Nissan Compact Sport Concept is a Micra on steroids

The Nissan Micra isn't a car we traditionally think of as being sporty -- not unless the sport in question is professional parking-space measurement -- but the Japanese supermini now has a high-powered cousin that could compete with the world's fastest hot hatches. Stop sniggering at the back!

What you're looking at is the Nissan Compact Sport Concept. It doesn't have the word Micra in its name, but that's probably just as well, as this is a completely different animal -- an animal that mainlines Red Bull and eats baby giraffes.

For the bodywork, Nissan's installed some fat, sculpted bumpers, big alloys and a cheeky grinning air intake. It looks pretty decent, we reckon -- it's certainly prettier than the Aston Martin Cygnet -- but we'll reserve judgement until we see one in the flesh. 

Under its perky little bonnet is a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that creates 188bhp and 177lb-ft of torque. Alright, so it's never going to be as powerful as Ken Block's mental Fiesta RS WRC -- and the CVT gearbox (which'll make the engine sound like a hairdryer on steroids) might make you want to pull your own eyelids off -- but it should go like stink off old gym shoes.

Nissan's yet to release performance figures, but we'd estimate a 0-60mph time of between 6 and 7 seconds and a top speed high enough to frighten. 

The Compact Sport Concept won't be built any time soon, but here's the deal -- if we show enough interest and beg hard enough, there's no reason Nissan won't at least consider bringing it to market at some point in the future.

Have a look through the pictures above to see it in more detail.