Niko Kämäräinen is an Ilves fan, and you can’t miss it.
Kokkolainen Niko Kämäräinen26, the green Nissan Micra has transformed over the years into an Ilves fan’s flashy plaything. The idea started with my father’s throw, and has now grown bigger than expected.
There is a car moving on the streets of Kokkola that you cannot miss. The green Nissan Micra is taped and decorated throughout in the Ilves spirit. The driver’s favorite team will not be unclear to anyone.
The owner of the car is from Kokkola, but his heart beats for Tampere Ilves.
– I lived in Tampere a few years ago. That’s when I started being a fan of Ilve.
Kämäräinen followed hockey even before moving, but in Tampere he had to choose a side. Either Ilves or Tappara. Ilves was not an obvious choice. The solution was influenced by both the already green colored Nissan and my own father’s urging.
– Father has always been a fan of Kärppie, but when I moved to Tampere, he suggested that I put Ilves stickers on the car. That’s where the idea actually started, says Kämäräinen, who works in the transport industry.
There’s no mistaking Kämäräinen’s favorite team. Timo Nurila
At first, there were only a couple of stickers on the car, but they also attracted attention already in Tampere.
– Even then people could take pictures of the car, Kämäräinen recalls.
Since then, the fan base has grown rapidly, and he has closely followed all of Ilves’ matches from season to season.
Eyes turn
When Kämäräinen moved back to Kokkola, Nissan got more of an Ilves look. Now the car has been completely transformed into an Ilves spirit.
The hood is dominated by the club’s logo, and the same color scheme continues inside the car as well. Green and yellow cover almost all surfaces. The whole is spectacular and exceptional, especially in the street scene of Kokkola.
Most of the car’s details have been acquired from the Ilves fan shop. On the dashboard, the driver is entertained by the Ilves mascot, green balls of fur hanging from the mirror, and Tampere written in cat-sized letters on the windshield. Kämäräinen has done all the editing himself.
– I also painted the inside of the car yellow-green. I have done everything myself, no one has been there to help.
– Many have asked if I went a little overboard. Maybe it went a little too far, he laughs.
Tosifan also has an Ilves shirt. Timo Nurila
The lynx-inspired Nissan turns heads in Kokkola as well.
– Now, if you leave your car in the yard of a store, when you come back, there might be someone looking at it or taking pictures.
People’s reactions have been mostly positive.
– I know that a car can evoke many kinds of emotions, but all the comments I’ve received have been positive.
– Even while driving recently, I noticed that people stopped to watch. Small children may sometimes wiggle, Kämäräinen says.
The project has had its price. Kämäräinen estimates that several hundred euros have been spent on the modifications, but he cannot estimate the exact amount.
One thing is missing
Although Ilves-Nissan is already turning its attention to Kokkola, one plan has yet to be implemented.
– The intention would be that if Ilves won the championship, I would go to Tampere for a market party. Now it looks a bit bad.
Ilves-Nissan is worth introducing. Timo Nurila
Ilves is currently playing in the League playoffs against Tappara. The winner of the series advances to the finals and the loser gets to the bronze medal game. On Monday, the series is interrupted for Tappara with match wins 3–2.
– If I have to go to the bronze games again, I don’t know if I will go. However, this is such an old car that if you have to wait many more years for the championship, it may be that the car will no longer be in use by then.
Kämäräinen’s Ilves car is a 2001 Nissan Micra, powered by a 1-liter engine. No major adjustments have been made to the performance. Kulkupeli has been owned by him for four years. Kämäräinen playfully calls his car a shopping bag.
– At these petrol prices, a very good car.
