The S12 chassis competed in various motorsport categories around the world and drove to victories and championship wins during the late 1980's and early 1990's. The lightweight chassis and handling characteristics of the S12, paired with reliable and powerful engine combinations, were contributors to the cars success. Australian motorsport legend Mark Skaife was quoted as saying…

“It was a great little car,” Skaife enthused. “It was reasonably light, had nice, driveable engine power and was nicely prepared. It was really well balanced.”Supercars.com

When you mention the S12 and racing, most people instantly think of the Nissan S12 Super Silhouette. Although technically not an S12, this S110 Nichira Impul Silvia Super Silhouette was updated to look like one, with front and rear parts mimicking it's model successor.
As part of the FIA's Group 5 series, the Silhouette Silvia was part of the Formula Silhouette classification. This class was basically production vehicles with practically no limitations on modification, however maintaining an overall stock composure, or “silhouette”, was mandatory.
This 560hp monster, weighing in at just over 1000kg, was piloted by Kazuyoshi Hosino. The Silvia Silhouette was loved by many, more so than the DR30 Skyline Super Silhouette it competed against. Daijiro Inada, the creator of both Option Magazine and Video Option, has said the Super Silhouette Silvia was one of his favourite machines, and can be attributed to the rise of the Japanese Bosozoku Style.

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The JSS race series was considered to be Japan’s top touring car championship following the end of Group 5 racing in Japan which was known as Super Silhouette.

While JSS cars were technically based on production cars, there was a lot more freedom in the regulations relative to the popular Group A cars. This is evident just by looking at the massive over-fenders and wings. JSS cars were later able to participate in JGTC (Japan GT Championship) and were the predecessors of GT300 cars.

In the latter half of it's life, the S12 chassis continued on from the S110's legacy of rally racing. The last Silvia chassis to compete in an International Rally stage, the S12 fared well as part of FIA's Group A, class 8 .The S12 competed from 1987 through to 1991 with its best placing years being 1988 and 1989.
1988 was the most successful year of the two, where the S12 placed 1st at the 1988 20th Marlboro Cote d'Ivoire Rallye with Alain Ambrosino/Danielle Saux. At the 1988 36th Marlboro Safari Rally, the S12 placed both 2nd and 3rd with Mike Kirkland/Robin Nixon and Per Eklund/Dave Whittock respectively. In 1989 at the 37th Marlboro Safari Rally, the S12 placed 2nd with Mike Kirkland/Robin Nixon at the helm.
Interestibgly, the S12 rally racer was that unlike most of its competition that ran 4-cylinder turbocharged engines. It was powered by Nissan's VG30E - a naturally aspirated 3.0L V6. Due to the WRC homologation requirement, it was mandatory that at least 5000 units were produced and sold to the general market. It was in the United States that Nissan found their market to meet the homologation standard. The American culture both enjoy and embraced the larger displacement engines and torque in the 80s as they had before and since. Thus, in 1987, Nissan introduced the S12 as the 200SX SE that housed the VG30E. It was very much a success as Nissan was able to sell more than the required minimum. In addition to the engine, the SE was able to share much in common with the Z31 300zx of the time, including larger brakes and a stronger transmission and differential.

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