GTP Cool Wall: 1991 Nissan Figaro

[niky]

What was the stat on the Figaro Owner's Club stand at the Classic Motor Show? Something like 86% of Figaro owners are female?

To be honest, that makes it even cooler.

Passes the Anne Hathaway test with flying colors.

I don't have a picture with Anne, so you get Emma. Don't complain.

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Eric Clapton had one. Which, actually, sounds kind of awesome.

 

[Niku Driver HC]

To be honest, that makes it even cooler.

Passes the Anne Hathaway test with flying colors.

I don't have a picture with Anne, so you get Emma. Don't complain.

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Eric Clapton had one. Which, actually, sounds kind of awesome.

If the Figaro was cool enough for Eric Clapton to own one, I'd say it's cool enough for most of us. Dunno if it would pass the KST test, but I'd say it would have good chances of passing it with flying colours as well. When it comes to cuteness and cheerfulness, the Figaro has a solid positive rating...

 

[Ingram]

I don't have a picture with Anne, so you get Emma. Don't complain.

I wouldn't dream of it.

 

[homeforsummer]

Cool, but can't quite put my finger on it.

But, an Emma Watson photo, Eric Clapton's ownership, a handful of amusing Mighty Car Mods episodes and an appearance in a music video from one of my favourite (now defunct) bands (search 'The Sugars black friday' on Youtube) all help.

And are just enough to offset the fact that Vanessa Feltz used to own one.

I'd quite like to buy one at some stage. I reckon they'd look and drive quite well on a set of retro Japanese wheels, with a manual 'box swap and ditching the turbo engine for a slightly larger NA unit on carbs. Unfortunately, one of the Figaro's minus points is scene tax. On the plus side, that scene tax is because girls want to drive around London in them, rather than them being an inexplicably popular car in the tuning scene like most other overpriced vehicles.

 

[Dennisch]

13 of them for sale in the Dutchy lands. I've never seen one in the wild. Ranging from 6k up to 10k. Which I find a tiny bit on the expensive side. But then again, it has a pretty much bulletproof drivetrain, and since it's a Micra underneath parts are cheap and plentiful.

Cool.

 

[Dagger311]

My eyes bled when I saw it.

 

[Roger the Horse]

P1800... What happened to it?

My dad could keep up with the mechanicals, but not the rust on the bodywork. Got sold to a professional restorer. Dad now sees that as a mistake.

 

[niky]

The Sugars

Apparently, owned by a band member, as well.

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I'm not quite sure I'd do the manual swap. Seems anti-thetical to the entire purpose of the car... which is to lazily waft from chic coffeeshop to chic coffeeshop with your arm wrapped around a lovely lass.

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Aw, who'm I kidding. If I had one, I'd have an SR20DET under the bonnet in all of five minutes.

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And, maybe six or seven months later, it'd actually run.

 

[Danny]

There are at least half a dozen of these cars in town and I can say that most (if not all) are driven by middle-aged women.

85%. Predominantly Sea Breeze Blue.

C'mon man, we learned this.

 

[JMoney]

An observation: they had to put holes in the otherwise flat wheels for the air nozzle on the tires.

Anyway, just another tiny, slow kei car.

Seriously Uncool.

And why did they only make it for 1 year?

 

[Wiegert]

85%. Predominantly Sea Breeze Blue.

C'mon man, we learned this.

It's Pale Aqua.

Brush up, son.

 

[Legro]

Anyway, just another tiny, slow kei car.

It's not a kei car, it's way too big to be one.

 

[JMoney]

It's not a kei car, it's way too big to be one.

Yeah, you're right. Still ugly though.

 

[Niku Driver HC]

My dad could keep up with the mechanicals, but not the rust on the bodywork. Got sold to a professional restorer. Dad now sees that as a mistake.

I can see why you dad would say that, with the prices that P1800 fetch these days... If he had fought the rust, he would have quite the valuable car today. But hey, things like that happened to many people.

 

[INEEDNAWZZZ]

Like this, for instance:

Its not just Nissan who do this to their March either, Subaru did it to the Impreza:

For whatever reason, sticking classic styled grilles on cars is a big thing in Japan. Both Daihatsu and Suzuki offered Kei cars which looked like an original Mini. Hell, Mitsuoka's entire business model is based on cars like this.

I'd quite like to buy one at some stage. I reckon they'd look and drive quite well on a set of retro Japanese wheels, with a manual 'box swap and ditching the turbo engine for a slightly larger NA unit on carbs.

Or, assuming you have the money, the twin-charged engine from a Super Turbo. There is a Pao with that swap done, but it was a bit OTT with the styling. It would be ideal in a Figaro.

