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Nissan Returns to Rebelle Rally With Hardbody Racer-Inspired 2022 Frontier

The Japanese carmaker is ready to compete again in the 2021 Rebelle Rally after last year's fourth-place finish. Between October 7-16, Nissan's Team Wild Grace will race a one-off 2022 Frontier Pro-4X dressed in a livery inspired by the brand's '80s race trucks.
Hardbody Racer-Inspired 2022 Frontier to compete in this year's Rebelle Rally 19 photos
Photo: Nissan
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The 2022 Frontier is gearing up for October's grueling Rebelle Rally, the longest off-road rally in the United States. The event lasts eight days and challenges teams to cross more than 1,500 miles (2,414 km) of Nevada, Arizona, and California desert.

Nissan's Team Wild Grace co-captains Sedona Blinson and Lyn Woodward will stay behind the wheel of a 2022 Frontier Pro-4X dressed in special livery that pays tribute to the brand's Hardbody off-road race trucks from the 1980s.

From November 1985 until 1997, the iconic Hardbody was produced for the U.S. market and was a direct competitor to the Toyota compact pickup. But that wasn't just any basic work truck, no. The Hardbody showed its off-road skills in competitions such as the Mint 400 and the Baja 500.

The iconic Hardbody paved the way for the Frontier back in the '80s and '90s and inspired what today is a beautiful truck that looks both elegant and aggressive. To this, some retro style was added with the red, white, and blue wrap inspired by the limited-production Hardbody Desert Runner.

Under its hood, the truck comes with a 3.8-liter V6 that delivers 310 hp (231 kW) and 281 lb-ft (296 Nm), an engine that Nissan introduced in the 2020 Frontier (the second-generation model). It is mated to a nine-speed automatic with a longer input shaft and a wide gear range compared to its five-speed predecessor.

For the rally, the 2022 Frontier Pro-4X will get some extra help from the new NISMO off-road parts. These will include 4-inch lights, Off-Road Performance Exhaust, and Off-Road AXIS Wheels.

This year's Rebelle Rally starts on October 7 at the Hoover Dam in Nevada and ends on October 16 in California's Imperial Sand Dunes.
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About the author: Florina Spînu
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Florina taught herself how to drive in a Daewoo Tico (a rebadged Suzuki Alto kei car) but her first "real car" was a VW Golf. When she’s not writing about cars, drones or aircraft, Florina likes to read anything related to space exploration and take pictures in the middle of nature.
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