Vintage Thing No.142 - Nissan Micra K11 1.3
My neighbour calls it a little grey slug but forgets how it rushed her to a radiology appointment in Derriford, England, when her hospital car didn't show - so that would be a slug as in a bullet then Let me share a secret with you. The New Mini is not really the new Mini. The new Mini is actually the K11 Micra. The New Mini is a fashion accessory - almost one of those ultimately disposable handbag cars you get in this year's colour - and not what you could call basic transport. In the BMW Mini's defence I will admit to admiring the new Cooper S and friends who own them rave about the build quality and reliability. They are good cars and, thanks to the supercharged versions, have brought cheap blowers to the masses of special builders throughout the land, but the Mini DNA has got lost somewhere. That is probably because that mis-placed DNA ended up with those lovers of all things Mini, those Japanese fellows. And fellowettes. They even built a factory in Britain to ...