It was already a force to be reckoned with, but Nissan has just unveiled a new, race-inspired version of the famous Patrol, and it’s called the Nismo.
The car was revealed to the Middle East on Wednesday in a virtual launch, and the marketing people made what we were about to see clear – the new Patrol Nismo, they said, has been crafted to conquer.
Judging by the presentation, there is evidence to back up these claims.
The 2021 Patrol Nismo looks tougher than ever before. The production team were intent on giving the new vehicle a series of features to differentiate it significantly from its siblings. There is a reinvigorated dark-chrome grille, as well as an updated roof spoiler and side ducts. The rear bumper has been adorned with a falcon-wing design – clearly a nod to the Middle East – and there are 22-inch, two-tone alloy wheels. Red accents adorn the exterior, and the Nismo logo has been liberally scattered around the entire vehicle.
Four unique exterior colours are available (white pearl, silver metallic, grey metallic and black solid), but you only get the choice of red and black on the inside.
The 2021 Patrol Nismo has had its suspension modified, and its 5.6-litre V8 engine tuned up. In fact, the powertrain has been tuned by the "takumi", Nissan's master craftsmen (there are only five of them in Japan).
In this form, the engine will produce 428 horsepower. The car shows its sportiness as it almost leaps when it accelerates in its most dynamic mode. However, stability, we're assured, will never be an issue.
It is only customers in the Middle East that get these exclusive models though, so interest is high in the region
Inside, you’ll find Alcantara and leather seats with a quilting pattern, which Nissan says are more comfortable than ever before, and a refreshed centre console features both seven and eight-inch screens. There is a Nismo illuminated running board, visible as you enter the car, and carbon veneer finishings throughout the cabin. And the 13-speaker Bose sound system should be suitable for whatever you fancy listening to.
The Patrol first got the Nismo badge in 2010. It is only customers in the Middle East that get these exclusive models, though, so interest is high in the region.
That Nismo name then … it’s a compression of Nissan Motorsports, and the brand uses it as an add-on to describe some of its most high-performance vehicles. As an organisation, Nismo exists as the manufacturer’s in-house tuning and racing division. The first production car to get this badge was the Skyline, back in 1987, but there have been many more since. Well-known models, including the 370Z, the Juke and the Micra, have all had the Nismo treatment.
The word "icon" is frequently overused, but the Patrol is exactly that in terms of its impact on the Emirates. There is no let-up in its popularity, either. Al Masaood Automobiles, for example, reported a 25 per cent increase in sales for the vehicle in 2020 versus 2019. Research by the Abu Dhabi and Al Ain distributor suggests it is still the top choice of car for both citizens and residents alike, and, for the last decade, it has been the UAE capital's most popular car.
Being in constant production since the 1950s, the Patrol can claim a reputation as one of the most durable vehicles, off-road or otherwise, in the region. And this latest version is the top of the tree.
The 2021 Nissan Patrol Nismo is available in the Middle East now, and costs Dh385,000.
Take a look at the Nissan X-Terra here:
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Iran has sent five planeloads of food to Qatar, which is suffering shortages amid a regional blockade.
A number of nations, including Iran's major rival Saudi Arabia, last week cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of funding terrorism, charges it denies.
The land border with Saudi Arabia, through which 40% of Qatar's food comes, has been closed.
Meanwhile, mediators Kuwait said that Qatar was ready to listen to the "qualms" of its neighbours.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
The Indoor Cricket World Cup
When: September 16-23
Where: Insportz, Dubai
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
The five pillars of Islam
