Nissan is going after the Toyota GT86 with a new compact sports car they are developing . Think of it as a Mini-Z car, with the same sort of performance figures as the 86. Except, Nissan’s sports car is said to be designed mainly for the Chinese market, and it will be front-wheel-drive. So it won’t be a true sports car anyway. Mind you, an AWD version might also be offered to complement the base FWD model.

Engine-wise, the Mini-Z is expected to be powered by the 1.6 liter four-pot turbo Nissan uses in the Juke. It is a good powertrain with potential to make up to 300 hp, as it did for the Nissan Deltawing Le Mans racer. In the new sports car though, 190 to 200 horsepower would suffice, because that’s what the competition is offering.

As for the design, while it’s not hard imagining what a shrunk 370z would look like, the Mini-Z is said to be inspired by the Juke to some extent, getting bold and unique lines that won’t necessarily be pretty. The car can be out as soon as 2013.

All in all, it is fair to say Nissan’s compact sports car is not going to cause the GT86 any worries in terms of design and performance. But it will be cheaper than Toyota’s pride and joy by almost 10 percent. That is slightly worrying.

via MotorTrend