There’s no question that the styling of the Nissan Juke has been a controversial topic around this office, but one thing about the small crossover that virtually all of us can agree on is its fun factor. A relatively short wheelbase paired with a 188-hp turbocharged 1.6-liter I-4 makes the Juke surprisingly entertaining, and now, after a few months with a 2011 Juke SL AWD in our long-term fleet, you won’t find anyone groaning when that car’s keys are the last left in the box. But with this latest report from Auto Express, Nissan has apparently decided that the Juke needs to be taken to the next level in performance – all the way to Godzilla level.
A Nissan Europe spokesperson has confirmed for us the existence of a one-off special Juke model, known internally as the “Super Juke.” The crossover reportedly packs the same 530-hp twin-turbo 3.8-liter V-6 and all-wheel drive system as Nissan’s halo car, the GT-R, although we’ll believe it when we see it. The Super Juke will rocket to 62 mph from a standstill in 4.0 seconds flat, and could have a top speed close to 170 mph, according to Auto Express. If true, that’s not a bad bump in acceleration from the 6.8-second zero-to-60 time we got when we tested the front-drive Juke SV.
Visually, this Juke on steroids gets the full super car treatment, receiving a lowered ride height, GT-R-like wheels, a split rear spoiler, and jet fighter-esque NACA ducts on the hood. Auto Express says the interior is gutted for weight reduction, but remains simple and functional. The Nissan spokesperson said no further details on the Super Juke are available at this time, but to expect more info sometime next week. With the few details we have now, we can’t clearly see the logic in actually producing a car like this – but we’ll be the last to complain if Nissan actually does it.
