[MUSIC PLAYING]
MIKE SPINELLI: Hey, I'm Mike Spinelli, you're watching Road
Testament on Drive.
I'm here with JF Musial.
JF MUSIAL: How are you?
MIKE SPINELLI: Hi, JF.
Hit us up on @DriveTV, or leave a comment in the
comments below the video that you're watching.
JF MUSIAL: Or pigeon.
We get pigeons, so they can actually send those.
MIKE SPINELLI: Absolutely, absolutely.
Pigeons, you dick.
So we're talking today about the
Juke-R, which is by Nissan.
Look at that beautiful face.
JF MUSIAL: And you got to drive this
down to Dubai, right?
MIKE SPINELLI: I did.
I drove it in Dubai, did a little piece for Jalopnik.
It's up there right now.
JF MUSIAL: Great piece, good job.
Check it out.
MIKE SPINELLI: Thanks very much.
So what is it?
Nissan built this thing to combine the powertrain and the
technology of the Nissan GTR with the Juke
body, as you'll see.
JF MUSIAL: And put it in the worst body possible.
MIKE SPINELLI: And basically, they just want to put a halo
over the Juke to show a little motorsports action.
JF MUSIAL: It's totally cool, totally cool,
because it is badass.
And it actually is more badass because it
doesn't look pretty.
I actually think there's an element of coolness there.
MIKE SPINELLI: I think it's ugly cool, right.
JF MUSIAL: It's like, I don't care what it looks like.
I want it to drive fast.
MIKE SPINELLI: Exactly.
JF MUSIAL: It just needs headlights, taillights, and,
well, just some kind of aerodynamic body.
MIKE SPINELLI: And some stuff.
Yeah, I mean, it's not the first time a car
company's done this.
JF MUSIAL: Yeah.
MIKE SPINELLI: Renault--
JF MUSIAL: We've seen vans.
We've discussed vans.
MIKE SPINELLI: Right.
We discussed this on a previous--
JF MUSIAL: Supervans.
MIKE SPINELLI: --Road Testament, right.
We did supervans and all that stuff.
So this is a project to show what the
engineers could do, basically.
JF MUSIAL: It's cool.
MIKE SPINELLI: But also to give the Juke a little bit of
juice in the motorsports realm.
OK, so what they did was the RML, which is Nissan's
motorsports partner in a lot of this stuff.
JF MUSIAL: This is built in the UK, right?
MIKE SPINELLI: Built in the UK.
They shortened a GTR powertrain.
They took about a little less than a foot out of the
powertrain.
JF MUSIAL: That's substantial.
MIKE SPINELLI: It's substantial.
Because it's complex down there.
JF MUSIAL: It's like that much.
MIKE SPINELLI: The all-wheel drive system--
it's like that much.
But I mean, a foot is--
I mean, for them to do it, the engineering of it.
JF MUSIAL: Of course.
That much power, you reduce the wheelbase, the car will
act and be dynamically completely different.
MIKE SPINELLI: Exactly.
But they also had to cut down--
there's the prop shaft down there.
There's the torque tube, and it's like this two-way system.
It's really complex.
Look it up.
JF MUSIAL: It's not a plug-and-play system.
MIKE SPINELLI: No.
JF MUSIAL: Engineering has to be involved with
this type of thing.
MIKE SPINELLI: They did a ton of custom work.
JF MUSIAL: OK.
MIKE SPINELLI: They also used--
JF MUSIAL: There were two cars built, right?
MIKE SPINELLI: Yeah.
They did a right-hand drive and a left-hand drive.
One because the Brits have to have one to do on
Top Gear, of course.
I'm not kidding you.
You'll eventually probably see it on Top Gear.
JF MUSIAL: You just gave something away.
MIKE SPINELLI: So one kind of cool thing they did was they
actually created an engineering jig.
I know you're probably familiar with that from you
engineering days.
And it's an adapter, really, that goes between the Juke
hardware and the GTR hardware.
And in the middle is this FIA roll cage.
Now, the roll cage provides a lot of this car's stiffness.
And it also makes it really difficult to put the thing
into production if they ever wanted to do it.
So they're really being coy about whether they would ever
actually build this thing.
JF MUSIAL: It's a fun thing to do.
MIKE SPINELLI: Yeah, it's a fun thing to do.
