New Nissan Juke Nismo Revealed at Le Mans

I’ve been a Datsun/Nissan/Infiniti fan many, many years now. Although the design of the Nissan Juke is way too bold for my taste, I still enjoy looking at the vehicle and admiring the very unique design. And those of you who are Juke fans, you are already very familiar with the Juke-R which started out as a bad ass concept and Nissan is now producing in very, very limited numbers.

Since most of us can’t afford the 485hp Juke-R, there is some good news as Nissan has announced that they are releasing a Juke with the Nismo badge. There is also a 400hp Juke by Fox Marketing but lots of Nissan fans want to keep it “factory” with no outside influence. Although the Nismo Juke is not nearly as powerful as the Juke-R, the 1.6 liter turbo engine will be tuned to bring more life to the vehicle.

The Nismo Juke is making its world premier at the 24 Hours of le Man in France this week. The Juke is expected to go on sale in Europe in the early part of 2013, with the US and Japan to follow soon after. Nissan has not yet released details of performance upgrades to the turbocharged 1.6 liter engine but to give you an idea, the non-Nismo Juke produces 188 horsepower and a peak torque of 177 lb-ft.

Besides engine modifications, the Nismo Juke will feature sportier direct handling and an improved traction control system. The vehicle will also have a stiffened suspension as well as torque vectoring, which is a technology that provides better grip and cornering.

The exterior of the Juke will feature a new bodykit which includes a newly redesigned front and rear bumper, a lip spoiler, new front grille, LED daytime running lights, side skirts, a rear diffuser, a single exhaust tailpipe, a tailgate spoiler, alloy wheels, and Nismo red trim accents and decals. On the inside, the steering wheel receives some treatment as well as the pedals, gauges, door panels, a gear knob, and sportier seats covered in suede with red stitching. Not word on pricing yet. Only thing I don’t like about the Nismo Juke is the red decal along the doors. The red mirrors is a nice touch and would look pretty good on a black Nismo Juke.