The New Armada NISMO Has Nothing On This 1,900-HP Nissan SUV
Nissan stunned us this week with the debut of the Armada NISMO. With all the company’s financial struggles, talk of mergers, and CEOs stepping down, the last product we expected out of its pipeline was a high-performance 3-row SUV. And yet, here it is, complete with a go-fast body kit, the requisite NISMO color palette, and some meaningful performance upgrades that include an upgraded twin-turbocharged V-6 that’s related, in some way, to the GT-R’s legendary motor. Power jumps from 425 horsepower for the standard Armada’s twin-turbo V6 to 460 hp in the NISMO. Nice.
The Armada’s transformation into a performance machine is enough to go head-to-head with a Ford Explorer ST. But when we first laid eyes on it, the first thing we thought of was another Nissan SUV that was wiping the floor with hypercars back in 2017. It wasn’t an Armada per se, but a Nissan Patrol, which is essentially the same vehicle sold in other global markets. Dubai’s F Performance speed shop transformed this proletariat Patrol into a 1,900-hp, hypercar-slaying monster that became famous for embarrassing a Porsche 918 on an episode of The Grand Tour.
The F Performance Patrol Was Absolutely Nuts
The heart of the F Performance Patrol is an actual GT-R VR38 engine that has been enlarged to 4.1 liters by T1 Racing Development. Obviously, a number of internal modifications were performed both to produce and to handle 1,900 horsepower, which, by the way, was measured at the wheel, not the road.
To call the resulting SUV a Patrol is a bit of a misnomer because so much of it has been replaced with parts from the GT-R. That includes hardware such as the transmission, carbon ceramic brakes, axles, and rear subframe, as well as the entire interior – steering wheel, center console, seats, and all.
“The new Nissan Armada NISMO is a fine attempt to sell a performance-enhanced SUV to a suburban clientele. Yet while we appreciate the performance modifications, it’s still a family truckster at heart.“
Outside, this Patrol wore a stubby 2-door body that was enhanced with more GT-R parts such as twin NACA ducts, a carbon fiber hood, and a unique bumper that echoes Godzilla’s ugly mug. Its top speed is theoretically around 205 miles per hour, but the folks at F Performance claim the engine’s full potential hasn’t even been reached.
TopSpeed’s Take
The new Nissan Armada NISMO is a fine attempt to sell a performance-enhanced SUV to a suburban clientele. Yet while we appreciate the performance modifications, it’s still a family truckster at heart. The NISMO modifications are more for street cred in your cul-de-sac.
The F Performance Patrol, however, is unlike any 4-wheeled conveyance we’ve ever seen. Do yourself a favor and watch the video above from The Grand Tour where it races Richard Hammond in a Porsche 918 Spyder. What happens doesn’t make sense to the eyes, doesn’t compute with the brain, and remains to this day an unrepeated aberration. Then tell us if you’re impressed by Nissan’s latest factory performance SUV.
This article was originally published by Topspeed
