19 Jul 05
One lap down, two to go. I treat the Micra with care around the course; threading it gingerly through the incidental right-hander from the first lap, even ending up getting passed by paltry 110bhp Micra 160SRs through the corners. But with over 300bhp, the Micra 350SR is a little bit of a handful. Because of the lack of weight over the front wheels there is very little feel through the steering wheel and Michael is quick to chastise me before I attempt any lurid powerslides through the long sweeping corners. I'm more than happy to return to the paddock with the car in one piece, than to make my mark (literally) on the track.
Once stopped, we swap seats and Michael takes to the track to show me how it's really done. Without a doubt, he's a lot faster than me, lighting up the rear tyres and filling the cabin with the sweet smell of burnt rubber on the faster corners, blipping the throttle on the downshifts and showing a degree of control that comes from knowing a car inside out. But for anyone who's had little experience with it, the Micra 350SR can bite - very hard.
With the demise of the Clio V6 it would be nice to see another mid-engined V6 supermini on the road, but unfortunately this Micra's too extreme to go into production. But as a lesson in automotive cookery, the Micra 350SR is the full Gordon Ramsay experience - complete with multiple expletives.
