No, it’s not April 1st and yes, you read the headline correctly. The Nissan Micra NISMO S is available in the manufacturer’s Japanese Domestic Market (JDM), where it goes under the ‘March’ banner. It’s an authentic NISMO product, having been breathed on by the same people who gave the world the Nissan GT-R R35.
The Micra, or March NISMO S, has been filled out with large wheels, flared bumpers, gaping exhaust, as well as a NISMO specific colour scheme, which consist of red and gloss black accents on a pearlescent white bodywork with red striping. Similarly, the interior has received sporty enhancements from the seats, to the steering wheel and the speedometer marked to 220 km/h.
With JDM regulations that dictate a limited top speed of 190 km/h, the Micra NISMO S is never going to touch the indicated 220 km/h, which is likely why the city car’s 1.5-litre engine has been only mildly tuned to produce 86 kW and 156 Nm by Nissan’s specialist tuning arm.
With more ‘show’ than ‘go’, the Micra NISMO S won’t be taking on the Fiesta ST, Polo GTI or other such Eurocentric hot-hatches. Judging from the detailed walk-around in the video below, however, it would seem that it’s a rather exciting prospect in its home market.
