Nissan Patrol Nismo is totally absurd and we kind of love it
It's a vehicle that makes no practical sense, but we're suckers for a hand-built V8.
The vehicle we know as the Nissan Armada is known elsewhere in the world as the Patrol, where it's proved popular over the years thanks to its rugged design and off-road chops. Now there's a new version of the Patrol that takes those things and tosses them into the trash, and it's called the 2021 Nissan Patrol Nismo.
Yes, you read that correctly. Nismo -- aka Nissan's in-house performance and racing division -- announced on Wednesday that it's taking the giant, body-on-frame Patrol and giving it a new racy look and some increased performance. Don't get too excited, though; it's not some kind of gonzo SUV with the engine from a GT-R . Instead, it's got a hand-built V8 and some sporty styling changes.
Speaking of that V8, there is a GT-R connection, but it's not the one you're thinking of. Instead, it's that all the Patrol Nismo models will have a V8 built by a team of four workers who have been specially certified to build the GT-R engine. The result is around 28 more horsepower and no increase in torque. That engine is likely to sound even better than it usually does, though, so we're intrigued.
Why does this exist?
Next, the Patrol Nismo gets suspension from Bilstein and many aesthetic upgrades, including the famous Nismo red stripe that we've seen (and enjoyed) on the 370Z Nismo and the GT-R Nismo. It also gets big honkin' 22-inch wheels, different lighting, red fabric and Alcantara seating surfaces and even some red carbon fiber accents inside the cabin.
It's not a bad-looking SUV if you ask us, but if you've got to have it and you live in an area where it's being sold -- aka the Middle East -- look out because you'll have to pony up the equivalent of $105,000 to take one home.
We asked Nissan if it had plans to bring this model to the US as the Armada Nismo, but didn't hear back in time for publication.
