Review: Nissan Juke R

Car makers are made of people and therefore reflect the character of the person who represent (sort of). Some are boring, others are very simple, others know how to be funny, and only a few manage to surprise us with unparalleled extravagance. Nissan is perhaps a brand that more than any other can deceive, given that on its list has the small and humble Micra, but also one of the most extraordinary sports car ever, the GTR. With an after all affordable price and crazy performance, it quickly became an absolute icon. And then do you know the Juke? That little crossover that looks straight out of a cartoon? Cute right? Or maybe its look makes you shiver and you would jump off a bridge instead of driving one? Well, Nissan has put together the GTR and the Juke creating a FrankenJuke that will make you want to jump aboard the small 4×4. Only two specimens are manufactured and cost to the Company about half a million Euros each. They are not really prototypes, they are marching and registered, but they are not for sale, despite numerous requests from those who probably saw the Juke R capabilities having its hands full of supercars like the 458 Italia, Gallardo and SLS in Dubai. The Nissan Juke R, called just like that, is nothing but the body of a Juke placed above the engine, chassis and suspension of a GTR. Actually it is not as easy as it seems, because the frame of the powerful coupe was shortened to fit under its new dress and other changes required a significant task, but the final result can be seen finished in matte black and with large spoiler and air intakes that help to cool the powerful V6. Horses are 485 and the weight has increased by just 50 kg. Performance is nothing short of phenomenal, with a 0 to 100 kph of just 3.7 seconds and a top speed of over 260 kph. But the most incredulous thing is the handling that has remained intact during the transformation from a sports car to a crazy car! The ability to change direction has not changed and grip seems endless. No teasing, all that is said and told about this Juke R is pure truth and is witnessed by videos on the web. The cabin houses two sports seats and a large tubular structure that stiffens the car and protects the two occupants in the event of rollover, while the center console and the steering wheel are again those of the GTR. It is a special car, without a doubt and is justified by Nissan as a way to know if customers might be interested in a more powerful Juke. So, then it came the Nismo Juke RS, but, to be fair, has only a handful of horses more than a standard Juke, but no DNA in common with this beast. Of course we would have preferred one of these supercars killer!

Maurizio Leone