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2017 Nissan Patrol Nismo Drag Racing Will Leave You Confused

Most people will think of an AMG or a Bentayga when the words "drag racing" and "SUV" are mentioned in the same context. However, over in the Emirates, they like to race off-roaders of the independent frame variety.
2017 Nissan Patrol Nismo Drag Racing Will Leave You Confused 4 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
2017 Nissan Patrol Nismo Drag Racing Will Leave You Confused2017 Nissan Patrol Nismo Drag Racing Will Leave You Confused2017 Nissan Patrol Nismo Drag Racing Will Leave You Confused
We've said it once, and we'll say it again: car culture is like food; it always has localized flavor. Recently, the nitrous-powered Patrols of the Middle East made headlines by outgunning even the Porsche 918 Spyder during an episode of the Grand Tour. SUVs with as much as 2,000 horsepower are built by local enthusiasts and race up sand hills, fire pouring out from the eight exhaust pipes like a Spitfire.

But this is stock. So in a way, it's like watching the untuned Golf R race on a European runway, or the latest Camaro proving that just how fast $30,000 can be. Even though it's not mind-blowing, the 13.17 seconds quarter mile time of the Nissan Patrol Nismo is impressive. And that's just the first try; by the end of the day, it blitzed the standing quarter in 12.94 seconds at 175.55 km/h.

The quick look we got at what's under the hood suggests it's still stock except for the MomentumGT cold air intake. So what's a Nismo version of the Patrol packing? Certainly not a GT-R engine.

You get the same 5.6-liter naturally aspirated V8 as in the regular Patrol. But thanks to a new exhaust and some other tweaks, the output has increased by 23 horsepower to 428 hp. As the eyes can plainly see, the SUV has put on a track suit similar to that of the Juke Nismo RS, with pearl white paint being accompanied by black and cherry trim.

Nissan says this is the first "Zero-Lift" aerodynamic body kit, which is impressive for such a high-riding vehicle. But we're not done, as the Patrol Nismo also boasts tuned power steering and suspension system with Bilstein shock absorbers and 22-inch alloy wheels reminiscent of the hottest 370Z.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
Mihnea Radu profile photo

Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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