autoevolution
 

The Nissan Juke Hybrid Rally Tribute Will Be Put Through Its Paces at Goodwood FOS

Back when the peeps at Nissan actually cared about racing, their 240Z was modified for taking on a seriously tough rally. Of the 107 cars that started the 1971 East African Safari Rally, only 32 finished. The six-cylinder sports car fielded by Edgar Hermann and Hans Schuller crossed the finish line first, cementing the automaker’s motorsport image.
Nissan Juke Hybrid Rally Tribute 17 photos
Photo: Nissan
Nissan Juke Hybrid Rally TributeNissan Juke Hybrid Rally TributeNissan Juke Hybrid Rally TributeNissan Juke Hybrid Rally TributeNissan Juke Hybrid Rally TributeNissan Juke Hybrid Rally TributeNissan Juke Hybrid Rally TributeNissan Juke Hybrid Rally TributeNissan Juke Hybrid Rally TributeNissan Juke Hybrid Rally TributeNissan Juke Hybrid Rally TributeNissan Juke Hybrid Rally TributeNissan Juke Hybrid Rally TributeNissan Juke Hybrid Rally TributeNissan Juke Hybrid Rally TributeNissan Juke Hybrid Rally Tribute
Always a very punishing rally, this particular edition stretched over thousands of kilometers of gravel across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. The rally dropped Uganda from the fold in 1973 over the hairy political situation caused by the military dictatorship of Idi Amin. His regime is believed to have killed as many as 500,000 Ugandans out of approximately 12 million citizens at the time.

The Juke Hybrid Rally Tribute is greatly inspired by the rally-winning 240Z from 1971, a production car-based project with tailor-made rubber boots housed within enlarged wheel arches. Auxiliary lights on the hood echo the 240Z as well, along with sponsor logos and number 11 roundels.

It’s not all show, though. The 265/70 R16 off-road tires give this fellow tremendous capability on challenging terrain, which is exactly what it needs on the rally stage of the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Experienced racing driver and motoring journalist Rob Gill has driven the Juke Hybrid Rally Tribute in the Sahara desert and he’s also in charge of the car at the FOS.

“It’s great to be able to show this remarkable vehicle to the public. What makes this event so special is that not only can you get close to the vehicles in the paddock, but you also see them in action, and I’m proud to be able to be a part of it each year,” he said. Further gifted with a roll cage that stiffens the bodyshell and improves rollover protection, the Juke Hybrid Rally Tribute is rocking a rear-seat delete to make room for the spare wheels.

Alcantara on the steering wheel and handbrake, which is now hydraulic, and four-point harnesses for the driver and navigator pretty much sum it up. On the suck-squeeze-bang-blow front, we’re dealing with a standard powertrain that consists of a 1.6-liter mill, an electric motor, an electric starter generator, a water-cooled battery, and a low-friction automatic that uses dog clutches instead of conventional synchronizer rings to shift between four combustion gears and two electric gears. Oh, and by the way, there’s no actual clutch.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
press release
About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories