Feature: 2013 Nissan March Nismo S

We got a taste of Thailand’s JDM culture with our friend’s very own Nissan March Nismo S.

The March Nismo S is a rare sight outside of Japan.

Coming from squeaky clean and sanitised Singapore, arriving in Thailand is always a bit of a blast. From the hectic traffic to the raucous street food culture, there seems to be more ‘give’ in the atmosphere here and it’s instantly recognisable to someone used to rules-based order.

The side profile is almost like a semi-circle.

That filters down to the country’s car culture, which varies from a huge number of locally assembled vehicles by foreign manufacturers, all the way to high-end customised specials that you can count off the top of your fingers. JDMs feature prominently here, but due to extremely prohibitive import costs, the majority of them are actually ‘reconditioned’. 

The rear has a single exhaust pipe, itself a unique Nismo S item.

What this means is that a basic Nissan March in Thailand, for example, is fully converted to the Nismo S using parts from a donor car in Japan. While this may rile purists, when done properly I have an open mind about it. Such ‘reconditioning’ also requires some flexibility from the authorities because engine numbers, for example, might not match. This is also the reason why we don’t see reconditioned cars in Singapore at all. Another market where reconditioned cars are common is in Malaysia.

Nismo-badged cars are virtually non-existent in the new Nissan line-up.

As with such things, conversions can range from a cosmetic exercise to a full-on makeover. Some things cannot be changed, like the chassis. That’s because the chassis number has to match the number on the car’s “blue book”, a.k.a the official vehicle registration document issued by the Department of Land Transport. But in the case of this March Nismo S, the conversion is pretty complete. As far as we know from the previous owner, the conversion was carried out by Wise Autoworks, a workshop located in Bangkok that’s well-known for getting proper reconditioned JDMs out on the road, including the ZC32S Suzuki Swift Sport and Mazdaspeed 3.

The huge front air intakes and diffuser gives the March Nismo S a low stance.

The March Nismo S first requires a bit of introduction of Nismo. Think of Nismo to Nissan as BMW M is to BMW; it’s the brand’s official tuning arm. It created legends like the R33 Nismo 400R, and post 2000s it applied the Nismo treatment to not just the GT-R but also to the Juke, 370Z and the March featured here. 

The black rims complement the red accents of the bodykit well.

The March Nismo S transforms the polite looking stock car into a prowling, low-slung machine. It is a right mix of cute and aggressive, with the bodykit making the car bulge in all the right places. The red accents complement the black wheels way better than I imagined, making the car look like it hasn’t aged one bit, although it’s already 13 years old.

There are hints of the Nismo treatment everywhere you look.

Mechanically, the car has a 114 bhp 1.5-litre NA I4 paired to a five-speed manual. It doesn’t sound like much, but believe me, it’s more than enough. There is also lowered suspension, an Autech exhaust system, Potenza RE-71 RS tyres and beefier brakes. 

It only has 114 bhp, but it's enough to have fun.

On the inside, you’re greeted with oh-so wonderful Nismo bucket seats that hug you tight, a smaller diameter centre-marked alcantara steering wheel, a short throw gearstick and Nismo floor mats. There are just enough elements to uplift the whole cabin with a sporty ambience. 

The build plate detailing the original 1.2L March.

Starting the March Nismo S from cold reminds me of cars from the 2000s that are modern, but still raw, like the ZC31S. They were unaccompanied by heavy-handed regulation. The exhaust note is a pleasing rumble, no doubt amplified by the quiet multi-storey carpark that the car lives in most of the time. In this day and age of fake and manufactured sounds, this feels so authentic. 

The alcantara-lined bucket seats are super supportive.

From the first turn of the wheel, I got the sense of how low the car felt. It was as if the floorpan almost touched the road. The steering was hefty, although it had the tendency to self-centre rather eagerly. The brakes were super responsive from the get-go, and the suspension is uncompromisingly stiff. The cuteness of the car’s looks belies its single-minded nature. It feels a lot more hardcore than it seems. 

This little gearshift diagram sits just above the gear knob.

I had a short drive around the up-and-rising Bang Na suburb, which was still mercifully free from gridlocked traffic just before the later afternoon rush hour. I had a decent stretch on the highway where I could bring the engine to its redline, and boy, was it worth it. The car isn’t fast, but it really doesn’t have to be. It thrills you all the same, thanks to all of the sensations that filter through to your hands, ears and feet. The engine feels and sounds eager, rewarding you when you get your shifts right and you stay on the powerband. This is true no-frills enjoyment that’s so sorely missing from many new sports cars today.

The gauges are plain, but legible and tells you all you need to know.

Although I did not get to try the car around corners much, I could surmise that it would be even more fun tackling a B-road than the highway. It’s the perfect second-car toy to bring out to the hills of Chiang Mai. However, rear passengers might feel like they got a bad deal. 

A true JDM special, living its best life in Bangkok.

The March Nismo S was a nostalgic flashback to the times Gerald and I both enjoyed the sports cars of our (foolish) youth, what would be considered today to be modern classics. We first knew each other with the MkV Golf GTI, and then had our own JDMs like the FD2R and S204. For those few hours, we rewound clocks to the good old days. As humble as the March Nismo S is, it cleansed my palate on what it means to have a fun car. Overwhelmingly so, simplicity is often better. 

Photos by James Wong