Nissan Frontier PRO-4X in vintage livery to compete at the 2021 Rebelle Rally

After unveiling an impressive list of NISMO off-road parts for the 2022 Nissan Frontier at Overland Expo West, Nissan and Team Wild Grace have announced their return to the 2021 Rebelle Rally, the longest and most demanding off-road rally event in the United States. Team Wild Grace came in fourth place at last year's Rebelle Rally, and co-captains Sedona Blinson and Lyn Woodward are eyeing top prize aboard their NISMO-prepped Frontier pickup truck at this year's event.

"The 2021 field is the largest in Rebelle history with some very formidable teams," said Woodward. "We are one of them – and we are in to win." Adding inspiration is a bespoke and one-off Hardbody-inspired red, white, and blue livery for Team Wild Grace's Nissan Frontier. The original Nissan Hardbody pickup produced from 1986 to 1997 had firm panels and a double-walled bed, part of the reason why those old trucks were virtually indestructible.

Proof of the Hardbody's "hardiness" was when it dominated and won its class at the 1987 Baja 500. Commemorating its historic win is the release of a limited-edition Nissan Hardbody Desert Runner Edition that same year with similar red, white, and blue racing colors. "Having grown up in the '80s and knowing what the Hardbody means to Nissan's heritage, seeing our truck rendering for the first time was a legitimate 'lump in my throat' moment," added Woodward.

Starting with a brand-new 2022 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X with standard LED lighting, LED fog lights, Bilstein off-road shock absorbers, skid plates, and an electronic locking differential, the vehicle gets a moderate sprinkling of NISMO off-road parts.

The list includes 17-inch NISMO off-road AXIS wheels, a NISMO performance exhaust system, a NISMO suspension kit, and a four-inch NISMO off-road lighting kit. Team Wild Grace's Frontier PRO-4X sits two inches higher off the ground and has a more aggressive exhaust sound than stock.

"We'll be rooting for Team Wild Grace at the 2021 Rebelle Rally, proving what the all-new Frontier and new NISMO Off Road parts can do over some of America's harshest landscapes," said Michael Soutter, vice president, Nissan Aftersales, Americas. "This truck has winning in its DNA."

The 2021 Rebelle Rally is an eight-day off-road event across 1,500 miles of barren terrain in Nevada, Arizona, and California. The rally begins on October 7 at Hoover Dam and ends in California's Imperial Sand Dunes on October 16, 2021.