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Nissan made international headlines when its European division designed and built the Juke-R, the world’s first and only super-crossover.
The car was created by installing the all-wheel drive system, the six-speed dual clutch transmission, and the 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V6 from the GT-R sports car into a modified Juke body. Time and again Nissan has claimed that the Juke-R is merely a one-off special and that it is not slated for regular production.
Confirming a report published this morning by England’s EVO magazine, Nissan has announced that it will build a limited run of Juke-Rs after all.
The Japanese automaker stated that “overwhelming pressure” from potential customers led it to change its mind. How overwhelming? Well, three orders have already been placed for the car. Two of them are said to come from a high-profile and well-respected member of Dubai society.
“The Juke-R was originally intended as a one-off concept to marry two of Nissan’s most innovative models. But the reaction we had to the car in Dubai was amazing – people were making offers for the original on the street!” said Gareth Dunsmore, the marketing product manager for the Juke.
Juke-R production will be extremely limited and the car will be built to order. It is estimated that no more than 20 examples will be built. Production of the first three models is already underway and they are scheduled to be delivered this coming summer.
Update: American Availability Confirmed
Nissan Americas Vice President David P. Reuter confirmed that the automaker will offer the Juke-R as a special-order model in all markets, saying: “We will make Juke-R available to customers anywhere in the world on a build-to-order basis. It is intended for serious collectors and investors who want to own a true original, an innovative project that will only be created in extremely small numbers.”
The Juke-R will command roughly $590,000, Reuter said. By comparison, the standard Juke’s starting price is $19,990.
The road-going version of the Juke-R will be powered by the updated 540 horsepower variant of the GT-R’s twin-turbocharged engine.
The concept was rated at 485 horsepower, which was already enough to propel it from zero to 62 miles per hour in just 3.7 seconds, and on to a track-worthy top speed of 160 miles per hour.
To coincide with the announcement of the Juke-R’s launch, Nissan has released a short film called “Desert Nemesis.” The six-minute long film features the Juke-R racing against a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, a Lamborghini Gallardo and a Ferrari 458 Italia at the Dubai International Marine Club.
The movie ends with a paragraph-long explanation of how the filming was carried out. At one point it says that “the Juke-R is a concept car with a Nissan GT-R engine and is not available for retail sale.” The movie must have been made before Nissan decided to produce the car as that is evidently not the case anymore.
