Getting a bit crazy can mean all sorts of things, depending on who you talk to. Some folks might streak across a football field (usually after having a few drinks), or others might work up the nerve to try bungee jumping. A few nutty people might even try jumping a car into a frozen lake. And then there are those who look at a tiny subcompact and think yeah, that needs a jet engine.
That's not a bit crazy. It's certifiably insane. And we love it.
After all, who wouldn't want to drive a flame-shooting third-gen Daihatsu Mira with 2,600 horsepower? That's the power estimate of this properly hot hatch according to David Nicotra, the owner and mastermind behind the Daihatsu Mira Jet Car. What that you say? The name isn't very imaginative? Somehow, we suspect David can't hear you because, you know, there's a freaking jet engine sticking halfway out of the car. When you have something this awesome, there's no need for a catchy title.
And indeed it's very insane. Nicotra says he's gone 320 km/h in this tiny Daihatsu, which is about as close to 200 mph as you can get without going over. Admittedly the Mira has lost a bit of its hatchback practicality, but there's still space next to the driver's seat for some groceries. One might think there's room under the hood where the stock engine used to be but here's the plot twist: the stock engine is still there, pumping out all of 35 hp to the front wheels. In fact, the car is still registered for road use in Australia, where Nicotra is from.
It might be road legal, but obviously the Daihatsu's days are spent entertaining crowds at shows and special events. It's not the only jet-powered machine in Nicotra's garage either; he also owns a monster truck but somehow, that doesn't seem quite as wild as this Mira. In any case, both vehicles are active on the show circuit and we suspect they bring all kinds of smiles to fans' faces.
