Chicago Auto Show: 2014 Nissan Nismo

by Alex L. Dykes

Published: February 7th, 2013

Nissan’s motorsports division doesn’t think it has enough brand awareness in America. To counter this perception, Nissan tossed out a few NISMO (NISsan MOtorsports) models at the Chicago Auto Show. First up we have the Juke NISMO which is Nissan’s oddly shaped small crossover vehicle. The NISMO treatment makes the Juke look even more conspicuous on American roads with shapes and styles never before seen on a production vehicle. Whatever you do, don’t look up Juke in the Urban Dictionary while at work.

Thankfully the NISMO package isn’t just a styling exercise, Nissan also tosses in some cabin upgrades, faux-suede trim and a power boost. The same 1.6L engine is found under the funky hood but now cranks out 197HP and 184 lb-ft of torque. The CVT and 5-speed manual remain the only transmission options and of course AWD can be had for a price. While this is a far cry from the fire-breathing Juke R, it may help you escape the hoards of villagers with pitchforks.

Far more attractive is the Nissan 370Z NISMO gets extensive braking, suspension and styling tweaks in addition to a 350HP version of Nissan’s 3.7L V6 engine. Nissan promises improved downforce and even more fun out on the track. That should just about compensate for the extra 6.2 inches in length the NISMO Z brings to your garage. (Thank the re-tweaked front end for that.)

#370Z #370ZNISMO #AlexL.Dykes #ChicagoAutoShow #Juke #Nismo #Nissan #Nissan370z #NissanJuke #Z

Alex L. Dykes

More by Alex L. Dykes

Comments

Join the conversation

2 of 11 comments

Bnolt on Feb 07, 2013

Egads! The latest and possibly greatest example of why I sometimes long for the days when all you could get were sealed beams. Just because you can form plastic into odd, disturbing shapes, doesn't mean you should.

Like Reply
Speed3 on Feb 08, 2013

I shall call you the Nissan Jismo. Wah wah...

Like Reply

Recent Comments

Jalop1991 growing EV adoption?The Korean brands won’t be the only ones affected by a major decline in EV sales as the impact of the scrapped EV tax credit is felt.More news outlets acknowledging, you have to pay people to take these things right now--and if you take the sweet "free" money away, people don't buy them.It’s going to be a rough quarter for EVsWell, we knew it was coming. High EV sales in the third quarter were largely the result of consumers trying to take advantage of the federal tax credit, which fell away at the end of September in the United States.Industry analysts warned that a sharp decline in EV sales would follow, and based on the first October sales results from Hyundai and Kia, they were right. Both Korean brands still saw strong sales of gas- and hybrid-powered models, but it was a completely different story for their EVs.Check out the sales numbers in the chart in that article.Every key EV model from the two brands saw sales decline by over 50% year-on-year last month. The Ioniq 5’s 63% decline came despite the fact that Hyundai slashed its price by close to $10,000 on selected trims, which comfortably exceeds the maximum tax credit amount of $7,500.Insatiable demand, indeed. But hey, if we don't buy EVs we're doing it all wrong, amiright? At the very least we risk getting shot in the throat by Jeffy as we point out the flaws in his thinking. (see: want to anger a liberal, tell him the truth)
Spookiness I always thought it was a bummer they didn't redo the rear door treatment for LHD, so that the predominant rear-view to the back wasn't bisected with a pillar.
Bkojote Not for nothing, the Polestar website's merchandise store for fans of the brand who want to nerd out about it has been broken in the US for 6 months. Not sure when it's coming back. I think kind of sums up this Polestar as a whole.
Redapple2 I love Troopers. Right sized. Rugged.
J Kam You assume I would ever buy an EV. That's a bold assumption.