The second-generation Nissan Armada launched for the 2017 model year as a reengineered version of the international Y62 Patrol. For the 2018 Chicago auto show, Nissan is giving a roundabout hat tip to those roots with a one-off, winter-challenging off-road Armada called the Snow Patrol [cue the alternative rock].
Nissan has well established how much it enjoys the frozen stuff, having created a Juke Nismo RS on tracks, a Murano on tracks, and a Rogue on tracks. (If you haven’t noticed, Nissan does tend to love its themes.) So one might expect the Armada Snow Patrol to involve tracks as well, but that assumption would be incorrect?at least in part. With the help of Pro Comp and Smittybilt, Nissan transformed the luxury-leaning family SUV into an off-road-ready snowmobile hauler, complete with a 370z roadster on tracks and skis hooked up to the trailer hitch.
The Armada already had a solid core for an off-pavement rover. It is powered by a 390-hp 5.6-liter V-8, is built on a stout ladder frame, has available all-wheel drive, and is rated to tow up to 8500 pounds. With that as the base, Nissan ramped up capability at all four corners. The Snow Patrol has a two-inch front and one-inch rear suspension lift and sits on 20-by-9-inch Cognito Series 61 wheels wrapped in 35-inch Pro Comp MT2 off-road tires.
The front chin was replaced with an M1A2 Smittybilt front bumper with a bar and an XRC 12,000-pound winch. Nissan attached M1A running boards for extra armor, wh...