Mopar68

I've finally fell in love with a modern Japanese car. No, this isn't just another car that I think is cool like the 350Z or Evo. They're nice, but this is just ten times better in my mind. What could it be?!?! Could it be the new Nissan Skyline GT-R? Close, but no cigar. New Evo? Nope. New RX-7 or Supra? Not at all.

No, it's quite a simple car. Nothing special at all. It's very small, and pretty bland. However, this is why it's so amazing. What could this amazing car be? Well, it's the Nissan Micra 160 SR. No, I'm not insane.



And no, it doesn't have 160hp. It has a pretty modest 108hp. I think it's a perfect amount for this car. Why? It's front wheel drive, and torque steer is a big problem in my book. Same with understeer. I reckon that this is the perfect balance of power and weight in a car this size. Also, 108hp is perfect for aspiring young F1 drivers who just got their license. It'd teach the driver that straight line speed isn't as important as keeping your speed up in the corners. The 108hp isn't going to shoot you out of the corner if you make a mistake. The driver would have to learn to keep the speed up to make use of the low power.

And it's not like it'd be hard to keep that speed up. I noticed that this car has it's wheels on the extreme corners of the car. This means razor sharp handling. Again, it'll have little understeer and next to no oversteer. I think it's perfect for tooling around on city streets or downtown. True, it might have a little trouble merging on the highway and such, but it wouldn't be terrible. Also, since it's so small and compact, parking would be a breeze, which is probably why it's so popular in Britian. Also, it must get great fuel mileage. I'm thinking in the mid 30mpg range. How much fuel could a 1.6 liter four possibly take?

Most of all, it's a great price. It starts at about 10,000 pounds new, which is around $18,000. Now, that's not dirt cheap, but it's still really cheap for the fun the owner surely will have. This is also in Britian, where cars are more expensive then here in the US. I'm thinking that if the Micra 160 SR reached American soil, it'd start at around $16,000. For that money, it's a steal. What else would you get? A Scion xA? Those are nice, but this is something totally different. It's made to perform, unlike the Scion's teen-focused image.

And you do get alot of car for the money. You get Electronic stability control, as found on the 350Z. You also get a CD changer, fog lamps, 16 inch alloy wheels, air conditioning and a short throw, close ratio 6-speed. I think that's perfect for the young buyer who doesn't want to settle for the boring xA. It's a pretty handsome little car too. It's not beautiful, but it's not ugly or boring. It's neat, and it's fun and funky.

All and all, I think it's perfect. It's not trying to compete with the big boys like the Focus ST or Golf GTi. the 160 SR is it's own car with it's own flavor, going at it's own pace. It's tight controls and crisp response must make this a fun car to drive. It's also easy to own, easy to look at and easy on the wallet. I can't think of a better modern Japanese car. I think the whole Micra range should be here in the US, and the 160 SR should be the flagship. It's sporty image wouls surely win over most of the Scion buyers.

So what do you think? Am I insane? Could this possibly be the best Japanese car currently on the market? Should it be here in the US?

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