With Nismo set to expand its scope and product range in the coming years, Nissan’s in-house tuning division needs to start with something both customizable and attainable. And it appears the Juke is it.

Nismo has done the standard cadre of mods to the Juke, including the fitment of larger Brembo brakes with slotted rotors up front, stiffer springs and shocks, 19-inch wheels with performance rubber and an assortment of interior baubles to match the racy exterior. The body kit isn’t just a looker – it’s functional – with the revised front and rear bumpers, grille and rear diffuser all aiding aerodynamics.

Nismo isn’t saying what’s been done to the turbocharged 1.6-liter four-pot aside from saying it delivers “more power,” so we’re assuming it’s an ECU reflash partnered with some new breathing hardware.

As for the possibility of production, our sources say Nissan is looking into offering the Nismo Juke as either a stand-alone model or an upgrade path, but the trigger hasn’t been pulled yet. If it does, expect it to be available in the first half of next year. Make the jump for the official release.

UPDATE: We’ve added a few more pics, including images of the interior and the engine. By the looks of engine bay, they’ve added a new intake, front strut tower bar and the prerequisite coolant filler cap.

Continue reading Nissan Juke Nismo Concept isn’t a sure thing, yet

Nissan Juke Nismo Concept isn’t a sure thing, yet originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here’s the problem with releasing a concept: more often than not, people expect you to build it. So when a source tells you that a showcar doesn’t have a shot at production, many assume it’s been killed. Unless, that is, it was never going to come to market in the first place.

Such is the case with the fetching Lincoln Concept C, originally shown at the Detroit Auto Show in 2009.

Ford Inside News reports that the Concept C has been axed, but the truth is, it was never confirmed for production in the first place. Instead, Lincoln’s three-year plan includes seven all-new or “significantly refreshed” models, one of which will sport a diminutive footprint. But is it a C-segment vehicle? Sorta.

Rather than rework a sedan/hatch based on the Ford Focus platform – something Lincoln is shying away from as it attempts to move away from the badge-engineering game – our source tells us that Lincoln’s previously announced C-segment entrant is likely to be a compact CUV based off the new Escape platform with a reworked stance and a different seating setup. And if our tea leaves are in order, we’d expect to see some kind of concept version within the next year, likely sporting a hybrid-electric drivetrain.

Lincoln’s small car isn’t dead… it never really existed originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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