But they want us to think they might do it.
So the interior's kind of interesting, because they
combined the two cars.
You got the GTR gauges with the Juke's dash binnacle, all
GTR steering gear.
We've got the GTR surround.
JF MUSIAL: Do you have the GTR display module?
MIKE SPINELLI: GTR display module, yes.
JF MUSIAL: So like the PlayStation display module
with the G-- it's all the same?
So electronics are all the same?
MIKE SPINELLI: Electronics are all the same.
They actually had to move the driving position
back about 4 inches.
And the firewall is back about 4 inches.
So when you get in, you kind of go back a little bit.
JF MUSIAL: Really?
MIKE SPINELLI: So you're almost in the backseat.
But other than that--
I mean, other than that's a lot.
[SARCASTICALLY]
Other than that, it's pretty much a stock Juke.
JF MUSIAL: Well, I assume they did that because of the
engine, right?
MIKE SPINELLI: Yes.
JF MUSIAL: Because the placement of the motor in
there, it's probably substantially back behind the
front wheels, right?
MIKE SPINELLI: Well, if you look at it, we'll show it in a
bit, but the engine is jammed up in there.
So that's a lot of work they had to do.
JF MUSIAL: Tell me.
How does it drive?
MIKE SPINELLI: Well, it's interesting.
Because in the straightaways it's all GTR.
JF MUSIAL: Oh, first question.
I want to ask about these.
MIKE SPINELLI: Oh, yeah.
The split wing.
JF MUSIAL: Are those functional?
MIKE SPINELLI: Yes, they're functional.
JF MUSIAL: Do they actually work?
Do they move?
MIKE SPINELLI: They work.
No, they don't.
JF MUSIAL: Is it Pagani Huayra--
"Hoo-why-rah"--
Huayra.
MIKE SPINELLI: Huayra.
JF MUSIAL: As you turn right, does it increase the flap
angle on the inside?
MIKE SPINELLI: No, they are not active aerodynamics.
They are static aerodynamics.
JF MUSIAL: OK, so this slide is meaningless to me.
But I thought it's cool.
MIKE SPINELLI: They're cool.
It's actually just a cool idea that the designers came up
with to meet the--
JF MUSIAL: That's an attractive angle for a car
that's somewhat ugly.
MIKE SPINELLI: Because the whole point is they wanted to
make it not just a track car, but also a street legal,
street mentality.
So you got to have your 86 light, they call it.
JF MUSIAL: Of course.
MIKE SPINELLI: On there.
So it's kind of cool.
JF MUSIAL: How does it drive?
MIKE SPINELLI: OK.
Oh, look at that nerdy bastard.
JF MUSIAL: So this is you in Dubai?
MIKE SPINELLI: Never get the helmet that they give you.
Always bring your own helmet.
Because look at that.
JF MUSIAL: So, you are, I'm going to say Maverick.
And that's your Goose.
MIKE SPINELLI: Yes, thanks.
Thanks very much.
JF MUSIAL: Look at that.
Top Gun sunglasses.
MIKE SPINELLI: Just call me Ponch with my initial on it.
That's medium.
JF MUSIAL: You look so uncool.
MIKE SPINELLI: I'm like most uncool person, as if you
hadn't already noticed.
This is Lucas Ordonez, who won GT Academy last year and raced
in Sebring.
JF MUSIAL: He did Sebring.
MIKE SPINELLI: He did Sebring and Le Mans.
JF MUSIAL: And Dubai, he did Dubai.
MIKE SPINELLI: And 24 Hours of Dubai.
So that's why he was there to show me how to do this.
JF MUSIAL: So you're turning the wheel.
MIKE SPINELLI: Yeah, I'm turning the wheel.
No, really, the thing is, it's almost 100% GTR when you're
going straight.
Because you don't feel any dynamic difference.
JF MUSIAL: Yeah, well, aerodynamics, it's not
something you notice right up front.
MIKE SPINELLI: Right.
You don't really notice it, although you know you're been
dragged a little bit more because of the car's--
JF MUSIAL: With the shorter wheelbase, how does
it feel on the turn?
MIKE SPINELLI: OK.
As soon as you turn--
JF MUSIAL: And I'm not trying to sound like Leo Parente, but
I want to--
MIKE SPINELLI: Well, a couple of things.
