Nissan has actually built its rally-spec Juke concept

Remember last year when Nissan knocked up some renders of a Juke wearing knobbly tyres, spotlights and a livery that paid tribute to the 1971 East African Rally winning 240Z? Well, it seems the Internet was rather fond of the little rally spec Juke, and now Nissan has built one for real…

How cool does that look? Okay the link to Edgar Herrmann and Hans Schüller’s 240Z is pretty much just cosmetic – the black bonnet and retro sponsor logos are the only real carryovers – but we applaud the effort. 

The 240Z used a 2.4-litre straight-six that sent its power to the rear wheels. The Juke Rally Tribute of the renders has now become the Juke Hybrid Rally Tribute in real life – which gives some clue as to the powertrain underneath. Yep, it’s the new 141bhp hybrid system that Nissan has borrowed from Renault. We haven’t actually driven a hybrid Juke yet, but we’re fairly sure that powertrain won’t be making an appearance in the WRC any time soon. 

Still, at least there’s bigger wheelarches and reinforced long-travel suspension. There’s also an intercom system and loads of Alcantara inside to make it feel like a proper Dakar car, and Nissan has even fitted a hydraulic handbrake for big Juke skids. 

What do we think, Internet? Nice to see Nissan still has a sense of fun, isn’t it?