19 October 2009 - 12:00
You little Viewt
If you're an ardent fan of Top Gear telly - or just unable to receive any other channel but Dave on your Freeview box - you'll remember James driving a massive sumo bloke around Japan in the bizarre Mitsuoka Galue a couple of series back.
As well as the Rolls-aping Galue and that fabulously disgusting Orochi sort-of-supercar, Mitsuoka also builds a Jaguar Mark 2 almost-replica... based on the Nissan Micra.
No, really. It's called the Viewt and this is the all-new version, due to debut in Tokyo this week.
Mitsuoka has been building the Viewt on the Micra platform since 1993, 16 years in which exactly no people have been fooled into thinking it was actually a classic British car rather than a painful city car knock-off.
But for some reason, we rather like this, the third-generation Viewt. It's certainly not the engine choices that are doing it: you get the choice of a 1.2-, 1.4- or 1.5-litre petrol engine, putting out between 90bhp and 109bhp.
And it's not the interior. Apart from the steering wheel badge, Mitsuoka appears to have left the Micra's cabin utterly unchanged: not even a whiff of faux walnut or leather-effect PVC. Disappointing.
But still, we want one. Not even sure why, but we do. In a sort of off-beige, ideally. Anyone else similarly tempted?
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What a brilliantly stupid idea. I actually saw one of these on a motorway once being driven by an old biffer - I just hope he hadn't been conned. Either way, you'd need a sense of humour to own a Mitsuoka. They also make an MX-5 based Morgan Aero 8 knock-off called the "Himiko", and it is much the same practice - re-badged steering wheel, and that's it for the inside, then it's got the same engines as the donor car. Which, in that case, isn't such a bad thing. Until you come across a real, V8-powered Morgan at the lights. But when is that ever gonna happen?
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Revolting, rubbish, ridiculous!
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I'm all for reviving classics by redesigning them, just look at the Fiat 500, Chevy Camaro, Dodge Challenger, Mercedes SLS, I could go on. This though, this is despicable. This isn't redesigning, this is copying, of a British icon, in Japan, using a Nissan Micra. Thought I'd just write it again, so hopefully one can gain a sense of perspective.
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Some people have too much spare time (and money) on their hands..
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I saw this car in Hong KOng and it looked nothing like a mrk 2 jag
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this car came out ages ago
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It looks very much like a mk2 Jag, but at the same time it dosen't. Awful anyway.
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Oh, I dunno. Might make a good gag gift for Mrs. May.
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IT'S NOT A PROPER JAG TAKE IT AWAY BEFORE I THROW TEA ON IT. Japanese tea that is.
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it's not thaaat bad, ideal car for Hammond?
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Let me just say: Ban all people that shout FIRST! And furthermore: that looks rather handsome, too bad it's a micra.
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@Da_Vincentius: FIRST (to agree)!!!!!!!!!
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Ok, so it's a bizarre rip-off but it's actually quite sweet and would probably put a smile on your face if you saw one on your morning commute. Regardless of the vendetta Jezza and the lads have against the Micra it's actually a damn good little car, and I'm all for someone taking this route towards making it a bit more fun than taking the usual 'cover it in superglue and ram-raid Halfords' approach. When you consider how awful the Figaro is, you have to concede that they've done a pretty good job here. It's just a shame that people can't see past the origins and appreciate what's actually really nice bodywork for such a cheap car.
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I love the fact that it has a complete Micra interior! Very Jag like! Haha!
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I first thought the idea is ridiculous. Then I remembered what the Micra looks like, so now that thing seems brilliant.
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its like a plasma tv that is built to look like its from the 60's
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X-factors are definitely here in this car. Well, not in it precisely. And how do you know you're not driving a Micra when you're inside? It looks like it's pieced together alright, not like some 'glass heap made by the hand of a pudgy fingered yokel, so I don't mind the car. It's nice to see a grill like that these days. I'm not that old, but when I look at it it seems as though it could calm my nerves after slamming my digits in the trunk of a 1980 Toyota Corolla SR-5 Liftback with broken hydraulics. Ouch.
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Many people seem to have had a SoH bypass. Is it a good car? Almost certainly not. Is it a fun idea? Definitely. Given how hideous the Micra is, there's also a good argument for saying anything that alters the looks of one is a Good Thing. Plus you'd have to be mad to risk a "proper" MkII Jag in a city environment, whereas that cheap & cheerful thing is cheap and expendable enough to be worth trying. Finally, if it's cheap enough, it'd be worth it for the grin factor.
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viewt sure looks cute . . . there are touches of Jag Mark II . . . but will it get me laid??? or will they think it's an old guy driving the car???
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Biohazard commented on this article
19 October 2009
That thing is absolutely awefull...
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