BMW of North America returns to the desert this week for the nation’s ultimate off-road endurance challenge as veteran driver Rebecca Donaghe and navigator Syndiely Wade traverse over 1,500 miles of grueling California and Nevada terrain in the all-new high-performance BMW X3 M50 during the 2024 Rebelle Rally. From October 11–18, 2024, the longest off-road rally in the United States features a bold lineup of female driver-navigator teams and prohibits the usage of GPS guidance, forcing competitors to rely on paper maps and compasses as they hunt for checkpoints throughout the rugged desert landscape.
“I’m excited to return for my 8th Rebelle Rally and 2nd year with BMW, this time in the all-new BMW X3”, said driver Rebecca Donaghe. “We weren’t sure what to expect last year and came away with a podium finish, so this year we know what’s possible, expectations are high, and we’ll be pushing even harder. It’s another chance to take the Ultimate Driving Machine to the ultimate proving grounds and showcase BMW’s engineering capabilities in some of the most beautiful and challenging terrain in North America.” She added, “It’s especially exciting to drive a pre-production model even before the first customers have taken delivery.”
“We are prepared to tackle this challenge inside the all-new BMW X3—a vehicle that combines performance, offroad capabilities, and comfort”, said navigator Syndiely Wade. “This unique competition, navigated exclusively using topographic maps and a compass, will be an opportunity to test the power of this extraordinary vehicle while showcasing my skills in old-school navigation.”
For this year’s competition, the all-new 393-horsepower BMW X3 M50 has been modified slightly for the rigorous off-road requirements of the Rally with the following enhancements but is still very close to a stock vehicle:
- Custom skid plates and interior storage solutions fabricated by BMW Manufacturing Talent Factory students.
- Falken Wildpeak A/T Trail tires.
- Rotiform BLQ-C wheels.
- Front Runner Slimline II roof rail rack kit, Wolfpack storage boxes, and Typhoon duffle bags.
- Rigid Industries 360-Series front light pods and Chase Amber rear lighting.
- XPEL STEALTH satin paint protection film on all exterior paint surfaces, XPEL PRIME XR Plus nano-ceramic window film, and XPEL FUSION PLUS ceramic coating on the wheels, glass, and exterior paint surfaces.
Since first establishing the Sports Activity Vehicle segment in the premium midsize class more than two decades ago, the BMW X3 has been instrumental in the steady popularity growth of the BMW X family of vehicles and is one of the brand’s best-selling models today. The new generation is being assembled for the North American market in BMW’s plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
“More versatile and sportier than ever, the all-new BMW X3 is an ideal choice for everything from spirited grocery store runs to cross-country road trips, and now proves its capabilities even for the ultimate rallying adventure”, said Dr. Andreas Meyer, Vice President of Product Management BMW Americas. “We are proud to again support our all-female team this year, piloting our highly capable vehicle ready for anything in its path.”
The fourth-generation BMW X3 will reach U.S. showrooms in October and offers two potent powertrains at launch—the 2.0 liter 4-cylinder BMW X3 30 xDrive with 255 horsepower starting at $49,500 and the high-performance 3.0 liter 6-cylinder BMW M50 xDrive with 393 horsepower starting at $64,100.
ABOUT REBELLE RALLY
The Rebelle Rally is the first women’s endurance off-road rally in the US and the longest competitive off-road navigation rally in the United States. The Rebelle is a competition for stock, OEM vehicles, not race cars. All vehicles are street legal with minimal mods broken down into two competitor categories – the 4×4 class for vehicles equipped with a two-speed transfer case (low-range gears), and the X-CROSS class for vehicles without a two-speed transfer case (no low-range gears).
Learn more about the competition and how to participate at https://www.rebellerally.com/
Read the full press release here.
Tags: rally Rebelle Rally women in motorsports
