Juke with the heart of a GT-R
Nissan Juke-R explores sports derivative of popular compact
What do you get when you cross a Nissan Juke with a Nissan GT-R?
The fastest, most exciting and daring compact crossover in the world.
Currently under development, the bold design of the Juke-R is clear to see. However, with the addition of flared wheel arches, revised front and rear bumpers and a unique split rear wing, this will be no standard crossover – it will be a Juke that thinks it's a GT-R – and with good reason, Nissan says.
However, the car is not for production. It is a one-off, road-legal concept car, developed by Nissan and built by leading motorsports outfit RML, with input from Nissan Technology Centre for Europe.
Under the bonnet is a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6 engine adopted directly from Nissan's flagship supercar. Under the boot floor hides the GT-R's six-speed transaxle, with the front and rear ends joined by a modified GT-R 4WD driveline and prop shaft, while chunky 20-inch RAYS forged-alloy rims fill each wheel arch.
The interior merges crossover and supercar with finesse, as the Juke's dashboard has been transformed to accommodate the gauges, dials and 7-inch LCD display from the GT-R. The Juke's centre console, inspired by the fuel tank of a motorcycle, remains while the rest of the interior has the look of a machine bred for the track. Twin race-seats with five-point harnesses sit inside a visible roll cage that gives FIA safety standards as well as enhanced rigidity to provide the ultimate performance.
“The Nissan Juke is one of the most exciting cars on the market today. Its bold crossover design has captured the imagination of car buyers all over Europe, and after just a year on sale we are celebrating sales of more than 100,000 units,” said Nissan’s senior vice president for sales and marketing in Europe, Paul Willcox.
“The Juke lends itself perfectly to a sports derivative and the Juke-R explores that territory. Equally at home on the road and on the track, the Juke-R showcases two of the most exciting cars in our range and highlights the technical innovation that drives Nissan,” he said.
