While we’re pretty much all agreed on the fact that the latest Nissan Juke is a much-improved version of the original, we’re yet to see a genuine high-performance second-gen Juke, such as the Juke-R of the original. However, these newly-released renders go some way into imaging what one would look like – albeit they’re likely to remain just that: illustrations.
The concept pays tribute to Nissan’s rally success. In 1971, Nissan shocked the rally world when one of their 240Z’s, originally destined to be an on-road touring car, stepped onto the strenuous East African Safari Rally stage with driver Edgar Herrmann behind the wheel and navigator Hans Schuller by his side. The team managed to secure second and seventh place positions, giving Nissan a reason to celebrate.
Fifty years later, this iconic moment is evidently still cherished by those at Nissan. The Juke Rally Tribute Concept images are said to go in hand with the first day of the Safari Rally Kenya—an event that returns to the World Rally Championship calendar after 19 years.
Nissan says they chose the Juke as their platform to design the tribute off of due to its rugged and high stance on the road and short front and rear end overhangs, which apparently make it agile and capable off-road.
Read: The Japanese 240Z Is A Sports Car With Rapidly Rising Values
The reshaped Juke is equipped with significantly larger wheel arches to accommodate the tailor-made off-road tires, giving the vehicle a more aggressive and striking stance. At the same time, extra lighting is mounted on the hood and roof, both of which offer a call back to the 240Z it’s based upon. The Juke also wears a similar black and red livery that appeared on the Z car that achieved a podium finish 50 years ago.
Although a mock-up that will likely never see production (with questionable elements such as how the spare tires are mounted in the rear hatch), Nissan has said the hypothetical concept sports a hybrid powertrain to improve efficiency while giving it instant torque, enhancing its overall performance.
Coralie Musy, Vice president, Brand and Customer Experience of Nissan Automotive Europe, said that while the tribute Juke will honor the iconic achievement by the company 50 years ago, it will also showcase pioneering history in crossovers, striking design, and electrified powertrains.
