NISMO IN EUROPE: THE STORY IN BRIEF
With a well established reputation for motorsport innovation in Japan, Nissan is bringing its performance heritage to the road in Europe for the first time.
Nismo launches in Europe with the Juke, writing the first chapter in a production car story which will unveil a range of models benefitting from motorsport DNA and engineering honed on the track. The next in line to benefit from the Nismo treatment will be the 370Z, which will go on sale later in 2013.
Juke Nismo
For the critically acclaimed and highly successful Juke compact crossover, Nismo means enhanced styling, improved performance and sportier handling. The name is derived from Nissan Motorsports International Co. Ltd and the car has been infused with genuine elements of the brand's performance DNA. For Juke customers who want to stand out from the crowd with a distinctive and individual car, the Nismo model will tick every box.
The starting point is the standard Juke's radical design, with its unique blend of sports coupé lines and SUV styling. But transforming it into a Nismo model is not just about adding a body kit and sporty cabin styling. Everything that has been modified has been changed for a reason, with inspiration taken from the company's decades of competitive racing.
Nissan and Nismo engineers have developed a new aerodynamic body kit, giving the Juke an even more efficient, dynamic and powerful design. The new model features lower front and rear bumpers and sill side skirts, plus a modified grille and tailgate spoiler to better control airflow. These upgrades reduce front and rear lift, enhancing performance. Stylish new 18-inch alloy wheels with wider tyres offer improved grip and further boost the Juke Nismo's on-road presence. Red door mirror caps and a pinstripe around the base of the car will instantly mark it out as a Nismo machine.
Under the bonnet is a tuned version of Nissan's 1.6-litre direct-injection turbocharged petrol engine. Power has been boosted from 140kw (190PS) to 147kw (200PS) and torque is up from 240Nm to 250Nm. These are not huge boosts implemented with no regard to cost or efficiency, but subtle upgrades to offer buyers something extra without compromising emissions.
Key to the car's appeal is also its enhanced dynamic experience. As well as featuring stiffened suspension settings and new steering modifications for sportier direct handling and improved traction control, the new model will also be available with torque vectoring (4WD only), sharing technology with the R35 Nissan GT-R to offer better grip and cornering capacity. Customers can choose from a 2WD model with a six-speed manual transmission, or 4WD with a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) with 7-speed manual mode, tuned for Nismo.
For drivers who want more from their Nismo, a higher powered version will also be offered. Still under development in Juke form, the flagship variant will provide even sharper handling and more power for the ultimate Nismo experience.
For all Nismo variants, the design treatment continues inside the cabin, where the steering wheel, pedals, gauges, gear knob and door trims have been redesigned to boost the sporty feeling when driving. To further underline the performance personality of the car, special suede-trimmed Nismo sports seats with red stitching have been added for increased support and comfort while cornering.
Digital world
The car marks the start of Nismo's journey from race track to the road, via the digital world of video gaming. After appearing at global motor shows during 2011 and 2012 as a concept, the Juke Nismo made its official debut in production guise in front of thousands of race fans in June 2012 at the Le Mans 24-Hour Race. There could be no more fitting launch venue.
The next chance to experience the first Nismo model in Europe was via the Asphalt 7: Heat mobile game on Apple and Android platforms at the end of 2012. Reaching millions of fans, the addition of the sporty Juke to the digital world is a perfect fit for Nismo, known by a whole generation through their experiences of the iconic Japanese brand in Sony's GranTurismo® series.
The Juke has already been an astonishing success story, more than 330,000 built so far in Europe. It's also a great advert for European manufacturing as Juke Nismo will be assembled at the world-class production line at Sunderland, UK, alongside the standard model.
Please follow this link to access Juke Nismo full press kit: www.nissan-live.com/nismo
