The Nissan Micra has already staked itself out as the most affordable new car on sale in Canada, with a base price of just $9,998 CDN. And at $19,998, it’s also the cheapest race car in the country.
Nissan and Quebec performance outfit JD Motorsports are launching the one-make Micra Cup, intended as a stepping stone series to bridge the gap between karting and more costly forms of motorsports.
The Micra race cars will be based on the lowest trim level Micra S, and be sold as a turnkey package prepared for racing. Modifications include a NISMO suspension kit, better brake pads, alloy wheels and performance tires, a new exhaust and the requisite safety gear.
While the Micra Cup will be limited to Quebec initially, it may expand to other provinces in Canada (Quebec is currently the top market for the Micra). What we wouldn’t give to see it expanded to include our fantasy “Spec Mirage” class as well.
Ten grand seems like a lot of money for a roll cage, some seat belts, and a suspension kit.
“Modifications include a NISMO suspension kit, better brake pads, alloy wheels and performance tires, a new exhaust and the requisite safety gear.”
Parts, material plus labor considered, it’s not a bad price. The major consideration is course the labor. Having built a few race cars, it’s no small task.
Just performing a restomod on a older street car can rack up the hours – and the time/money equation is fully fungible.
Nissan’s site says the cars are *not* street legal. What about the cars makes them unregisterable? Something easy to swap on race day, like the tires? Or do you need to trailer these cars to the track and back?
Perhaps the exhaust isn’t noise or emissions compliant. The other aspect could be liability of a not-officially-certified product released by the factory.
Plus driving around in a rollcage equipped car without a helmet is a sure way to turn the most minor of fender benders into a TBI.
They’d most likely remove the stock seat belts and replace them with a five point or six point racing harness, which would not meet Canadian street standards.
Wait…a racing harness, which I assume offers considerably better restraint, is not street compliant? Because the relevant government body doesn’t do any crash tests with them?
Fix the comment system already.
It’s being fixed. Posting multiple comments when you don’t see yours only slows things down, since I am manually going through every comment and approving the legitimate ones.
I see. Thank you.
I recently drove a rented Micra in Thailand. There it’s called the March, and it comes with a 79 hp 1.2 L engine and a CVT. Those specs allow it to qualify for Thailand’s Eco-car program, in which automakers are awarded financial perks in return for producing fuel-sipping cars domestically. The Micra/March was good, however its appearance and drivetrain were a notch down from that of the slightly pricier Honda Brio, which is also a CVT-equipped Eco-car. But the Nissan’s very lack of refinement might just make it the more suitable vehicle for Thailand driving and Canadian spec series racing alike.