JUKE-R: PAVING THE WAY FOR THE JUKE NISMO

Extreme. That’s the only way to describe the model that re-wrote the rule book on so many aspects of the crossover.

Proving the performance credentials of Juke once and for all, the Juke-R is a success story like no other in Nissan’s history. Initially intended to be a one-off concept car, reaction was unprecedented from the moment the covers first came off.

Interest from potential customers turned quickly into genuine demand and a limited production run of cars was given the green light. Juke-R is the ultimate Juke, a wild and ultra-exclusive performance-oriented crossover for hardcore supercar enthusiasts. With a price tag starting from €500,000, the Juke-R is the ultimate halo model.

The Juke-R story only began a year ago, in January 2012 in Dubai when it made its debut as a concept. With the modified underpinnings of a Nissan GT-R under a muscular, re-sculpted Juke bodyshell, the car was completely unique. A YouTube sensation, footage of the car in action has to date been viewed more than five million times.

Darren Cox, Nissan’s Director, Global Motorsports, explained: “People loved the Juke-R in Dubai – we were receiving offers for the original concept on the street. We couldn’t disappoint such dedicated fans, so with three genuine offers on the table we made the commitment to build a limited run of Juke-Rs.”

Work then began to transform the concept into a road car. Built by UK-based motorsports outfit RML with advice from Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE), the Juke-R uses the GT-R supercar’s drivetrain and suspension along with an FIA-specification roll cage.