Photo: X-Tomi Design
The past two generations of the Nissan Micra have been a joke to buyers, too small and somewhat overpriced. However, the all-new model specifically designed for the Europeans is longer, wider and more mature.
Nissan thinks that this hatchback is such a serious contender that it deserves a Nismo version, like the GT-R. We're not holding our breath because with Andy Palmer gone so has the backing for such extreme projects, and let's not forget that the Pulsar Nismo was also a stillborn project.
In an interview with Autorai magazine, the Micra product manager Lauren Marion said the following: "The Micra is perfect for a Nismo treatment, but a final decision has not been taken yet."
That ain't saying much. Even my blender is perfect for a Nismo treatment. I want red stripes and big exhaust pipes glistening every time I make a smoothie.
But the Nissan official means is that the old Micra would have cost as much as a Fiesta ST to turn into a hot hatch yet would have been a joke. But this one is wide enough to stick to the road and long enough to fit normal-sized adults.
This is already the second time we've heard about the Micra Nismo and it's also going to be the second time we mention the 1.6-liter turbo engine which the alliance uses in everything from the Clio RS 200 to the Qashqai. There was even talk of a bored-out 1.8-liter version powering the Megane RS.
Let's just hope they have the guts to completely ignore the CVT gearbox because we tried it in the Juke Nismo and... didn't like it. Such projects are way more complicated than stuffing a big engine and lowering the suspension. I can't say that Nissan has the same caliber of hot hatch engineers as Ford, Volkswagen or even Hyundai.
In an interview with Autorai magazine, the Micra product manager Lauren Marion said the following: "The Micra is perfect for a Nismo treatment, but a final decision has not been taken yet."
That ain't saying much. Even my blender is perfect for a Nismo treatment. I want red stripes and big exhaust pipes glistening every time I make a smoothie.
But the Nissan official means is that the old Micra would have cost as much as a Fiesta ST to turn into a hot hatch yet would have been a joke. But this one is wide enough to stick to the road and long enough to fit normal-sized adults.
This is already the second time we've heard about the Micra Nismo and it's also going to be the second time we mention the 1.6-liter turbo engine which the alliance uses in everything from the Clio RS 200 to the Qashqai. There was even talk of a bored-out 1.8-liter version powering the Megane RS.
Let's just hope they have the guts to completely ignore the CVT gearbox because we tried it in the Juke Nismo and... didn't like it. Such projects are way more complicated than stuffing a big engine and lowering the suspension. I can't say that Nissan has the same caliber of hot hatch engineers as Ford, Volkswagen or even Hyundai.
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