Thinking about buying a Nissan Figaro on import maybe?

no such thing as a uk figaro mate! there all imports!!!

it is probably cheaper to buy one already imported with some uk service history that to import yourself. if you are not going to go to an importer to do all the hard work you could save £500 or more but it's not easy. you need to somehow buy one in japan, arrange a container which could be £500-1000 then there's all the tax stuff to and SVA if it's 10 years or younger or if it's past 96 (which i don't think figaro's are) you'll need what is also known as a model report which if there isn't one for that car will cost £1500 or so.

good luck! there weird little cars but i kinda like them in a weird way!

Yeah, sorry I meant to say 'one already in the UK' rather than a UK one!

Cheers for that. I'll look around for ones in the UK for a while and see what turns up. Kinda just an idea at the moment, they do look damn cool :D

Chris.

wow i was some help on here for a change! hope you find a good one. watch out for any pink ones as that was not an original colour!

I fear that they will drive like a K10 micra though as that's what they were based on. They were only released over a couple of years in the very early 1990s so what you are looking at is an old car with an all alloy 1.0 turbo engine and auto gearbox.

K10 micras are OK to drive for what they are but they're still bloody knackering on all but the shortest journeys and also entirely unrewarding to drive. Also, have you had an insurance quote on a Figaro? I Insure my 200bhp Rover Ti for about =A3550 and I was quoted way over a grand for a figaro with several insurers.

I casually looked into buying one and did quite a bit of research and decided there's no way I'd pay over =A34k for one and then another =A31k+ per year to insure it. If you've loads of money I guess it's an OK prospect but for the rest of us it seems a lot of style over substance.

I like 'em too :)

Good Figaro site at:

There are loads on Autotrader - including a red(!) one and a black one with lots of rare options...

You sure? There are pink ones with pink piping on the upholstery - I thought that the piping always matched the original colour.

Non-white roofs are not original.

I just had a look - quite surprising the number out there! Dunno why I've overlooked autotrader, guess I thought there wouldn't be many... I've only really been checking through eBay and import sites.

I know someone with a pink Figaro.. it was a respray, and I don't think they ever made one in pink... maybe somebody went to the trouble of re-upholstering the seats?

You may well be right. I don't think I'd clock up many motorway miles in one, but I'd definately want to test-drive one just to see if I like the feel of it. I'm used to my 944, which isn't exactly 'relaxing', but it's a good motorway cruiser. Still, I'll be keeping that ;)

And no, I haven't yet checked the insurance - which could be quite difficult to get with two young drivers on it. I looked into insuring my 944 with my girlfriend as well - it almost doubled the quote! Still, I am pretty much used to paying through the nose for my insurance.

I'd be looking around the 4k mark for one. Probably wouldn't go much higher. They seem pretty well kitted out to me, the only thing I'm not sure about is the performance from that 1 litre engine.

Chris

There is none.

Hope that helps :)

Well I got my K10 off the clock with the NA 1.0 engine so the turbo'd version in the Figaro might go, although it's probably necessarry just to lug the extra weight of the Figaro along.

There seems to have been quite a lot of "factory custom" options for lots of money on top of what was a very expensive car. The red one and (especially) the black one on AutoTrader seem to fall into that category as does the pink one with matching piping...

...only close examination would tell.

I think you need to read Japanese to get definitive info. :(

Yeah, I've read it develops 72 BHP but that's about it.. no idea how it really goes on the road. A 1 litre turbo could be pretty quick, but when it's powering aircon and fed through a 3 speed auto box, I'm not so sure. Definately gonna have to test drive one before I go nuts and buy one ;)

They do look good though.... can I shoehorn a better engine in there? put the body on a go-kart?

Or should I just buy an old mini?

Chris.

The 1.0 CVT Micra is a surprisingly nippy wee beastie and quite capable cross country, if the Figaro goes with similar gusto it'll be fun.

I don't think the Figaro could have stayed so popular so long if it was dreadful to drive.

Presumably any Micra/March powertrain should drop in...

...including the funky turbo/supercharged thang. :)

Just not the same thing. There's not really a JDM competitor either.