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520-hp Nissan Juke-R takes shape [w/video]

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It's hard not to love Nissan right now. The company has shown more testicular fortitude over the past 12 months than nearly every other mainstream automaker combined with additions like the Murano Crosscabriolet and the Nissan Juke. You may not love either vehicle's bizarre styling, and you may have trouble slotting them into a comfortable market segment, but both show a determination to shirk a formulaic approach to product development. Now Nissan is diving even deeper into the crazy pool with a 520-horsepower version of the Juke. Meet the Juke-R.

Nissan Engineers have taken to wedging the twin-turbo 3.8-liter V6 from the Nissan GT-R behind the frog-eye headlights of the Juke. The rest of the supercar's drivetrain comes along for the ride too, including the vehicle's fantastic all-wheel drive system. The Juke-R will even rock the same 20-inch Rays forged wheels as the biggest of its brothers.

Unfortunately, the Juke-R isn't headed for production. The vehicle is a one-off, street-legal concept car worked up by RML and the Nissan Technology Center for Europe. Hit the jump for the full press release as well as a video of the machine.



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NISSAN ANNOUNCES THE JUKE-R -- THE ULTIMATE COMPACT CROSSOVER

Juke-R to inject new excitement into the crossover market

* Juke and GT-R brought together to create the ultimate compact crossover
* One-off concept to test the public's reaction to a seriously sporty Juke
* Underlines the compact crossover's fun factor
* Fully road legal with GT-R drive train
* Developed for Nissan by RML with input from Nissan Technical Centre for Europe (NTC-E)
* Car currently in development; expected to complete first tests in November

Question: What do you get when you cross a Nissan Juke with a Nissan GT-R?

Answer: The fastest, most exciting and daring compact crossover in the world.

Not content with re-shaping the new car market by pioneering the crossover – a success reflected in the soaring sales of its Qashqai and Juke models – Nissan is now creating the Juke-R, the first ever super crossover.

Currently under development, the bold design of the Juke is clear to see. However, with the addition of flared wheel arches, revised front and rear bumpers plus a unique split rear wing, this is no standard crossover. It's a Juke that thinks it's a GT-R, and with good reason.

However, the car is not for production. It is a one-off, road legal concept car developed by Nissan and built by leading motorsports outfit RML with input from Nissan Technology Centre for Europe (NTC-E).

Under the hood is a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 engine adopted directly from Nissan's flagship supercar. Under the floor hides the GT-R's six-speed transaxle, with the front and rear ends joined by a modified GT-R 4WD driveline and prop shaft, while chunky 20-inch RAYS forged alloy rims fill each wheel arch.

The interior merges crossover and supercar with finesse, as the Juke's dashboard has been transformed to accommodate the gauges, dials and 7-inch customisable LCD display from the GT-R. The Juke's iconic center console, inspired by the fuel tank of a motorcycle, remains while the rest of the interior has the look of a machine bred for the track. Twin race-seats with five-point harnesses sit inside a visible roll cage that gives FIA safety standards as well as enhanced rigidity to provide the ultimate performance.

"Nissan Juke is one of the most exciting cars on the market today. Its bold crossover design has captured the imagination of car buyers all over Europe; after just a year on sale we are celebrating sales of more than 100,000 units," said Paul Willcox, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing for Nissan in Europe.

"Juke lends itself perfectly to a sports derivative and Juke-R explores that territory. Equally at home on road and track, Juke-R showcases two of the most exciting cars in our range and highlights the technical innovation that drives Nissan. This car will more than live up to the dynamic driving experience we engineer into all our cars."

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