Patrol’s landmark

THE Nissan Patrol Challenge reached its grand finale with a new Guinness World Record set by the unstoppable ‘Hero of All Terrain’.

Nissan Patrol became the holder of the ‘heaviest object pulled by any production vehicle’ Guinness World Record.
 
The event, held at Sharjah International Airport in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), saw an unmodified production Nissan Patrol haul a 170.9 tonne cargo plane, inclusive of weight of the plane, fuel and the cargo for more than 50 metres, smashing the previous record by 15 tonnes.

In order to express its thanks for its invaluable support, Nissan shared the accolade with Sharjah International Airport.

Samir Cherfan, managing director, Nissan Middle-East, said: “Today Nissan celebrates another landmark day in the Middle East with its second Guinness World Record in eight months.

“When we began this project we encouraged the people of the Middle East to dream up the next and ultimate challenge for the ‘Hero of All Terrain’, Nissan Patrol. The overwhelming response has been the inspiration for the historic events and we thank all who participated.

“The Guinness World Record for Nissan Patrol achieved here motivates us to ensure we deliver ‘innovation that excites’ in everything we do in the Middle East region.”

The ‘Nissan Patrol Challenge’ was launched in 2012 and invited the region’s people to share their ideas of how they have dreamed of using the iconic vehicle. Fans were encouraged to design an innovative test for the Patrol and give themselves a chance of winning a trip to Japan and other prizes.

The result of the competition resulted in the Guinness World record when Nissan Patrol comfortably dragged the airplane with a laden weight of 170.9 tonnes. In keeping with the vehicle’s reputation, the Ilyushin Il-76 is known as one of the world’s toughest cargo planes, designed to be able to deliver cargo and take-off and land to some of the world’s most extreme environments.

Dr Ghanem Alhajiri, chairman of Sharjah International Airport, said: “We congratulate Nissan on its achievement and look forward to its future innovative campaigns.”

And, Saleh Al Aroud, chairman of RUS Aviation whose company supplied the Ilyushin IL-76 to be towed, said: “A successful company is always pushing the boundaries – making the exceptional appear normal, and setting its own challenges.”

The Nissan Patrol has a rich heritage in the region and has been in constant series production since the 1950s.
 
The first in the Middle East arrived in Kuwait in 1956 and the Nissan Patrol has built a reputation for being one of the most durable, reliable and capable off-road cars on the market.

“Many buyers of the patrol in the Middle East region are extremely loyal to the car,” a company spokesman added. “Indeed, lots of people consider the Nissan Patrol to be a member of the family and hand the car down through the generations as and when a new model is purchased.”

For further details, contact YK Almoayyed, Nissan’s dealer in Bahrain, by calling 17732732, visit the showroom or www.nissanbahrain.com