the third-generation Silvia S110/Gazelle platform as a Group B rally homologation special. Instead of turbocharging or adopting four-wheel drive, Nissan relied on its purpose-developed four-valve FJ24 engine, rear-wheel-drive chassis, straightforward suspension and established African rally support network. Its FIA identity was BS110, Group B form 233, not the later turbo Group A 200SX.

Nissan's heritage collection gives precisely 2,340 cc and a nominal 250 PS at 7,600 rpm for a displayed 1982/1983 Monte Carlo-spec restored competition car, with 250 Nm at 6,000 rpm. The accompanying corporate narrative quotes a 240 PS standard version and up to 275 PS for an FJ24 works engine revision. These are different configurations and a small mismatch between the displayed-car card and historical narrative, not a reason to invent one universal '1983 competition bhp' rating.

The 240RS took second overall at the 1983 New Zealand Rally with Timo Salonen/Seppo Harjanne and later finished third at the 1985 Safari with Mike Kirkland/Anton Levitan. Nissan itself acknowledges the New Zealand result as its best, while national/privateer use and African podiums demonstrate a wider competitive record than a single silver medal. No WRC outright victory or drivers' world title should be claimed.

Technical Specs & Innovations

FIA identity: Nissan 240 RS BS110, FIA Group B homologation 233
Homologation date: 2 January 1983 (FIA Historic Database)
Competition base: Third-generation Nissan Silvia/Gazelle S110 rear-wheel-drive coupe
Road homologation production: Nissan reports more than 200 240RS examples for Group B approval, many exported as left-hand-drive cars
Engine code: Nissan FJ24 naturally aspirated competition four-cylinder
Engine physical displacement: 2,340 cc, FIA and Nissan primary sources agree
Engine location: Front longitudinal, driving the rear wheels only
Head and valves: Twin overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, 16 valves overall
Aspiration: Naturally aspirated; no turbocharger, supercharger or turbo displacement adjustment
Restored-collection output: 184 kW (250 PS) at 7,600 rpm for Nissan's displayed 1983 Monte Carlo-spec restoration
Restored-collection torque: 250 Nm at 6,000 rpm, Nissan displayed car specification
Nissan historical road reference: Manufacturer narrative mentions 240 PS standard figure; not the same as its 250-PS display-card value
Higher works configuration: Nissan states about 275 PS for revised works FJ24; chassis-year and tune must be stated
Gearbox: Competition close-ratio manual transmission and event-specific final drive; homologation shows gearbox evolution
Power delivery: High-rev naturally aspirated throttle response with no forced-induction lag
Driven wheels: Rear-wheel drive and competition limited-slip final drive
Bodyshell: Reinforced Silvia S110/BS110 coupe with Group B cage, flares and lightweight outer panels
Length: 4,330 mm in Nissan's restored 1983-spec vehicle card
Width and height: 1,800 mm wide, 1,310 mm tall in Nissan's museum reference
Wheelbase: 2,400 mm in Nissan heritage entry
Tracks: 1,480 mm front / 1,490 mm rear in the displayed restored vehicle reference
Museum reference weight: 1,020 kg; do not generalize this as every entered Safari chassis's rally-start weight
Front suspension: Independent struts, Nissan's specified production-derived front architecture
Rear suspension: Four-link live-axle layout, rather than a driven independent rear suspension
Brakes: Ventilated front and rear competition discs in Nissan's museum vehicle technical card
Tyre sizes: 200-525-14 front / 220-525-14 rear on the displayed museum reference
Rally adaptations: Safari endurance builds required additional protection, spares, lighting and fuel strategy compared with the Monte Carlo reference
Group B evolution extensions: FIA form 233 lists approvals for lubrication, transmission, steering, suspension, brake and bodywork changes through 1985
Model caution: Do not merge BS110 240RS with Nissan 200SX/240SX road tuning scenes or later 1980s/1990s Nissan WRC cars

🏆 Competitive Highlights

1982 car-development phase: Nissan prepared and presented its BS110-based FJ24 Group B special before full 1983 homologation.
January 1983 FIA homologation: The 240RS gained FIA Group B form 233.
1983 Monte Carlo Rally: The restored Nissan heritage collection specimen is configured to represent the car's debut rally; a museum restoration is not itself evidence of a podium.
1983 New Zealand Rally: Timo Salonen and Seppo Harjanne finished second, 15m 58s behind Walter Röhrl's Lancia 037.
1983 New Zealand supporting entries: Shekhar Mehta finished fourth, and local entrant Reg Cook seventh, giving Nissan multiple Group B finishers.
1985 Safari Rally: Mike Kirkland/Anton Levitan finished third behind the two Toyota Celica Twincam Turbos of Kankkunen and Waldegård.
1985 Safari additional Nissan result: Alain Ambrosino and Dominique Le Saux finished sixth in another 240RS, adding a second 240RS in the top six.
1985 RAC Rally: Terry Kaby finished seventh in a privately entered Nissan 240RS; this was not a factory victory.
World championship ceiling: Second in New Zealand 1983 was the model's strongest WRC overall placing; its 1985 Safari third was a separate world-level podium.
Later competition: Private regional and endurance entries continued, but official WRC Group B eligibility was curtailed following the 1986 ban.

Driving Characteristics

The 240RS combined a front-mounted, normally aspirated four-cylinder with a relatively long-lived, easy-to-maintain rear-wheel-drive transmission and live axle. With no driven front wheels, deep-mud or loose-gravel exit traction had to come from rear tyre choice and careful throttle modulation rather than four-wheel-drive torque distribution.

The FJ24's high-rpm power encouraged gear selection that kept the engine near its useful rev band. Compared with contemporary small turbocharged Group B prototypes, service accessibility and mechanical simplicity were attractive on multi-day African rally routes, although hard stages still caused failures.

The Nissan-restored Monte Carlo display figure of 1,020 kg is not a measured 1985 Safari weight after long-distance fuel, guards and spares; the article keeps museum specifications tied to that reference.

Development & legacy

The Nissan 240RS represents a different Group B design philosophy: a naturally aspirated rear-drive car that achieved significant podium results without winning outright. Its 1983 New Zealand and 1985 Safari performances deserve exact crew and car attribution; the museum FJ24 output variations remain clearly qualified.

Research sources & verification

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