Photo: X-Tomi Design
Nissan is undoubtedly going to make a Nissan Micra Nismo. But will it be this one and what are the chances of a powertrain borrowed from the Renault Clio RS?
We are talking about this because there is a new Nissan Micra that just made its debut at the Paris Motor Show. Its makers think it's the greatest thing since bottled water, but it's not all that. The futuristic bubble car styling will not be to everyone's liking, and it also impedes rearward visibility.
From the way the wheelbase has been enlarged to the shape of the trunk, we'd say that the new Micra is based on the same platform as the Renault Clio. The similarities don't stop there, as the Micra has all the engines from either the Clio or the Twingo: naturally aspirated 1.0L, turbo 0.9L and a diesel 1.5L.
In the past, things worked the other way around, so when Renault needed a punchy 1.6-liter turbocharged engine for the Clio RS, it found it under the hood of the Nissan Juke.
The Juke has a Nismo version, and so does the old Micra; it's just that it's only sold in Japan and is actually a body kit, not a true hot hatch. But anyway, we think it's about time that the Japanese had another go at making a small, fast car.
You guys might remember that both companies were supposed to use a 1.8-liter for the next-gen Megane RS and the Pulsar. But with Andy Palmer gone, it seems the Nismo project has lost steam.
The only problem we have with this rendering by X-Tomi is that it looks just as good as all the other Nismo body kits. You see, the Ford Focus ST has a bland, cheap interior yet it's one of the most fun cars out there. Nissan, on the other hand, has abused the Nismo brand in ways that dilute it. So while we'd buy this Micra rendering with our yes, we could never forget our experience with the CVT in a "racy" Juke.
From the way the wheelbase has been enlarged to the shape of the trunk, we'd say that the new Micra is based on the same platform as the Renault Clio. The similarities don't stop there, as the Micra has all the engines from either the Clio or the Twingo: naturally aspirated 1.0L, turbo 0.9L and a diesel 1.5L.
In the past, things worked the other way around, so when Renault needed a punchy 1.6-liter turbocharged engine for the Clio RS, it found it under the hood of the Nissan Juke.
The Juke has a Nismo version, and so does the old Micra; it's just that it's only sold in Japan and is actually a body kit, not a true hot hatch. But anyway, we think it's about time that the Japanese had another go at making a small, fast car.
You guys might remember that both companies were supposed to use a 1.8-liter for the next-gen Megane RS and the Pulsar. But with Andy Palmer gone, it seems the Nismo project has lost steam.
The only problem we have with this rendering by X-Tomi is that it looks just as good as all the other Nismo body kits. You see, the Ford Focus ST has a bland, cheap interior yet it's one of the most fun cars out there. Nissan, on the other hand, has abused the Nismo brand in ways that dilute it. So while we'd buy this Micra rendering with our yes, we could never forget our experience with the CVT in a "racy" Juke.
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