Nissan has form for creating serious bonkers mash-ups – and the new Juke-R is the latest in a long-line of go-faster humdrum models.
They’ve dropped the turbocharged V6 from a £72k GT-R under the bonnet of a Nissan Juke, spawning a rather bonkers supercar crossover. Strictly for promotional purposes, you understand – there are no plans to sell the new Juke-R.
Nissan Juke-R: a go-anywhere GT-R
Nissan teamed up with Ray Mallock Racing, which has worked closely with the company’s motorsport projects for the past two decades, running the R90C prototype at Le Mans in 1990 and the 90s BTCC team.
But Ray Mallock also developed the Micra-R in 2003, a supercar with a Nissan Primera race engine where the rear seats used to be. It’s that car which inspires the new Juke-R.
So the Nissan Juke-R is fast, right?
We can only imagine so. No figures have been released yet, but the GT-R manages 196mph and 0-62mph in three-point-something seconds. The 523bhp 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6 and four-wheel drivetrain are carried over from the GT-R, albeit cut and shut to fit under the Juke’s shortened footprint.
But the six-speed transaxle is present and correct, and so are massive 20-inch forged alloys at each corner. The bodywork of the Juke-R is blistered and pumped in different directions to accommodate its new powertrain, while a split rear wing aims to keep the 4×4 planted in extremis.
There’s change aplenty inside the cabin of the Juke-R, too, including the GT-R’s seven-inch LCD display complete with baffling digital read-outs of what the turbos are up to and how many g’s you’re pulling.
When can I buy one?
Expect to hear more about the Juke-R when development is complete in November 2011; two will be built, one in left-hand drive and one as a right-hooker. Just don’t go expecting any more – this is a strictly cloud-cuckoo fantasy land promotional tool.
Paul Willcox, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Nissan in Europe, said: ‘Juke lends itself perfectly to a sports derivative and Juke-R explores that territory. Equally at home on road and track, Juke-R showcases two of the most exciting cars in our range and highlights the technical innovation that drives Nissan.’