C+C = A guaranteed smash hit

We climbed behind the wheel of Nissan's Micra C+C concept - which is currently wowing the crowds at the British Motor Show - for a drive on a secret test track. And we have got just one thing to say to the Japanese company: you must build this car!
We brought you pictures of the stunning coupé cabriolet in Issue 722, and since then the manufacturer has displayed the car - which would be made in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear - at the Paris and Birmingham motor shows to gauge demand. And if the comments we've heard from visitors are anything to go by, the sporty baby looks certain to be given the green light.

The project feels production-ready, and Nissan's commitment to the concept is evident as soon as you settle in the cabin. Unlike the standard Micra, the C+C features uniquely sculpted seats trimmed in pale beige leather, and a two-tone dash. Rear accommodation is cramped, but there's enough space for two children or small adults. It's all neatly trimmed and with the roof in place, the cabin feels small, but is light and airy thanks to the swept-back windscreen and panoramic glass roof.

Yet from inside it doesn't even look as if it slides away, because of tailored headlining and seamless panel gaps. Press a switch behind the gearlever, however, and the rear deck lifts up, allowing the roof to fold in two separate sections. The whole process takes only 20 seconds and operates with a precision akin to the much more expensive Mercedes SLK.

Nissan's clever sectioned roof arrangement means the C+C retains a usable luggage area even with the top down. The boot cuts deep into the floorpan, while a low loading lip and rear overhang - which is 7cm longer than that of the Micra hatchback - free up even more space. With the roof folded, the Micra is a real looker, attracting admiring glances from bystanders, while the high sweeping doors and flat rear tonneau give it the appearance of a proper sports roadster.

It's too early to say whether that sportiness will translate through to the driving experience, though - as the C+C show car is the only one in existence, we had to take things a little easy on the road. That said, it's a refined cruiser and, considering it is supposedly only a design study, the fit and finish are excellent.

Dynamically, we expect it to be similar to the Micra hatchback, which we drove for the first time in Issue 696. That means the C+C will have tidy handling and lively performance from the 1.4-litre entry-level engine fitted to the concept car, while a more potent 1.6-litre version is also rumoured to be in development. Our sources suggest a 2.0-litre 200bhp flagship could also be in the offing, but only as a limited production option. A 1.5-litre diesel, the 80bhp dCi engine from Nissan's partner company Renault, will definitely appear if the C+C gets the go-ahead, and is likely to form part of the line-up from autumn next year.

From the driver's seat, the C+C feels light and wieldy. The steering is a touch over-assisted - in common with the hatchback - but the gearchange is pleasant and all the controls fall easily to hand. Of these, by far the most interesting is 'Carwings' - a new telematics system being developed to allow in-car phone, Internet and E-mail access. This should be available in the rest of the Nissan range from late next year, and the Primera's 'N-Form' centre console is already compatible with the technology.

Around the same time, Nissan will hopefully launch the C+C in production form. After the response it has received so far, not to do so would be criminal...