Just back from Japan!

Hello all I just returned from my 2 week stay in Japan and I can confirm that Japan is Micra/March dream land. They are everywhere!!. They majority of them are stock but I would equal their popularity to a Hyundai excel in Australia. The last time I visited Japan was back in 2000 and there seemed to be a lot more high performance car on the road back then but now all I could find was kei cars, hybrids and people movers with the odd wrx or liberty GT thrown in (most have satellite nav too). I guess this is a sign of the times with rises fuel prices. The fuel over there is about the equivalent in AUD of about $1.50/liter

anyways heres some pics

I spotted this in Hokkaido where most cars where 4wd due to the icy conditions. I was quite shocked to find a 4wd march
http://www.protongtiforums.com/images/march01.jpg

This was spotted at a garage near Kobe next to some modded track cars (ie turbo integra)
http://www.protongtiforums.com/images/march01.jpg

This is not a Micra but I love em. Suzuki Alto Works
4WD Turbo Kei Car
http://www.protongtiforums.com/images/alto01.jpg

Anyways next time I go back I think it will be to stay!

Dang one day we will be able to edit posts here

This was spotted at a garage near Kobe next to some modded track cars (ie turbo integra)
http://www.protongtiforums.com/images/march02.jpg

Sry

Glad you had a ball - how could you not over there!

That 4wd photo is amazing!

You can tell its totally true and legitimate by the sideways rear muffler.

Man I would love to check that car out in detail. Need to try and find one next visit. Imagine importing one to oz.
Was it automatic though?

Great pics - thanks.

Hokkaido was full of cars that I never knew came 4wd like 4wd civics !!. For about half of the year the roads are icy so they really need 4wd cars. Most of the main roads are also heated to keep the ice and snow away but the 40km/h speed limits really gave me the shits (my hire car was a 4wd mazda familiar 2000 model with sat nav). Sry I could not get more pics of the 4wd march. My wife was telling me I was strange for taking pics of other ppls cars hee heeee

nice one Akuma, i can't wait to start my on some japanese next year at uni and get over there! that picture of the4wd, wow, i would also really love ot haev a good look under one of those. Perhaps someone could get one cut up and brought over as parts, i certainly don't haev the finances or contacts to do it. Yep, those little Alto's are tops too.
Thanks for the read akuma,

Alex - puts one thinking cap on how i can get myself over to japan pronto :P

Sry cisco I did not get close enough to see if the 4wd march was auto/manual. Like I said my wife did not like me taking pics of ppls cars. I am guessing if you wanted to get your hands on one you would have to go to Sapporo or somewhere big in Hokkaido.

4wd is cool. they were made with the ncvt only. but can choose 3 or 5 door version. there are websites of turbo'd conversions of this car. also have seen the nissan diagrams of how its all made and fitted into the k11 chassis. it sits a bit higher than a normal k11, and also has a kind of flat floor at the back where the passengers sit. lost all the links though.

In 5 years Micra's will be 15 years old and people like http://www.yahoomotorsport.com/ in Adelaide may start importing the 4WD Micra's.

They and similar importers may be worth giving a call to see what they can offer.

Sorry to blow on your idea but the 15 year rule has been scraped. Anything built after 1990 will no longer be alowed to be imported.

Its almost worth living there for 1 year just to get some good cars and bring them all back! (If you live there you can bring back any vehicles you've owned for at least one year back on return as personal posessions).

I've gotta get one of those 4wd ones! Imagine having that over here, so awesome.

Found this press release in 1999 when Nissan released this 4wd model..

http://www.nissan-global.com/GCC/Japan/NEWS/19991109_0e.html

My wife and I are planning to move to japan in two years. I am frantically trying to learn as much japanese as possible atm (its quite a challenging language). Maybe I can become another japan contact in the future!!

That's awesome! congrats. Man what a blast you would have I reckon.