As soon as you brake, you start to feel it gets
a little bit more--
JF MUSIAL: A little twitchy?
--twitchy than a GTR.
A GTR is pretty much rock solid, because of the weight.
I mean, we're talking about a car.
The GTR is more than 3,800 pounds.
JF MUSIAL: This is a gutted Juke with just a drivetrain.
MIKE SPINELLI: It's not even gutted.
See, that's the thing.
This thing is 3,600 pounds.
So it's still pretty heavy, even for a small car.
When you turn in, though--
JF MUSIAL: Here's you turning in.
MIKE SPINELLI: Yeah.
Like that, kind of.
JF MUSIAL: He looks bored out of his mind.
MIKE SPINELLI: Come on.
I'm driving it like--
No, the top speed is about 160.
We probably did about 140, 145 on the straight.
JF MUSIAL: And this is around the Dubai circuit, right?
MIKE SPINELLI: It's around the Dubai circuit.
JF MUSIAL: And Nissan has provided a
choppy video of yourself.
MIKE SPINELLI: It's a little choppy.
But Lucas--
hit the brakes.
JF MUSIAL: Brakes, brakes.
MIKE SPINELLI: Lucas is such a trooper.
Because I haven't been on that track before.
I did about four laps or five laps before
getting into the Juke.
I did it in a GTR so you could tell the difference.
And Lucas, he hasn't had to do this stupid press stuff where
the journalist gets in the car, and you don't know how
well he drives.
JF MUSIAL: Which is such a--
people don't realize this, but as you get more involved with
the automotive industry, these drivers, half
their job is PR work.
MIKE SPINELLI: I could never do what this guy does, getting
in with us hacks, and we're all throwing it around.
So back to the Juke-R, because of the short wheelbase, it is
really twitchy.
But it's still because the all-wheel drive system in the
GTR has completely been morphed over to this car with
really nothing they've done.
The software picked it up, picked
up the shorter distance--
JF MUSIAL: Really?
MIKE SPINELLI: --and all of the sensors and everything,
and it made the allowance for it.
They didn't have to reprogram anything.
JF MUSIAL: That's impressive.
MIKE SPINELLI: Which is pretty cool.
JF MUSIAL: It's like almost an artificial intelligent
drivetrain.
MIKE SPINELLI: Exactly.
The way they wrote the algorithms, it just
picked it right up.
JF MUSIAL: Let's get to the real basis of why we're
discussing this car.
MIKE SPINELLI: OK.
JF MUSIAL: Why?
MIKE SPINELLI: Interesting.
They've been really coy about the why, Nissan.
Because if you look back in Tokyo, they did
the Nismo Juke concept.
Something's coming from that.
They wanted us to think that there's a chance that they
might build this thing.
And you know what?
I guess if they want us to think that, there might be a
chance that they might build it.
JF MUSIAL: Because theoretically, Nissan has
always had motorsports experience.
MIKE SPINELLI: Exactly.
JF MUSIAL: And they need to have some of their cars
continue the pedigree of being involved in motorsports or
have the performance element to them.
MIKE SPINELLI: Right.
JF MUSIAL: But they Juke-R with the GTR platform is
theoretically impossible to produce on a mass scale.
MIKE SPINELLI: Well, not in the way they built it here.
JF MUSIAL: Well, yeah, exactly.
It's just not going to happen.
So that car, the one that we like so much, is just never
gonna happen.
So what's the next alternative?
What could they do?
And I understand it from a marketing standpoint, because
look how the X6M, the X5M, and all these high-performance
SUVs, CUVs have been doing.
MIKE SPINELLI: Well, that's a really strong point.
Because whatever you feel about high-performance SUVs,
bringing it down a notch and doing a smaller version that's
more affordable, that may be in the $25,000 to $30,000
range, might be in the Evo or WRX range, maybe more WRX.
I mean, it could go to the STI range, if it were something
maybe a little less than this.
JF MUSIAL: A little less than this.
MIKE SPINELLI: Right.
Exactly.
But it would be interesting to combine two of those elements.
The Juke is already kind of fun to drive.
It really is.
I mean, whatever you think of the looks of it.
JF MUSIAL: And the powertrain is great.
MIKE SPINELLI: The powertrain is good.
JF MUSIAL: Fantastic.
