Nissan has unveiled a new SUV concept that pays homage to the Nissan 240Z rally car. The brand has revealed the new Nissan Juke Rally design sketch, coinciding with the first day of the Safari Rally Kenya. The rally is part of the World Rally Championship calendar for 19 years. Nissan’s Juke Rally Tribute Concept commemorates the 50th anniversary of Nissan’s victory in the East Africa Rally. The Japanese brand won the East Africa Rally in the iconic 1971 Nissan 240Z.
Nissan Juke Rally Tribute Concept – Design Highlights
The Nissan Juke Rally Tribute concept features the latest-generation Nissan Juke, which has a robust design language. Even in its production avatar, the Nissan Juke features short front and rear overhangs. These overhangs naturally allow the Juke to have an off-road-oriented stance and exceptional performance.
The production car already comes with large and flared wheel arches, which now fill up with tailor-made off-road tyres. These make the vehicle’s stance ever-more imposing and appears a very natural evolution to the Juke. The crossover also gets additional lights mounted on the hood and roof to complete its competitive off-roader look.
Nissan Juke Rally Tribute Concept – Inspiration
The inspiration model for the Juke Rally is the 1971 Nissan 240Z that completed the gruelling East African Rally. The Juke Rally gets the same black hood and black wheels to pay homage to the rally car. The same theme also went on the Gripz concept car, which Nissan presented at Frankfurt Motor Show in 2015. The Gripz concept inspired the production Juke, which made its debut in 2019.
Driving the Nissan 240Z in 1971 was Edgar Herrmann with navigator Hans Schuller. The brand took in second and seventh positions and second consecutive victory in the rally. Powering the Nissan 240Z was a 2.4-litre straight six-cylinder engine. The engine produced 210 PS sending power to the rear wheels. Nissan currently houses the victorious Nissan 240Z in Zama, near Nissan’s global headquarters in the Kanagawa prefecture of Japan. The 240Z was restored to good order in 2013 and is part of Nissan’s heritage collection.
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