Nismo off the track and on the street

Published Nov 29, 2011

Share

Nissan has re-invented its Nismo performance division from a primarily racing orientated workshop into a styling and tuning house in the German tradition, and this is its first effort - the Nissan Juke Nismo concept, due to debut at the Tokyo motor show on Wednesday, November 30.

No, it's not nearly as wild as the GT-R-powered Juke-R, but this could (and probably will) form the basis for something that could actually be available from your local Nissan dealer one day.

Actually, the quirky, non-conformist Juke crossover is a good place to start if you want to build an distinctive, upmarket sports version of a compact crossover.

The Jike Nismo concept is aimed Aimed at a car-loving audience looking for a car that reflects an edgy personality. It's lower and wider, with a hunkered-down stance - even standing still, it's clearly a performance car.

Nissan vice-president Andy Palmer said: "Sales of the Juke have shown that customers are looking for something different. The Juke Nismo concept takes that idea to the next level; it's energetic, distinctive and highly desirable."

The concept is finished in signature Nismo colours of pearl white with red highlights, and wears a body kit created by aerodynamic specialists who learned their craft building racing cars - so it doesn't just look good, it works.

That includes revised lower bumpers front and rear, wider fenders and side skirts, a new grille and a revised rear spoiler with new side elements to control airflow more efficiently. Even the shape of the door mirrors has been revised to reduce front and rear lift without increasing drag.

The concept runs on 19" alloys and lowered, stiffer suspension, built using in-house components that will soon be available to order from the new, bigger Nismo catalogue, while its 1.6-litre direct-injection turbopetrol engine has been tweaked for extra power.

Nismo doesn't say how much extra; as in most racing shops, that depends on how much you're willing to spend.

The interior of the concept is full of track-orientated Nismo touches, including a sports steering wheel and special pedals, gauges, shifter knob, leather-trimmed sports bucket seats and door trims.

The rev-counter dial and needle are backlit in red, the glossy trim elements of the standard Juke have a matt effect and the centre console - shaped to resemble a motorcycle fuel tank - has been given a metallic coating.

Related Topics:

nissan