Shanghai Show 2011 Highlights: Nissan Sport Concept

Nissan has unveiled this small sports concept at Shanghai, showcasing a joint design project between the firm’s global base in Japan and its Chinese offshoot.

Called Compact Sport Concept, the show car looks like it’s based on a Micra, with an overall length of just 3.482 metres and plenty of the small city car’s design cues, particularly around its front end. It’s 1.444 metres high, though, around 8cm lower than the regular hatchback.

The cabin features red lighting accents and mesh cloth that’s supposed to resemble the fabric used on sports shoes.

The concept is powered by a turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol motor, developing 188bhp. But this surprising amount of potency may be dampened by the choice of a CVT transmission with a six-speed manual shift mode.

There are no plans for production at present - although Nissan’s stated role for the car - “designed for young customers in emerging countries” - hints that it could reach showrooms away from Europe.

Thanks to: Autocar