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For Nissan SEMA 2025, the brand brought three Patrol-badged concepts to the Las Vegas show floor. They’re about as practical for Australian conditions as air conditioning in Antarctica, but they’re certainly interesting to look at.
Unlike Toyota’s relatively restrained FJ60 resto-mod from the same show, Nissan’s gone all-in on the Vegas spectacle, think more chrome, more power, and definitely more paint.
Nissan SEMA 2025 lineup overview
Nissan displayed three distinct Patrol-based builds, each showcasing different modification approaches. The Dune Patrol focuses on desert support duties with long-travel suspension, the Rapid Runner adds kayaking gear to a Frontier base, and Forsberg Racing’s Y60 packs 1,000 horsepower under the bonnet.
The Dune Patrol: When Armada meets desert racing
The largest of the three starts with what Americans call an Armada Pro-4X but what the rest of the world knows as a Y62 Patrol. Nissan’s pitched it as “the ultimate, ultra-comfortable support vehicle for the most extreme off-road events,” which is a diplomatic way of saying it’s for following actual race trucks while carrying the esky and spare parts.
The mechanical work is solid, though. CJD Racing built a custom long-travel suspension setup that delivers 16 inches of wheel travel. Custom upper and lower control arms, new spindles, tie rods, and 4340 drive axles all handle the increased articulation. Custom FiberWerx fenders add four inches of width and two inches of height to accommodate 37-inch Yokohama Geolandar M/T tyres mounted on 18-inch NISMO AXIS beadlock wheels.
The suspension uses custom 10-inch 2.5 Bilstein M 9200 coilovers front and rear, with extended brake lines to handle the extra travel. Frame-mounted rock sliders protect the rocker panels, while prototype NISMO high-clearance bumpers front and rear provide approach and departure angles.
The powertrain? Stock 425hp twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6 from the Armada. No engine work, just a NISMO cat-back exhaust. Most of the exterior kit consists of prototype NISMO Off Road parts that Nissan’s using SEMA to gauge interest in, if enough people get excited, they might actually produce them.
Nissan Dune Patrol SEMA specifications
| Specification | Detail |
| Base vehicle | 2025 Nissan Armada Pro-4X (Y62 Patrol) |
| Suspension travel | 16 inches (custom long-travel) |
| Tyres | 37×12.50R18 Yokohama Geolandar M/T G003 |
| Wheels | Prototype NISMO 18×9 AXIS beadlock (+15 offset) |
| Engine | Twin-turbo 3.5L V6 (stock 425hp/516 lb-ft) |
| Notable additions | MOLLE panels, roof storage, onboard air, long-range radio |
The Rapid Runner: Tubular doors and questionable paint 🤮
The Frontier-based Rapid Runner is actually last year’s Project Trailgater (the ultimate tailgating truck) reborn as a kayaking rig. Nissan and PowerNation TV yanked the doors off, bolted on some tubular replacements, and covered the whole thing in what looks like a 1990s Mambo shirt having a disagreement with a paint factory.
The mechanical upgrades are more sensible. Nissan borrowed suspension components and the complete rear axle from the larger Titan, added Bilstein adjustable coilovers, and fitted a two-inch body lift. Prototype NISMO 17-inch ASCEND wheels wear 37-inch Yokohama Geolandar X-MT tyres. Custom steel bumpers front and rear add approach and departure angles.
The kayaking focus means NISMO roof and bed rack systems designed to carry four kayaks, plus paddle and wetsuit storage, a rack-mounted shower, and solar panels. The interior gets bedliner on everything for durability and waterproof seat covers in bright yellow, because apparently the exterior wasn’t loud enough.
The Rapid Runner’s paint scheme deserves special mention. It’s the sort of colour combination that would require sunglasses indoors and alert every council noise compliance officer within a five-kilometre radius. Credit where it’s due, though: it certainly stands out on a show floor full of matte black everything.
Rapid Runner specifications
| Specification | Detail |
| Base vehicle | 2024 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X |
| Suspension | Nissan Titan components + Bilstein adjustable coilovers |
| Tyres | 37×12.50R17 Yokohama Geolandar X-MT |
| Wheels | Prototype NISMO 17-inch ASCEND |
| Lift | 2-inch body lift |
| Notable additions | Tubular doors, roof/bed racks, shower, solar panels |
Forsberg’s Y60 tribute: 1,000 horses and period-correct graphics
The most interesting of the three comes from Chris Forsberg Racing, a 1990 two-door Y60 Patrol with a turbocharged TB48 4.8-litre inline-six producing 1,000 horsepower. This is the Patrol generation that never officially made it to America but earned its reputation globally as one of the toughest overlanders and off-road racers around.
