Ihtisham’s ITB Nissan Micra K11: The Ultimate Budget JDM Sleeper

This custom feature is officially showcased in the printed edition of Stance Auto Magazine.

Meet the Owner: Ihtisham and the 'Rauf Cars' Journey

Hello everyone! My name is Ihtisham, and I am the automotive content creator behind the YouTube channel Rauf Cars. My personal project car path is a bit unusual compared to the standard performance builds you see at local meets. Affectionately nicknamed "The £80 Micra," this machine is a street-legal go-kart built to shock modern hot hatches.

Weighing in at a featherlight 800kg, this sleeper Nissan Micra K11 is a naturally aspirated, high-revving screamer that pulls hard all the way to an 8,000 RPM redline.

Core Performance Metrics:

• Current Output: 135 BHP (Estimated conservative figure)
• Chassis Weight: ~800 kg
• 0-60 MPH Acceleration: 6.0 Seconds flat

The best part about this entire build is its visual execution. To maintain the ultimate sleeper car aesthetic, exterior visual modifications have been kept to an absolute minimum. It still rolls proudly on stock steel wheels with factory plastic wheel trims, completely hiding the performance modifications hiding underneath the bodywork.

"Most people dismiss these cars as a granny car or a pizza delivery vehicle," Ihtisham explains. "I had a clear vision to break those exact stereotypes. It started as my very first car, purchased for a grand total of £80, and remained standard for three years pushing a laughable 59 horsepower."

Want to see more affordable project cars? If you are planning your own custom build layout, check out our comprehensive guide to the best JDM cars under £15k in 2026 to find a high-value performance platform before prices jump.

The Metamorphosis: A £30 Engine Swap Strategy

To transform the sluggish 1.0-litre base engine into a rapid street machine, Ihtisham teamed up with Slide Motorsport in Yorkshire—a professional tuning house specialising in Japanese platforms like Skylines, Silvias, and Supras.

The first step was a budget-friendly engine swap. The factory 1.0-litre block was swapped directly for a larger 1.4-litre CGA3DE / CG13DE Nissan Micra engine. Because the swap is a complete plug-and-play mechanical layout, it bolsters performance instantly without massive wiring headaches.

By marrying the new 1.4-litre engine block directly to the original 1.0-litre close-ratio gearbox and retaining the lighter 1.0-litre flywheel, the car received an unexpected boost in acceleration down low. The entire engine cost just £120, and by selling the original 1.0-litre engine for £90, the core swap cost a net total of only £30. This single change slashed the original 0-60 MPH sprint time from 15.5 seconds down to just 9.0 seconds.

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Advanced Tuning: Camshafts and Individual Throttle Bodies

Following the engine swap, the quest for more naturally aspirated power truly accelerated. The specification list expanded to include:

• Performance Camshafts: High-lift profiles optimized for high-RPM scavenging.
• Exhaust Layout: A high-flowing 4-2-1 exhaust manifold feeding into a custom exhaust system built to remain as quiet as possible to protect the sleeper theme.
• Fueling & Air Management: Upgraded high-flow fuel injectors paired with a lightened performance flywheel.

To manage the updated configuration reliably, the car underwent a custom engine management remap by Tornado Systems, a leading UK specialist in proprietary Nissan Micra K11 factory ECU remapping. On the rolling road dyno, the setup produced 125 BHP and 105 lb-ft of torque at the flywheel (translating to 105 BHP at the wheels), dropping the 0-60 MPH sprint time down to 6.8 seconds.

My main car group, where I get a lot of advice from, is Micra Sports Club.

My dream car is an Aston Martin DB5! Thanks for reading!