Do you speak Micarrrgh? Nissan GB has at last created a desirable Micra. The Micra R can hit 60mph in less than five seconds and can reach 150mph!
The Micra R started its life as a concept car at the last Geneva Motor Show. Its designer, Christopher Reitz, didn’t want it to stay that way – he wanted his creation to be driven. And Nissan Motor (GB)’s managing director, Brian Carolin, in conjunction with Ray Mallock Limited (RML) has made it happen. RML ran Nissan’s super successful British Touring Car Championship campaign in the late Nineties.
How does it reach 150mph? Thanks to a mid mounted 265bhp BTCC engine. In full touring car specification it features high-lift cams and has a bespoke racing plenum to enable as much air to be fed into it as possible. There are two choices of engine mapping, both of which are governed by the engine’s MoTeC M4 Electronic Control Unit to enable the driver to choose the most suitable power delivery for prevailing conditions.
The R started life as a three-door Micra 1.4 SX. Most of the body was removed so that RML could match the dramatic styling of the Geneva concept car including its 100 mm stretched out wheel arches and Nissan Motorsport Flame Red and Blade Silver paint job. Care was then taken to adapt the aerodynamics and air intakes to suit its mid-engined layout.
Power is transmitted via a Hewland six-speed gearbox with sequential shift. The short racing exhaust exits centrally at the rear through a meaty looking big bore pipe. But an even more noticeable change over the standard car are the R’s 18 inch, 18 spoke alloys specially machined for the project by Image Wheels. Toyo supplied its highest specification road car tyre, the Proxes T1-S with a ‘footprint’ that’s nine inches wide.
Behind those wheels lie enormous drilled disc brakes front and rear with four-pot callipers. Measuring 350 mm at the front and 330 mm at the rear, these brakes were naturally supplied by Brembo – the same company that stops Nissan’s 350Z and Skyline GT-R. There’s commonality with other Nissans in the R’s radiator (Almera dCi 136) and suspension (also Almera).
Seated low down in Alcantara upholstered racing seats, the driver is faced with a suede rimmed Sabelt racing wheel. The standard dashboard, door panels and centre console have been flocked to give them a velvety, non-reflective finish. And behind the normal Micra instrument binnacle is a MoTeC digital data screen. There’s no carpet on the floor of this Micra, instead RML thought aluminium sheeting more appropriate matching the integral roll bar. There’s no air conditioning but the R retains its electric door mirrors and three cupholders even though the car can only seat two…
Sadly few will get the chance to drive the Micra R, just some lucky journalists and customers but Nissan will be exhibiting the R at various shows around the country starting with the Japanese Performance Show at Santa Pod.
Sadly, the R is strictly a one-off designed to give the model a bit more cred. Public access will be limited to viewing it at motor shows.