The engine work is substantial. Forsberg fitted a Garrett G42-1200 turbocharger with a GVW-60 wastegate, a PWR 3-inch intercooler with 3.5-inch piping, a Hypertune billet intake manifold, and Link Fury engine management. The TB48 started life in a Y61-generation Patrol before being significantly modified for this application.
The suspension uses NISMO Off Road components with remote reservoir dampers, though Nissan hasn’t detailed the specific setup beyond “off-road inspired.” Custom NISMO 17×9 AXIS beadlock wheels wear 35-inch Yokohama Geolandar tyres. The exterior wears classic NISMO/Mobil 1/Forsberg Racing livery, complemented by Holley RetroBright LED headlamps and a quartet of six-inch round flood and driving lights.
Inside, Recaro Sportster seats sit on Forsberg brackets, and an OMP quick-release steering wheel replaces the standard item. It’s the sort of build that respects the Y60’s desert racing heritage while making it thoroughly impractical for actual overlanding, which seems entirely appropriate for a 1,000hp show vehicle.
Forsberg’s Y60 specifications
| Specification | Detail |
| Base vehicle | 1990 Nissan Patrol Y60 (two-door) |
| Engine | Modified TB48 turbocharged 4.8L inline-six (1,000hp) |
| Turbo | Garrett G42-1200 with GVW-60 wastegate |
| Intercooler | PWR 3-inch with 3.5-inch piping |
| Tyres | 35-inch Yokohama Geolandar |
| Wheels | Custom NISMO 17×9 AXIS beadlock |
| Management | Link Fury ECU |
| Interior | Recaro Sportster seats, OMP quick-release wheel |
What it means for Australian enthusiasts
Not much, practically speaking. The Nissan SEMA 2025 concepts showcase prototype NISMO parts that might eventually reach production, but most of the custom fabrication work (control arms, spindles, body modifications) won’t be available off the shelf. The Rapid Runner’s donor truck, the Frontier, isn’t sold in Australia anyway, so the whole exercise is academic from our perspective.
The Forsberg Y60 is the most relevant to Australian enthusiasts simply because Y60 Patrols (sold here as GQ Patrols from 1988 to 1997) are reasonably common on the second-hand market. Between 1988 and 1997, Nissan Australia sold 52,461 GQ Patrols, many of which are still working as touring and outback vehicles. The TB48 engine from the Y61 generation is also available here in 4.8-litre form (though not with 1,000hp).
That said, attempting to replicate Forsberg’s 1,000hp build in Australia would run into immediate engineering certification problems. Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) under VSB14 requires extensive documentation for engine conversions, and a turbocharged setup producing triple the original power would need comprehensive engineering sign-off covering everything from drivetrain strength to braking performance.
The reality check
SEMA builds exist to showcase what’s possible with enough money, fabrication skill, and a complete disregard for registration compliance. They’re concept vehicles in the truest sense, interesting to look at, occasionally innovative in approach, but mostly irrelevant to anyone who needs to drive their 4WD to work on Monday.
The Dune Patrol’s 16 inches of suspension travel would be brilliant for high-speed desert running, but that’s about it. The Rapid Runner’s tubular doors look fun until you remember that dust, mud, and rain exist. And Forsberg’s 1,000hp Y60 is a rolling testament to American excess, impressive engineering, certainly, but about as sensible as air conditioning in Antarctica.
Still, they’re entertaining to look at which is why we’ve shown them to you. Plus, that’s the point of SEMA, it’s not just a practical vehicle show, it’s a celebration of automotive excess and creativity. Nissan brought three Patrol-badged concepts that showcase different approaches to modification, from relatively achievable (the Dune Patrol’s bolt-on parts) to completely over the top. (1,000hp in a two-door Y60).
Good on them for building something interesting. We’ll stick with our 33’s and ADR compliance, thanks.
All three vehicles were displayed at the 2025 SEMA Show, Las Vegas Convention Center
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