The automotive passion and will to create dynamic and fun to drive cars has been a British thing for quite a long time right now... so when Nissan UK decides to do "a little something" with the peaceful Micra city car, you can expect some serious modifications!
A quick look at the vehicle, and you know that this harmless fly has now become a killer bee; the Nissan Micra R is rocking the famous Red and Grey Nissan Motorsport paintjob seen all around the world, and especially in the Xanavi Nismo Fairlady Z racing in the Japanese Super GT championship.
The idea of a "brutal" Micra was first seen at the Geneva motor show, but his creator, Christopher Reitz, wanted it to do more than simply collecting dust in a garage or museum... then, Nissan UK manager, Mister Brian Carolin, decided to give the project to Ray Mallock Limited (RML), a structure which helped Nissan a great deal back in the late 90's with the amazing Primera BTCC.
The people in charge of the Nissan Micra R project started with a standard 1.4SX Micra, good for shopping but a bit soft no matter how hard you would hammer the right pedal. To fix this, the engineers decided to replace the engine by... a radiator and fuel tank! The engine now sits in the middle of the car, and is the 2.0 liter naturally aspirated that once helped the Primera BTCC to claim a good number of victories and podiums, a fully prepared race motor in the middle of a Nissan Micra! With this beast, the 0-60 mph takes around 5 shy seconds, on the way to a top speed of a hundred and fifty miles per hour.
Other mechanical parts include radiator and suspensions from the Almera, brakes (by Brembo) from the 350Z and GT-R, add to this some Toyo tyres and 18 inch Image Wheels, and you're guaranteed to turn heads. And as we're talking Great Britain, this car is road legal, homologated, and can still be used to go to the supermarket... thank God for the Brits!
Posted on 21/10/07 By F.B
