Born from decades of motorsport involvement, Nismo (short for Nissan Motorsports) represents the pinnacle of Nissan performance and engineering, designed to offer an adrenaline-packed driving experience.

The Patrol Nismo blends the robustness of an SUV with the precision of track-inspired engineering, Nissan stated at the recent launch of this performance powerhouse.

With a specially tuned twin-turbo V6 delivering region-exclusive performance, optimised aerodynamics and bold new styling cues, the Patrol Nismo introduces substantial advancements in both performance and design.

A retuned suspension and a more pronounced exhaust note heighten the driving experience, while signature Nismo details reinforce its unmistakable motorsport pedigree.

Exclusive to the Middle East, the Patrol Nismo boasts 369kW and 700Nm of torque, paired with a recalibrated 9-speed automatic transmission and paddle shifters. It is the same torque as the standard Patrol, but 49kW more from the V6 engine.

At the front is a V-Motion grille with three-dimensional honeycomb mesh that has been designed to optimise airflow into the radiator, increasing cooling performance in demanding conditions.

The side portions of the front bumper incorporate grille-side air curtains that divide airflow horizontally and create vortices. These vortices help pull air from inside the wheel wells, reducing lift, increasing downforce and contributing to sharper, more confident handling.

Around the rear, aerodynamic refinement continues with an extended rear spoiler that has been elongated to shift the air separation point away from the body. Additionally, rear side air splitters, layered air diffusers and air outlets collectively generate rear downforce.

Inside the Patrol NISMO cabin, it features a black-and-red colour scheme, with contrast stitching on the dashboard, seats, steering wheel and doors. Every surface combines tactile and visual quality, claims Nissan, with precision-cut metallic elements and red decorative finishes to genuine leather and soft suede-touch materials.

The seats have a honeycomb quilting pattern that mirrors the exterior grille mesh. Signature Nismo logos embroidered into the headrests and touches such as red seat belts, a red start/stop engine button, carbon fibre-inspired surfaces and aluminium accelerator as well as brake pedals further enhance the sporty and high-performance atmosphere.

Underscoring the SUV's track-inspired pedigree are 22-inch forged aluminium alloy wheels.

But don't despair about the Patrol Nismo not coming to our shores. Thanks to BB Motorgroup's motorsport division, an extreme version of the Nissan Patrol has been available locally for some time and it showed its worth at events like the Simola Hillclimb.

The Nissan Patrol Black Hawk kit has been developed in house by BB Motorsport and includes the fitment of an aggressive body kit and a supercharger kit, transforming the 4x4 icon into a seriously track-tuned brute.

Called the Blackhawk with a supercharged V8, and all the necessary fine tuning, it delivers a formidable 396kW and 772Nm of torque, connected to a 7-speed automatic transmission. All the extra bells and whistles make the local Blackhawk a much desired SUV, the ultimate performance powerhouse.

The Blackhawk is also 4WD, has 22” alloy wheels, (same size as the Nismo's), riding on 285/40 R22 rubber.

In terms of comfort and convenience there are features such as advanced driver assist display, on-board navigation with 3D mapping, intelligent cruise control, 13 premium Bose speakers, climate control front seats and front and rear opening centre console storage with armrests.

The second-row seat is equipped with entertainment screens with headphones and a remote, and they have their own air conditioning controls.

The Black Hawk further boasts a power-operated tailgate, and for safety and security there are an intelligent around view monitor, intelligent forward collision warning, intelligent lane departure warning and intervention as well as intelligent blind spot warning and intervention. Front and rear parking sensors are a given.

Other necessities include cross traffic assist, hill descent control with on/off switch and hill start assist, and for the off-road track and intelligent all-mode 4WD system (road, sand, rock) with a tyre pressure monitoring system.

The Patrol Black Hawk will set you back in the region of R2.25 million, while pricing for the Nismo in the Middle East is not yet known and probably irrelevant for our market.

More to the point is that you can get yourself a Toyota Land Cruiser 300 3.5T GR-Sport for a little less but also with lower performance or if you want a Range Rover with a more powerful V8, you'll have to fork out more millions to match the Black Hawk.

In terms of visual appearance, the Nissan Patrol Nismo hits the nail on the head, but the Black Hawk is the hammer doing the nailing.