Nissan Juke Rally Tribute digital concept revealed as 240Z East Africa homage

Nissan has unveiled a Juke Rally Tribute digital concept today, designed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the legendary 240Z sports car’s East Africa Rally victory – and remind us there's a new Z car coming.

Now, the Juke is no Z car – indeed, Nissan recently collaborated with racer Chris Fosberg to develop a 370Z gravel rally racer – but you’d need a cold heart to argue this tribute doesn’t look the business. (See that Fosberg video at the bottom of our story.)

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It’d be up to the job, too, with its already raised SUV stance and short front and rear overhangs. Throw in the necessary fat rubber under flared guards, and a modified body to accommodate multiple spare hoops and on-the-road repairs – and you’ve got yourself a fit rally racer.

Cosmetically, the Juke Rally concept pays perfect tribute to the no-frills black-and-red barely-a-livery 1971 240Z racer, with original driver and sponsor stickers emblazoned on the metalwork.

None of it is real, sadly, having been crafted as a virtual tribute – so don’t expect to see this one turn up at any future motor shows or rally stages.

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Nissan says that if it were a real-world project, the concept would utilise a petrol-electric hybrid powertrain, benefiting both from instant electric torque and longest-possible range at performance speeds – as needed for an overland race. All-wheel drive, while not mentioned, would also be likely.

In Australian-market form, the Juke is driven by a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine delivering 84kW and 180Nm of torque.

By comparison, the East Africa Rally-winning 240Z was powered by a 155kW 2.4-litre inline-six petrol engine, sending power to the rear wheels.

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And, while the Juke shown here is digital, the iconic 240Z rally car was restored “to good order” in 2013 and lives in Nissan’s heritage collection at Zama, close to the company’s Kanagawa headquarters.

The new Juke was revealed in 2019 and made its Australian debut last year.

So far in 2020, Nissan has sold 1068 Jukes in Australia. It’s outsold by models like the Mazda CX-3, Toyota Yaris Cross, Kia Stonic, Hyundai Venue and Volkswagen T-Cross – but as our reviews reveal, the Juke is well worth consideration.

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