Juke Nismo RS set for LA motor show

Nismo is getting busy. Word has reached TopGear.com that Nissan’s motorsport arm - fresh from its exploits with the Juke, toasting the 370Z and confirming that a hardcore GT-R is in the offing (with none other than Sebastien Buemi as a development driver) - is preparing a hardcore Juke Nismo ‘RS’, headed for the LA motor show.

But of course, you knew one was in the works. When we drove the standard Juke Nismo earlier this year, we also had a go in a more hardcore prototype that felt very much like a proper, full-blooded RS model. So this is it.

Though Nissan has confirmed that the RS on show in LA will be a US-specific model; the UK will get a slightly different setup in a car due to appear in early 2014. And while no more details are available, we can tell you a few bits and bobs judging from our prototype drive.

First up, expect around 240bhp from its turbocharged 1.6-litre four-pot engine (up from just under 200bhp in the standard Juke Nismo) together with many more torques, likely to significantly bring down the standard car’s 0-62mph time of 7.8 seconds. Let’s call it sub-7.0 to 62mph shall we?

It will probably benefit from stiffer suspension too, because the prototype we drove instantly felt tougher and much more aggressive than before, so expect harder dampers, springs and bushes all round. Brakes will probably be beefed up to deal with the extra horses, while the steering will benefit from some extra quickness too. Pointy.

Of course, all of this remains subject to change, so keep an eye out for the official details closer to the car’s launch date. We’ll be at the LA motor show too, so will try and have a dig around for some more info…

Pictured: the Nissan Juke Nismo