If I created an alias for the Nissan Juke-R, I would call it “Hellboy” as a tribute to its infernal GT-R drivetrain and its fresh young presence as a compact SUV. In May, Nissan Germany gave me and 10 other German bloggers the opportunity to drive a Nissan JUKE-R (and Nissan GT-R) in the streets of a small town near Cologne, Germany.
Nissan drove us to an old but refurbished industrial plant. As the shuttle walked past the range gate, I could see the sturdy matte Nissan Juke in a small room, which was slightly different from the standard Juke I have seen so far. After meeting and greeting, I went straight to that room to say hello to Hellboy, but, to my great disappointment, it all went away. In anticipation of the return of other bloggers, I heard this continuous rumbling rumble approaching from a distance long before I saw the car.
When he appeared, I noticed that the Nissan Juke-R strangely looks fresh and mean. Noir-matte film gives the Nissan Juke-R a poor appearance, and the body kit supports an aggressive and sporty look. Juke-R gets large wheels, a sports suspension that lowers the car, and a body kit with spoilers on the front, rear roof and side.
In addition to the chassis, everything has been changed in terms of performance. Like the GT-R, the Juke-R comes with 4wd, and the engine and transmission are from the 2010 Nissan GT-R, which means you enjoy the power of the 3.8-liter Twin-Turbo V6 with 485 hp. In order to cram this engine under the hood of the Juke, with some not so important parts like air conditioning, it’s over – but at least you have power windows. The rear passenger seats were also sacrificed, leaving only space and a sealed metal sheet, which used to be a passenger door.
When you first climb into the Juke-R, you feel like you are in a race car because you are surrounded by an FIA cage. As for the seats, the model comes with OMP-Racing seats with Schroth 6pt racing belts.
-Jack Wilson