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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Sitting inside Nissan’s Smart House perched above the automaker’s booth here at the Tokyo Motor Show was a fitting setting to talk about Nissan’s plans for future electric vehicles. The mock building was being powered by a Leaf, with the EV parked below and connected through the Leaf-to-Home system. Within a few minutes of starting my interview with Hideaki Watanabe, Nissan’s corporate VP of the Zero Emissions Business Unit, the lights flickered on and the ceiling fan began to spin. For a country just beginning to recover from the March 11th tsunami, being able to pull extra energy from an EV during a blackout would be indispensable. But that’s not why I’m sitting down with Mr. Watanabe.

I want to know about performance EVs.

Seeing a Nismo version of the Leaf sharing the stage with Ghosn implies that Nissan is at least exploring the possibility of a sports-oriented EV.

Nissan is committed to a zero-emissions future. Carlos Ghosn, Nissan’s President and CEO, maintains that 10 percent of the global automotive market will be comprised of electric vehicles in 10 years. And Nissan is helping to lead the way with the Leaf and two forthcoming EVs: a small commercial vehicle and an electric city car, both due to arrive in the next few years.

But more often than not, zero emissions means zero fun. So seeing a Nismo version of the Leaf sharing the stage with Ghosn implies that Nissan is at least exploring the possibility of a sports-oriented EV. And even Ghosn hinted at the idea when speaking about Nissan’s dual (or is that dueling?) roles as both performance brand and alt-powertrain champions.

But after speaking with Watanabe, we’re still a ways off. “It’s about [EV] volume,” Watanabe tells me, making it clear that first comes widespread electric vehicle adoption followed by component costs coming down. Once that happens, Nissan can justify production of an electron-powered sports car. So when is that going to happen? Three to five years seems like a reasonable guesstimate, but more importantly, what form will it take?

The Nismo Leaf Nismo (above) is just a concept and it’s nothing more than a body kit to provide additional downforce and a new set of wheels – a bit ridiculous for a glorified commuter. The Leaf RC – with it’s dramatic weight loss and race-spec hardware – may pack the performance, but it’s far too hardened to be considered for production. So what’s likely to happen first is some kind of hybrid sports coupe from Infiniti, followed by a full EV (see Esflow) that can justify the price premium, ala the Tesla Roadster. But an electric performance vehicle from a major automaker is definitely in the cards; it’s just a matter of waiting to see who pulls it off first.

Continue reading Nismo Leaf Nismo Concept is a look at the future of performance EVs, but don’t expect it too soon

Nismo Leaf Nismo Concept is a look at the future of performance EVs, but don’t expect it too soon originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve just learned that Nissan’s Nismo performance arm has been busy playing with the Juke, and the result is the Juke Nismo Concept that will debut later this week at the Tokyo Motor Show. While not nearly as wild as the GT-R-powered Juke-R that Nissan is also working on, the Juke Nismo Concept nonetheless represents something you might actually be able to park in your garage one day.

Changes to the standard Juke range from the Nismo-developed aero kit that replaces the front and rear lower bumpers, fenders and side sills to the inside of the sport hatchback where all of the elements that a driver comes in contact with – steering wheel, shifter, pedals, etc. – have been redesigned. Being a Nismo product, many functional changes were made as well, which include lowering the suspension on stiffer springs, adding larger 19-inch alloy wheels and tweaking the direct-injected 1.6-liter engine for an unmentioned amount of more power.

We’ll seek out Nissan’s booth on Wednesday for live pics of the Juke Nismo Concept, as well as the rest of the Japanese automaker’s Tokyo Motor Show lineup.

Continue reading Nissan Juke Nismo Concept will debut in Tokyo

Nissan Juke Nismo Concept will debut in Tokyo originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan Leaf Nismo RC concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

Countless auto industry pundits have suggested that there would be no better way to accelerate the development of EV technologies than for someone with the wherewithal to organize a racing series just for electric cars.

Nissan appears to agree with that strategy, having just unveiled its Leaf Nismo RC (Racing Competition) concept here at the New York Auto Show. The juiced-up hatchback has lost a couple of doors and nearly four inches out of its wheelbase in the transition to competition spec, but it’s a whopping 6.7-inches wider and nearly an inch longer – proportions that are exaggerated by its minimal ground clearance of 2.4 inches. With its carbon fiber body shot in special white paint, the Nismo RC ends up looking a bit like a really, really angry vacuum cleaner, and that’s just fine by us. All-in, Nissan says the motorsports special weighs just 2,068 pounds – around 40 percent lighter than your garden-variety Leaf.

The Nismo RC rolls up to the starting line packing 107 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque, and its lithium-ion pack can reach an 80 percent charge state in just 30 minutes. Still, if the Leaf is ever to be raced, we’re thinking that some sort of swappable battery solution will have to be developed; otherwise pit stops are going to be rather leisurely.

Despite its menacing appearance and real racecar engineering, Nissan says its top speed is just 93 mph and its battery would likely only last about 20 minutes in competition. In other words, while this is a promising start, we don’t see the Nismo RC spawning its own race series just yet.

High-res galleries below, official press release after the jump.

Live photos copyright (C)2011 Drew Phillips / AOL

Continue reading New York 2011: Nissan’s Leaf Nismo RC ready to jolt motorsports world?

New York 2011: Nissan’s Leaf Nismo RC ready to jolt motorsports world? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 15:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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