Nissan Armada Mountain Patrol Scores Big at the Rebelle Rally
Photo: Nissan
The Nissan Armada Mountain Patrol — a modified version of the Nissan Armada — is no stranger to extreme conditions that demand finely-tuned performance and durability. In the past, the vehicle has traversed The Sahara Desert, overcome the rocky terrain of Moab, Utah, and more. Its latest achievement may be its most impressive, though. At this year’s Rebelle Rally, Team Wild Grace and the Armada Mountain Patrol finished in sixth place out of a total of 38 racers, their best result in four years.
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The Rebelle Rally is a yearly women’s driving competition that fuses demanding off-road racing with a road trip through stunning locales. The 2019 Rebelle Rally took place across more than 1,500 miles of the Nevada and California deserts and lasted for eight days, making it the longest off-road rally competition in the United States. If that’s not impressive enough, the racers all covered this distance without the aid of any electronic devices, save for digital cameras.
Team Wild Grace, which consists of co-drivers Sedona Blinson and Lyn Woodward, participated in the Rebelle Rally’s 4×4 class, which places restrictions on race vehicles. While they can be modified, all vehicles in the 4×4 class are required to be street legal, wear a license plate, and be able to travel on interstate highways. The Armada Mountain Patrol qualified easily, even though it featured adjustments to better support an eight-day rally race.
The racers seemed to appreciate the off-road modifications Nissan made to the Armada. In a press release following the event, Sedona Blinson said, “The extra clearance and custom suspension were a huge bonus. The vehicle did everything we asked of it, and with ease — it really gave Lyn and I the ability to push our skills in the best ways.”
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Lyn Woodward, who is also a journalist for Kelley Blue Book, was similarly impressed. “The Rebelle is a great proving ground for any vehicle. Armada Mountain Patrol was sturdy and steadfast, and the power of the V8 was substantial — I always knew I had the power when I needed it.
The Nissan Armada Mountain Patrol may not be commercially available, but it certainly speaks to the engineering acumen of the team at Nissan, as well as the capabilities of the street-ready Armada.
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