Making of the Free S13 Silvia Mod
GT7 Convert with Full Animations, Working Lights & CSP Features | A Gift from Excite! Garage
The JDM community has been waiting, and today we're incredibly excited to announce that the Excite! Garage team is releasing our meticulously crafted Nissan S13 Silvia Coupe as a completely free mod for Assetto Corsa. This isn't just another quick conversion this is a labor of love featuring working animations, accurate physics, and attention to detail that rivals paid mods.
We're releasing this mod as a gift to the sim racing and drifting community, coinciding with the launch of our brand new website at www.excitegarage.com, where you'll find all our car packs, merchandise drops, and everything Excite! Garage. Whether you're a seasoned drift veteran or just getting into the S-chassis life, this mod is designed to be the perfect base for your own creations.
Why the Nissan S13 Silvia Coupe?
The Nissan Silvia S13 holds legendary status in the JDM and drifting world. Produced from 1988 to 1994, this iconic Japanese sports car defined an entire generation of automotive enthusiasts. With its perfect 53:47 weight distribution, responsive rear-wheel-drive platform, and the legendary SR20DET engine option, the S13 became the foundation for countless drift builds and touge warriors.
The coupe variant, known for its sleek fixed-roof design, offers that classic 90s JDM aesthetic that has only grown more desirable with time. Unlike the hatchback 180SX with its iconic pop-up headlights, the S13 Silvia coupe features the distinctive fixed headlight design that has become synonymous with Japanese street racing culture. This is the car that launched a thousand drift careers, and now it's available in Assetto Corsa with unprecedented detail.
Complete Feature List: What Makes This Mod Special
Fully Animated Interior Components
We've gone above and beyond to bring this S13 to life with a comprehensive suite of animations that you'd typically only find in premium paid mods:
Animated Shifter – Watch the gear lever move with your inputs for complete immersion
Animated Handbrake – Perfect for drift entries and e-brake techniques
Working Pedals – Gas, clutch, and brake pedals all animate with your inputs
Steering Wheel Levers – Animated indicator and wiper stalks
Animated Wipers – Functional windshield wipers for wet conditions
Animated Hazard Button – Interactive dashboard controls
Advanced Lighting System with CSP Refraction
Utilizing Custom Shaders Patch features, we've implemented a realistic lighting system:
Working Refraction Taillights – Realistic light behavior through tail light lenses
Refraction Turn Signals – Proper amber glow with light diffusion
Refraction Hazard Lights – Full hazard functionality
Extra Button Functionality (CSP)
Bind these to your controller or wheel for full control over the car's animated features:
Extra A: Open/Close Hood – Showcase your SR20 engine bay
Extra B: Open/Close Left Door
Extra C: Open/Close Right Door
Extra D: Open/Close Trunk (Boot)
Extra E: Parking Lights
Extra F: Interior Lights
The Development Journey: From GT7 to Assetto Corsa
Starting with Quality: The GT7 Base Model
This project began with the high-quality base model from Gran Turismo 7 by Polyphony Digital. The GT7 S13 Silvia provided an excellent foundation with its detailed 3D geometry and accurate proportions. Converting models between game engines is never a straightforward process—it requires extensive knowledge of both the source format and Assetto Corsa's specific requirements.
The conversion process involved extracting the model, restructuring the mesh hierarchy for AC's animation system, and completely rebuilding the materials to work with Kunos' rendering pipeline and Custom Shaders Patch enhancements.
Research and Reference: Getting the Details Right
Authenticity was paramount throughout this project. Countless hours were spent poring over reference materials to ensure every detail matched the real S13 Silvia Coupe:
Google Images research – Hundreds of real-world photos analyzed for exterior details, panel gaps, and proportions
S-Chassis forum deep dives – Communities like Zilvia.net and various S13 owners' groups provided invaluable interior reference shots
JDM parts catalogs – OEM part numbers and specifications helped verify dimensions and placements
YouTube walkarounds – Video content showing S13s from every angle helped capture the car's character
Technical documentation – Factory service manuals for accurate mechanical details
This research phase was essential for creating animations that feel authentic—the way the doors swing, how the hood opens, the travel of the shifter—all based on real S13 behavior.
The Technical Challenge: Building Animations from Scratch
One of the most time-intensive aspects of this mod was implementing the comprehensive animation system. Each animated component required its own .ksanim file, careful pivot point placement, and integration with AC's animation system through the ext_config.ini file.
The shifter animation alone took multiple iterations to get the feel right—matching the H-pattern gate positions, ensuring smooth transitions between gears, and syncing with the driver3d.ini configurations. Similar attention was given to the handbrake, pedals, and every other animated element.
Why Release This Mod for Free?
The Assetto Corsa modding community has given us so much over the years. From the countless free tracks, cars, and tools that have made this sim what it is today, we've all benefited from the generosity of talented creators who share their work openly.
This S13 Silvia Coupe is our way of giving back. We want this to serve multiple purposes for the community:
A high-quality standalone mod – Ready to drive right out of the box with proper physics, sounds, and visuals
A learning resource – New modders can examine how we structured the animations, lighting, and configurations
A base for custom builds – Feel free to use this as a starting point for your own liveries, modifications, and creative projects
Excite! Garage Website Launch & Merchandise
This mod release coincides with the launch of our brand new website: www.excitegarage.com
On our new site, you'll find the complete collection of Excite! Garage car packs, updates on upcoming releases, and our new merchandise line featuring apparel and accessories for the JDM and sim racing community. We're building something special for enthusiasts who share our passion for Japanese automotive culture and virtual motorsport.
Installation Instructions
Download the mod from our website
Extract the archive to your Assetto Corsa cars folder (typically: ...\assettocorsa\content\cars\)
Ensure you have Custom Shaders Patch (CSP) installed for full feature support
Configure your Extra buttons (A-F) in Content Manager for animation controls
Launch the game and enjoy!
Download Now
Ready to add this fully-featured S13 Silvia Coupe to your Assetto Corsa garage? Head over to OUR INDIVIDUAL CARS FOR DOWNLOAD to grab the free download and check out our other car packs. Don't forget to follow us on social media for updates on future releases, and share your liveries and screenshots—we love seeing what the community creates!
Thank you for your support. See you on track!
Enjoy Oneself!
— The Excite! Garage Team
