Nismo, Nissan’s tuning arm, squeezes more style and power out of the funky Juke.

The Nissan Juke is a love-it or hate-it car. Some people loathe the look and felt Nissan tried too hard to make it look ‘hip’. Others thought Nissan nailed the Juke’s look; either way it is a unique automobile.

While there may be many opinions between the two schools of thought, one thing is for sure - the juke maybe funky, but it is not a fast car. Nissan remedied this issue and made a fast juke by stuffing the innards of a GT-R into the shell of the Juke to create the frankenstein Juke-R. There is however, a problem with that. It is a limited-run car that costs loads of money.

That is not a problem if you are rich. However, the majority of us are not rich, which means that a fast Juke is out of our reach. Until now with the introduction of the Nissan Juke Nismo.

Visually, the Juke Nismo sports a redesigned front fascia- a more angular front bumper with sleeker foglamps decorate the front. The car also features Juke-R inspired over-fenders to accommodate the larger wheels. The rear received a new diffuser with a Formula 1-inspired 3rd brake light(except it isn’t; it’s too low). New wheels and lowered suspension complete the car’s new look.

Powerwise, the car has 197bhp, 9 up from the 188bhp of the standard Juke. Coupled to the modified engine is a choice of either a front-wheel drive with a six-speed manual transmission or all-wheel drive with a continuously variable transmission. No word on the century sprint time as of yet, but we will keep you informed.

Interior wise, the Juke Nismo has a NISMO-fettled steering wheel trimmed in alcantara. Nismo has messed with the gearstick knob too. The steering wheel and the gearstick knob, coupled with the, special pedals, gauges, leather bucket seats, and door trim, complete the look of the Nismo Juke. Oh and one more thing- to add that extra attitude, all glossy interior surfaces were given the matte treatment, and the Juke’s painted center console is sprayed in a metallic hue.

Overall, the Juke Nismo seems to be a the answer to anyone looking for a sportier Juke. With an aggressive body kit, more power and a higher quality interior, it seems to be charging straight into the likes of its European cousins. Personally, I think the styling could be a little bit wilder towards the rear of the car, but other than that, it is quite a looker that (based on its specs anyway) should be able to shred a cloud of tyresmoke. Now that would be rather cool to watch wouldn’t it?