1989 Nissan March Super Turbo

This is a 1989 Nissan March Super Turbo. For all Japan's weird and awkwardly long naming conventions, this one actually makes sense. The Nissan March (or Micra, as it was sold in other markets) is a true econo-box. Paper thin steel, no safety equipment, tiny tires, front-wheel drive... you get it. By coupling light-weight and tiny displacement engines, the Marches were able to get incredible fuel economy and you could enjoy the rattle of loose change in your ash tray instead of in your fuel tank.

But frugal is an ugly word, especially if you want to go racing. And what's the most exciting kind of racing to be had in the late 80's? That's right, rally racing. Nissan decided it would take on the champs of the era with their most capable platform... the March? Up against some legendary brand names with established racing pedigree like Audi, Lancia, and even Toyota, Nissan would have to do something truly crazy to step up to the plate. Enter the engineers. Take the smallest, lightest car we have and feed it the automotive equivalent of spinach and multi-vites. BOOST.

Engineered from the ground up, the MA09ERT all aluminum 4 cylinder was unlike anything on the market (that you could actually buy), and still today is wholly unique. This tiny 930cc engine has not one, but two methods of forced induction, with a belt-driven supercharger active below ~4,000 rpm, and an empirically small but relatively (compared to engine displacement) large turbocharger that kicks in with a righteously insane banshee cry above 4,00rpm. This practice of using both a turbo- and a supercharger is called "twin-charging", and to date there are only a handful of cars that came that way from the factory for performance reasons. The rally-legend Lancia Delta S4 utilized this technology in 1985, but the car itself was unobtainable to the general public, and since then only a few super cars have employed the technology. Before I get angry letters from Germans and Swedes, VW, in 2005, and Volvo, in 2015, produced twin-charged 4 and 6 cylinder engines respectively, but their goal was the miserly economy kind, not the crazy induction noise kind. Not to further discredit these engineering feats of pedantic commuters, but each of these engines fell somewhere in the middle-tier of their engine options when they were being produced, none were offered as a performance option. The MA09ERT is the farm kid who got into Harvard on full scholarship and sits in a small class full of super cars and racing legends, and keeps up with the best (at least in terms of fun).

Ok, so it's fun, so what? Why do you want an obscure piece of history with a complicated engine (did I mention this super to turbo dance is controlled by vacuum lines?), limited to no English-language support. and safety standards that are hard pressed to be called "standards"? Did I mention it was really fun?

Well for one, this particular example is in beautiful condition, with just under 112k km, or around ~70k miles. Take a look at the photos of the interior, not only is it a stunning example of RAD 80's AESTHETIC, but it's in perfect shape, with all the factory furnishings in place. Exterior-wise, the Super Turbo shows very well. The original factory paint is free of swirls, and has only a few touch-up marks that have been well hidden. It's not concourse level, the hood shows some signs of age, but only up close. This car is an attention hog, and most people can't believe how good the paint looks after 34 years, if they even think to comment on the paint at all.

But economy paint that aged well isn't what will keep you staring. The stance of this car and its bite-sized proportions, from the factory integrated fog lights to the hatch spoiler, is. Honestly it's just a good looking car. Most people assume it's an old VW Golf, and admittedly it is visually similar to German hatches of the era, but Nissan added enough to make this decidedly Japanese.

If the evidence of preservation of something like this isn't quite your cup of tea, then maybe consider how rare it is. This was a homologation car for Nissan. I'm not explaining that one, if you don't know, look it up, but make sure you spell it correctly. They only produced 10,000 Nissan March Super Turbos in 1988 and 1989, either in black or white, and they were only available domestically in Japan. They were not sold anywhere else in the world. That means if you're looking for one, be ready to spend a lot of money on AirB'n'Bs traveling Japan, and potentially walking away disappointed. Remember the econo-box thing? Part of what makes an econo-box is the low-cost to produce, and that means mild steel and limited rust prevention from factory. While the engine is stout and reliable, the Marches and Micras of the world had a tendency to transform into piles of rust in short order. This example is rust free, and was clearly garaged throughout it's life.

Anyway, I've rambled enough on this car. Other important facts: 5 speed manual, limited slip differential, not original wheels but similar Nissan OEM, brand new tires, FACTORY WORKING A/C. Extensive service performed in Japan prior to shipment; this car is ready to be the highlight at any cars and coffee, and ready to carve up corners with you.