From concept to reality…To virtua reality

The first production Juke-R is ready for delivery to its lucky owner – and Nissan’s wildest crossover is also making its debut in the virtual world. Following phenomenal interest, the Juke-R has made the leap from one-off concept to road car. And it has also been digitally recreated and made accessible to millions as it is set to star alongside the Juke NISMO in the new Gameloft Asphalt 7: Heat mobile racing game. Gameloft, a leading global publisher of digital and social games, has partnered with Nissan to give fans the chance to drive the hottest members of the Juke family on iOS and Android, smartphones and tablets. Juke-R The Juke-R story began when it was revealed for the first time as a one-off concept in January 2012 in Dubai. With the modified underpinnings of a GT-R under a muscular, re-sculpted Juke bodyshell, the R was like nothing else. A YouTube sensation, the Juke-R’s fan base grew exponentially – more than 5,000,000 views of Juke-R videos have been recorded to date. And so the story of the production version began. Darren Cox, Brand Director Nissan in Europe, explains: “People loved the Juke-R in Dubai – we were receiving offers for the original concept on the street. We couldn’t disappoint such dedicated fans, so with three genuine offers on the table we made the commitment to build a limited run of Juke-Rs.” Design and technical innovations Work then started to transform the concept into a road car. Built by leading motorsports outfit RML with advice from Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTC-E), the Juke-R uses the Nissan GT-R supercar’s drivetrain and suspension along with an FIA-specification roll-cage. Thanks to the expertise of NTC-E, the production version is more powerful than the concept, producing 545bhp from its 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6 engine. Thrilling performance is guaranteed, with 0-62mph estimated to take only 3.0 seconds and a maximum speed of 170mph. In addition to these technical enhancements, Juke-R #001 also has a new look thanks to input from the experts at Nissan Design Europe in Paddington, London. NDE’s Digital Team Manager Darryl Scriven explains: “The Juke-R’s bumpers and side sills were redesigned, which is normally a very long process using full size models in clay. However, we managed to condense the development time using full-size viewing on our new 3D-ready projector and power wall, maintaining a fully digital process while providing a true supercar quality finish.” Design refinements include more definition for the front bumper and new carbon trim on the front and rear cooling vents and the rear aero diffuser, displaying the Juke-R’s pure performance DNA. Juke NISMO Featuring the same performance DNA that runs through Nissan’s competition cars, the Juke NISMO will introduce the Nissan Motorsport name to the European range early in 2013. Powered by a 200PS version of Nissan’s 1.6-litre DIG-T petrol engine, the accessible performance model offers enhanced thrills without compromising efficiency. Dynamic improvements and a superbly-equipped NISMO-trimmed cabin mean that the Juke NISMO will offer added excitement to the driver. Drive Juke-R and Juke NISMO Juke-R number #001 is now being delivered with production of #002 well underway. The exact price will depend on the precise specification requested by each buyer, but Juke-R starts from £400,000. While only a handful of drivers will ever get behind the wheel of the ultra-exclusive flagship Juke, the spirit of driving excitement is far more accessible through the Juke NISMO, which goes on sale across Europe in early 2013 offering enhanced dynamics, performance and design. From Motorin news