I just can't stand looking.
MIKE SPINELLI: Right.
Well, I happen to think it's
functionally ugly, but that's--
JF MUSIAL: OK.
MIKE SPINELLI: So something is coming.
The bottom line is, something is coming from Nissan that
uses the Juke-R as its halo.
And it's going to be a higher-performance Juke.
We don't know exactly what it is.
They're not telling us exactly.
JF MUSIAL: Now, do we want that?
MIKE SPINELLI: I do.
JF MUSIAL: Why?
If you want a performance car, wouldn't you just buy a
performance car?
MIKE SPINELLI: No.
Because I'm bored.
I'm bored with cars, mostly.
I'm telling you.
I'm just so tired of cars.
JF MUSIAL: Why are you here?
MIKE SPINELLI: No, no, no.
I love cars.
JF MUSIAL: You can't.
No, no, don't backtrack on that.
You hate cars.
You just said you hated cars.
MIKE SPINELLI: I don't hate cars.
JF MUSIAL: Tell me why you hate cars and why
you would take that?
MIKE SPINELLI: All right, Mr. Romney.
Now look at that.
See, I'm among the people that like--
JF MUSIAL: Look at that.
Yeah, look at that.
That's not attractive.
MIKE SPINELLI: I don't care whether it's
attractive or not.
I'm not at all concerned with the attractiveness.
I want something interesting to drive.
I want something that's fast and cool and not necessarily
in the same mold as what we think cool cars are.
I like that they're going outside of the typical.
JF MUSIAL: I agree.
I like that they're going against the grain.
That's good.
MIKE SPINELLI: Right.
JF MUSIAL: What I don't like is that vehicle.
MIKE SPINELLI: All right.
Smart guy.
What if they did a rally team?
JF MUSIAL: Awesome.
Yes.
A rally team, yeah.
MIKE SPINELLI: And this was their WRC car.
JF MUSIAL: WRC car.
Perfect.
Love it.
Good job.
MIKE SPINELLI: OK.
I think also now we agree on that.
Now, what would you say if Nissan went into rallying?
I think that maybe are they showing us something?
JF MUSIAL: That could be a very good question.
MIKE SPINELLI: I don't know.
JF MUSIAL: But I want to get to the engine bay.
MIKE SPINELLI: OK.
The engine bay.
JF MUSIAL: Why in God's name would they fit that car--
look at it.
MIKE SPINELLI: Oh, squeeze.
No, there's no way to get to those spark plugs.
By the way, this is like a $5,000 tune-up.
JF MUSIAL: The reason I bring up the engine bay is, I look
at this from an engineering standpoint.
So this car may have been derived from some marketing
guy saying, why don't we just stick a GTR motor
inside of a Juke body?
MIKE SPINELLI: You think it was a marketing guy, or you
think it was--
JF MUSIAL: I don't think the engineers would've ever
thought this was a good idea.
Because of that photo.
MIKE SPINELLI: Well, right.
It's not an elegant engineering solution.
JF MUSIAL: So that leads me to believe that this came from
the higher chain of command.
This came from someone above who didn't actually think this
process through to think, what are we getting ourselves into?
Which leads me to believe, you're right, that there's
something coming down the pipeline of something bigger
and greater.
MIKE SPINELLI: But not this.
JF MUSIAL: But not this.
MIKE SPINELLI: But not this.
JF MUSIAL: Because when the engineers saw this, they shot
themselves.
MIKE SPINELLI: Right.
JF MUSIAL: You want us to do what?
You want us to put this engine in that?
MIKE SPINELLI: They did it.
OK, but they also did it in 22 days.
So they really did a hell of a job.
It's RML Motorsports--
JF MUSIAL: 22 days they built two cars?
MIKE SPINELLI: 22 days--
JF MUSIAL: Or at least one of them?
MIKE SPINELLI: They said at least one of them in 22 days.
I don't know about the second one.
JF MUSIAL: That is impressive.
So that's an engineering feat.
MIKE SPINELLI: It is an engineering feat.
But what do you guys think?
Do you think that Nissan should take the Juke-R and go
rallying with it?
Or what should they do with it?
If you say crush it, that's fine.
Just let us on @DriveTV.
Road Testament, JF Musial.
Good to talk you.
Take care now.
Adios.
[MUSIC PLAYING]