Nissan has just unveiled the Juke Nismo that will make its global debut at the 24 hours of Le Mans race this weekend.
Nissan recently teased Juke fans with the high-performance Juke-R that packed 454 horsepower thanks to the twin-turbo 3.8L V6 from the GT-R supercar. Although Nissan is reportedly making a few units of the Juke-R, its price makes it nearly impossible for most of us to ever imagine seeing it our driveway. But not all is lost, Nissan has just unveiled the Juke Nismo that will make its global debut at the 24 hours of Le Mans race this weekend.
The Nissan Juke Nismo gets a new body kit with lower front and rear bumpers, wider wings and sill side skirts, and a modified grille and tailgate spoiler that control airflow. The new more aerodynamic kit reduces the front and rear lift without increasing drag enhancing the Juke Nismo’s driving performance. The Juke Nismo also rides on 18-inch wheels ith wider tires.
The Juke Nismo is powered by a tuned-up version of the 1.6-liter direct injection turbocharged engine that is inspired by the one installed in Nissan’s DeltaWing Le Mans race car. Nissan hasn’t announced the final horsepower numbers, but the Juke Nismo also gets a stiffer suspension and new steering modifications for sportier direct handling and improved traction control, the new model will also be available with torque vectoring.
The Nismo treatment continues inside the cabin, where the steering wheel, pedals, gauges, gear knob and door trims have been redesigned. It also gets special suede-trimmed Nismo sports seats with red stitching.
Andy Palmer, Executive Vice President Global Product Planning, says “The introduction of Juke Nismo further cements our dedication to provide innovation and excitement for everyone. The Juke, with its radical design and pioneering attitude, is the natural choice to be one of the first Nissan models to receive the mythical performance and distinctive design treatment from our Nismo specialists.”
Sales of the Juke Nismo will kick off in Europe in January 2013. Nissan hasn’t announced when the Juke Nismo will be offered in the U.S.