Nissan building GT-R based 'Super Juke' (rumor)

On paper, the Nissan GT-R and the Nissan Juke have quite a bit in common. Both cars feature all-wheel-drive systems, both are powered by turbocharged engines, and both have been "blessed" with looks that even a mother would be strained to love. Look past the broad strokes, however, and we shouldn't have to say that these are two very different cars. In fact, stating that the Juke's 1.6-liter turbo, CVT, and Xtronic AWD system pales in comparison to the GT-R's 3.8-liter twin turbo V-6, dual-clutch six-speed gearbox, and ATTESA E-TS dual driveshaft AWD system verges on the understatement of the year, but what if the Juke shared a bit more DNA with the mighty GT-R? That's the question that Nissan Europe may be asking with the rumored development of a "Super Juke."

Aside from the wilder styling hinted at in this leaked rendering--which includes a wide body kit, GT-R style hood vents, and not one, but two roof spoilers--the Super Juke will also benefit from larger GT-R-style black finish wheels filling the enlarged wheel wells and upgraded brakes. It also looks like the Super Juke is crouched just a bit lower than stock as well.

This isn't the first wildly styled Juke that we've seen, but the speculation doesn't stop there. Rumors point to a detuned version of the Nissan GT-R's 3.8-liter twin turbocharged engine residing under the Juke's hood outputting somewhere in the neighborhood of 480-horsepower (down from the GT-R's 530-ish horsepower mill). I'm surprised that the larger engine and the ducting required for a pair of turbos will fit under the Super Juke's hood.

There's also no word on whether the Juke's CVT-based Xtronic AWD system has been beefed up to deal with the increased power or if the GT-R's esoteric ATTESA E-TS Pro AWD system has been swapped in.

The Super Juke is likely a one-off model being developed for some car show, but we won't know for certain until the more details are officially revealed. Odds are slim that this most beastly of Jukes will ever see public consumption. We know that at least one Juke-loving Car Tech editor is waiting with bated breath. (Regular listeners of the Car Tech Live podcast will know exactly who I'm talking about.)

Source: Jalopnik