25 Jul 05
No prizes for figuring out who Nissan's marketing men are trying to target with the new Micra 160 SR, which stands for Street Racer. So are Citroen Saxo and Vauxhall Corsa owners going to flock to Nissan dealers en masse for this £9995, warmed-up supermini with which to take to the ring roads?
If you were thinking that the 160 indicated 160bhp then you're going to feel a little short-changed. 160 instead denotes the Micra's 1.6-litre engine size, much like 350 in the 350Z points to the size of its V6. The Micra 160SR makes do with just 110bhp, which allows it to sprint to 60mph in under 10sec and on to 114mph.
For the money you get loads of kit, including air-conditioning and a six-CD in-dash autochanger which sits alongside sporty highlights such as white instrument dials, aluminium pedals, a leather-trimmed steering wheel and seats with extra bolstering. ESP stability control helps to prevent skidding, while front and curtain airbags make the Micra a safer place to be in a crash. The outside is suitably pumped up with unique graphite-finish 16-inch alloys, side skirts, a small rear spoiler and bigger bumpers. Integrated front foglights and dark tinted headlights round off the look: not so in-yer-face that it scares passing children, but tough enough to distinguish it from regular cooking Micras.
