In an interesting move, Nissan has announced yet another Juke-based, performance-minded concept car that it says it will officially reveal later this week at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show.
Unlike the wild and extreme Juke-R concept that utilizes the powerplant from a Nissan GT-R supercar, the latest concept, dubbed the Juke Nismo Concept, follows a similar style and performance approach but with a dose of reality injected into the mix as well.
While Nissan hasn’t said anything regarding production of the Juke Nismo Concept, it seems odd that the manufacturer would release a second and uniquely named concept based on the same platform, at the same time, without some sort of future plans for production behind the move. Furthermore, Nismo is Nissan’s long-standing performance division, so it would also make sense that this would preview either a complete model, or at the very least, an extensive list of Nismo parts that will someday be available at your local Nissan parts counter.
For now, we can enjoy the concept for what it is, including its extensive styling overhaul (compared to the standard model), which replaces the bug-eye look with a more traditional look thanks to different housings. Further style changes are provided by an entire new lower front fascia and side skirt treatment which further aids in evolving the Juke from a funky crossover to more of a sporty high-riding car.
Being a Nismo product, traditional red accents are found throughout the concept, including a unique red stripe that runs all the way around the vehicle along the bottom, rather than the usual beltline location. The red touches can also be found inside the dual chrome exhaust tips.
So what about the Nismo performance?
Although Nissan hasn’t fully divulged all of the details quite yet, the Japanese automaker did let it be known that this concept uses the same 1.6-liter, turbocharged engine found in the normal Juke, but with some yet-to-be-disclosed performance upgrades.
Other performance upgrades include a lowered suspension thanks to Nismo official parts, 19-inch wheels and upgraded brakes.
Inside, Nissan’s Nismo folks gave the Juke a thorough working over that included changes to the steering wheel, shifter knob, bucket seats, door trim, pedals and gauges – but Nissan is holding out on releasing these images until the official reveal this week at the Tokyo Motor Show.
Stay tuned for image and specification updates this week.
