Photo: Nissan
It seems no terrain is too tough for the humble crossover once it has been equipped with tracks instead of tires. After conquering the snow-covered ski slopes in Sweden, the Nissan Juke Nismo RS has gone to Abu Dhabi to play in the sand.
RSnow? No, it's called the RSand now, and it created quite the stir at an off-roading event organized in the middle of the desert. For whatever reason, the Emirates have a strong passion for all things related to the Nissan brand. This place is a great market for the GT-R supercar killer and also gobbles up the Patrol 4x4 like you wouldn't believe.
To thank these folks for their loyalty, Nissan even built a Nismo version of the Patrol, even though a track-focused version of a body-on-frame truck makes absolutely no sense. However, that's an entirely different story.
Let's just focus on the Juke Nismo RS. This 218 PS toy comes with the most powerful version of Nissan's 1.6-liter turbocharged engine. Customers are offered a choice between a CVT gearbox and a manual, but since the RSand needs to be 4x4, we know it's got the continuously variable transmission.
The idea of fitting tracks to the Juke originated in Scandinavia, as one of the local branches needed a promo vehicle for a ski event. However, it captured the world's imagination, just like the Juke-R.
Of course, fitting tracks to cars is not a new idea, as Volkswagen also did this to the Touareg. There's a company in America called Track Truck (cool name, right?) that makes these things and ships them to people from Austria and Switzerland.
There are some drawbacks to turning cars into panzers, though. For example, the systems cannot exceed a top speed of 40 miles per hour. Otherwise, the whole thing might fall apart. The Juke Nismo's top speed is over three times higher.
The bumpers of the little Juke also needed to be cut because the tracks would clear otherwise, and there are some restrictions placed on the steering system.
To thank these folks for their loyalty, Nissan even built a Nismo version of the Patrol, even though a track-focused version of a body-on-frame truck makes absolutely no sense. However, that's an entirely different story.
Let's just focus on the Juke Nismo RS. This 218 PS toy comes with the most powerful version of Nissan's 1.6-liter turbocharged engine. Customers are offered a choice between a CVT gearbox and a manual, but since the RSand needs to be 4x4, we know it's got the continuously variable transmission.
The idea of fitting tracks to the Juke originated in Scandinavia, as one of the local branches needed a promo vehicle for a ski event. However, it captured the world's imagination, just like the Juke-R.
Of course, fitting tracks to cars is not a new idea, as Volkswagen also did this to the Touareg. There's a company in America called Track Truck (cool name, right?) that makes these things and ships them to people from Austria and Switzerland.
There are some drawbacks to turning cars into panzers, though. For example, the systems cannot exceed a top speed of 40 miles per hour. Otherwise, the whole thing might fall apart. The Juke Nismo's top speed is over three times higher.
The bumpers of the little Juke also needed to be cut because the tracks would clear otherwise, and there are some restrictions placed on the steering system.
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