Transition from the racetrack to the road

The production version of the Nissan Juke Nismo has made its global debut at the Le Mans 24-hour race after being unveiled as a concept at the Tokyo and Geneva international motor shows.

Nissan says the ‘first radical performance crossover model’ will make its eagerly-awaited transition from the racetrack to the road in 2013.

The Nismo product range, developed by the brand’s motorsport and personalisation division in Japan, aims to offer distinctiveness and individuality as well as sports-orientated handling, performance and excitement to standard Nissan cars starting with the Juke.

Nismo specialists have engineered a new aerodynamics kit, giving the Juke an efficient, dynamic and powerful design, its makers say. The new model features lower front and rear bumpers, wider wings and sill side skirts, and a modified grille and tailgate spoiler.

These aerodynamic enhancements reduce front and rear lift without increasing drag, enhancing the model’s performance. New 18-inch alloy wheels with wider tyres offer improved grip, and further boost the Juke’s on-road presence.

The Juke Nismo is enhanced with a tuned-up version of its 1.6-litre direct-injection turbocharged petrol engine, inspired by the one installed in Nissan’s DeltaWing Le Mans race car.

As well as featuring stiffened suspension settings and new steering modifications for sportier direct handling and improved traction control, the new model will also be available with torque vectoring, a technology offering better grip and cornering capacity.

Inside the cabin the steering wheel, pedals, gauges, gear knob and door trims have been redesigned to boost the sporty feeling when driving.

Andy Palmer, executive vice president of Global Product Planning, said: “The Juke, with its radical design and pioneering attitude, is the natural choice to be one of the first Nissan models to receive the legendary performance and distinctive design treatment from our Nismo specialists.”

Further details and specifications will be announced closer to next year’s launch.

For more information, contact YK Almoayyed on 17732732 or call into the Nuissan showroom in Sitra.