I'll give it a very high cool. Admittedly they are driven mostly by women who think they're really trendy, but that doesn't sway my view towards an interesting little car with some cool features, history and styling. And although its a completely juvenile reason, I like that its turbo, not from a performance standpoint but probably so it could just lug itself around.

Pointless fun fact/pub quiz trivia: despite the retro looks, this was the first car to come as standard with a CD player.

 

[Niku Driver HC]

Its not just Nissan who do this to their March either, Subaru did it to the Impreza:

View attachment 328653

For whatever reason, sticking classic styled grilles on cars is a big thing in Japan. Both Daihatsu and Suzuki offered Kei cars which looked like an original Mini. Hell, Mitsuoka's entire business model is based on cars like this.

Pointless fun fact/pub quiz trivia: despite the retro looks, this was the first car to come as standard with a CD player.

Guess it is a huge business to put classic grilles on JDM cars, huh? Everything you say is correct, heck it's indeed Mitsuoka's bread and butter to do designs like that. But not all JDM cars can be adequate to that treatment, as that Impreza shows. Well, guess it's a trend that is popular, otherwise Nissan wouldn't have continued to make the March Bolero...

Also, pretty neat for the Figaro to have the accolade of being the first car to have a standard CD player, that shows how it combines both old and new into one interesting package.

 

[Epic B]

Cool, I guess. I've actually seen a green Figaro before. Didn't know it was a Nissan till I took a closer look.

 

[Aesthetics]

It's so hipster it hurts.

It's also in my favorite shade of green.
And Eric Clapton owned one.
And Emma Watson is hot.
That bumps it to a very low cool for me.

 

[Sage Ages]

It does it's job very well. It's not as cool as a 50s/60s car, but this is still pretty nifty.

 

[Wolfe]

Nothing wrong with retro per se, but this is a Japanese equivalent of the New Beetle/PT Cruiser/HHR, which is plainly Uncool.

 

[JTB10000]

Cute little thing.

Cool

 

[ScottPuss20]

This cars looks as though it was built for children. Uncool

 

[chzsln485]

Based on a Micra, which was never a cool car to begin with. Plus it simply screams fashion statement.

Seriously Uncool.

Exactly my opinion. Also the fact that they seem to be everywhere in the UK these days, which means all the people thinking they are chic, stylish and unique are rendered less so by the fact that everyone is trying to be unique and stylish in the same way...

 

[homeforsummer]

Apparently, owned by a band member, as well.

Wouldn't surprise me, the lead singer was into his quirky classics.

 

[AlvaroF]

I have some mixed feelings about this this. It tries to be retro cool and that is uncool, but I think it pulls that off quite nicely and that is on the cool side. Then we have these ownerships and whatnot that enhace the cool factor. I just can't dislike it because it puts a smile in my face, it looks cute and happy.

Cool

 

[Mikeybc]

Saved by cuteness, cool.

I like its simplicity. Don't think it would be that terribly slow either given its weight.

 

[The87Dodge]

1991 Nissan Figaro nominated by @INEEDNAWZZZ

Engines: 1.0L Turbo I4
Power: 75 hp
Torque: 78 lb-ft.
Weight: 810 kg
Transmission: 3-speed automatic
Drivetrain: Front engine, front wheel drive
Body Styles: 2-door convertible
Additional Info: "Mechanically based on the K10-chassis Nissan March/Micra. Potential buyers had to enter a lottery draw to have the chance to buy one, with 8,000 being built. However, demand became so high that another 12,000 were made. Only came in 4 colours, each signifying the different seasons. Nissan is not branded anywhere on the car minus mechanical components, so it won't shatter the illusion of it being a classic car. Famous owners include Eric Clapton and Princess Eugenie of York, among others."​

Spoiler: Additional Pics

Cute little car. Wish it had more horsepower, but seems very fun to drive in a city. Is this a kei car?

 

[homeforsummer]

Is this a kei car?

Nope. Dimensions and engine are both too big.

 

[The87Dodge]

Nope. Dimensions and engine are both too big.

I see. This car does not have 63 horsepower, but do all kei cars need to have 63 horsepower?

About the Figaro: The color options are also really cool. Sea foam green and pastel pink are not common color options for production cars.

 

[homeforsummer]

but do all kei cars need to have 63 horsepower?

63hp is an upper limit for keis, so the most powerful will have that and many will have less.

It's displacement and dimensions too though. 660cc max, 3.4m x 1.48m x 2m length/width/height.

The Figaro is a 1.0 and measures 3.74 x 1.63 x 1.37. So it's low enough (though I'd be surprised if many kei cars are the full 2m tall) but too long, too wide and has an engine that's too big for kei regs.