Nissan gave Dirt & Trails builders Eric Smart and Brandon Romeo a new Nissan Armada PRO-4X and a challenge: create a SEMA concept unlike anything they had tackled before. Their answer is Project Jungle Patrol, an open-air adventure rig built to take a full crew deep into the wilderness.
The first cut changed everything. Eric and Brandon stripped the interior, removed the glass, and cut away the roof and upper pillars. With the Armada opened to the sky, they fabricated a custom roll cage to protect passengers and reinforce the body. They also cut down and reshaped the rear hatch, giving the back of the SUV a clean, finished look.
Inside, the factory rear seats gave way to custom, inward-facing benches with room for three passengers on each side, giving the open-air concept the ability to transport up to eight passengers. To achieve this, Eric and Brandon built custom seat frames, reworked the interior panels, installed custom body caps on the exposed doors and pillars, and redesigned the electrical wiring around the new layout so cameras, sensors, and other electronic components remained operational. The rear doors were kept functional, making it easy for passengers to climb aboard.
Under the hood, the Armada’s 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 delivers 425 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque through a nine-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. A CJD Racing suspension kit provides 16 inches of wheel travel front and rear, while Yokohama off-road tires and NISMO beadlock wheels give Jungle Patrol the footing it needs on the trail.
Custom front and rear tube bumpers add protection, while NISMO lighting and off-road gear help equip the crew for adventure and exploration. A custom Jungle Patrol wrap ties it all together. What started as a new Nissan Armada is now a wide-open trail rig built to carry a full crew well beyond the pavement.
