Nissan’s New JDM Note Nismo is the One You Might Want

In the US, the Versa Note is a no-frills sub-compact with a 109hp 1.6L engine and a fairly low starting price of around $15k, but in Japan, Nissan has given buyers a livelier option with the Nismo badge.

Actually, Nissan launched the new sportier-flavored Note this week in two versions, but you’d only be really interested in one of them.

First, there’s the all-show-and-no-go Nismo that retains the base 97hp (98PS) 1.2-liter gasoline [way to go Nismo – that should surely put you up there with AMG…], and then there’s the Nismo S that gets a tuned atmospheric 1.6-liter unit with 138hp (140PS), 29hp more than the U.S. model.

Both editions feature a nifty looking body kit with red accents, custom exhaust and a lowered sports suspension, with the standard Nismo getting 16-inch wheels in 195/55 tires and the Nismo S, 17-inch rims in 205/45 Bridgestone Potentza S007s.

As the more focused of the two, the S adds bigger breaks, additional chassis reinforcements and enhancements such as a sway bar, a custom air intake, and sport seats up front in suede or optionally, a set of Recaros.

The non-sport Nismo 1.2L gets a CVT and starts at 1,952,640 Yen (equal to US$18,300), while the Nismo S comes with a standard 5-speed manual and begins from 2,244,240 Yen (US$20,100) , always in Japan.