GU Patrol – officially the world’s fastest 4X4

Many of us have heard the legend of a Patrol doing 480km/h down Mooney Mooney. But few have seen it happen to verify the occurrence. There are some interesting folks out there, and Patrol seems to be the weapon of choice for many of them in Australia. Not least since the extinction of the SS Commodore. But in the Middle East, high-speed Patrols have been taken to a whole new level.

There are plenty of viral clips doing the rounds full of bonkers GQ shorty Patrols. The ones with no bonnets. Sky-high inlet manifolds. And jet engine-sized turbos launching up sand dunes at warp speed. We’re not gonna lie, we’d love to get amongst it. In Abu Dhabi, they’ve created an event called the Tilal Swaihan Mile to bring a bit of structure and safety to the scene.

“This particular Patrol is powered by a VR38DETT lifted from an R35 GT-R. Since it ate a Porsche for breakfast, it has been in the gym and packed on even more power.”

These guys in the middle east do not do things by halves. To illustrate that fact, in the Sand Drag Race at Tilal Swaihan, the categories you can enter are Pro Modified, V8 Turbo, V8 Nitrous, L6 Turbo and L6 Nitrous. That’s borderline insanity before a wheel is even turned.

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There are a handful of other events run at Tilal Swaihan that look like bags of fun. But the main event is undoubtedly the Tilal Swaihan Mile itself. Despite the name, it’s a half-mile asphalt drag strip. It’s basically owned by a white short-wheelbase Y61 (GU) Patrol. One you may have seen before, outsprinting a Porsche 918 on The Grand Tour. 

This particular Patrol is powered by a VR38DETT lifted from an R35 GT-R. Since it ate a Porsche for breakfast, it has been in the gym and packed on even more power. Somewhere in the vicinity of 2,400hp. This absolutely mental weapon of mass affection managed a top speed of 219.83mph in February of 2022. In 804.7 metres, this thing accelerated to 219.83mph. That’s a smidgen underer 354km/h in modern measures.

“It’s had plenty of investment in horsepower parts since it was delivered from Nissan, resulting in about 2,700hp now.”

It wasn’t the sole Patrol at the event, either. There’s a tasty black long wheelbase Y61 on the scene at Tilal Swaihan, and one that runs the factory delivered TB48 engine. It’s had plenty of investment in horsepower parts since it was delivered from Nissan, resulting in about 2,700hp now.

This thing managed to crack a top speed of 221.23mph over the half-mile track, and ended up the fastest Patrol of the event. 356km/h in 800 metres. That’s utterly terrifying, and overwhelmingly awesome. The TB48 has developed a cult following in Australia, with a reputation that’ll only be further enhanced by the work of the mental mechanics of the Middle-East.

In the May meet, the white short wheelbase managed a staggering 366.5km/h pass. 

At the latest event held on the last weekend of November 2022, these Patrols and a host more continued to push the boundaries, with the white Patrol clocking in at 376.17km/h. We’re waiting on the edge of our seats to see how the black TB48 responds to the gauntlet that’s been thrown down by the world’s fastest SUV.