The Nissan Patrol has broken another GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title—this one for the “Largest Synchronized Car Dance.” This award recognizes the activation, which has the greatest number of cars moving in unison within a formation. A total of 180 Nissan Patrols took part in the record attempt, driving in a synchronized routine in the shape of a giant desert falcon. This new accolade is the third time the iconic Nissan Patrol has achieved a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title.
Nissan achieved this new record at the Dubai Rugby 7s stadium, beating the previous world record holders by 36 cars. Led by international racing driver Axcil Jefferies, two concentric lines of cars drove in opposite directions around the outline of a falcon, a total distance of 1,476 meters. The shape formed by the 180 Nissan Patrols taking part in the attempt measured 176.5 meters by 225 meters. Viewed from above, the activation looked like a giant falcon in flight over the sands of the Arabian desert.
This award is the third time the iconic Nissan Patrol has broken a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title. In September 2015, the car broke the record for the fastest ascent of a 100-meter sand dune by a car, scaling the dune in a rapid 4.9 seconds. The first title was achieved in August 2013, when the Nissan Patrol successfully towed the world’s heaviest aircraft for more than 164 feet (50 meters) at Sharjah International Airport in the UAE.
The GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS official attempt was also a celebration of three new editions that have been added to the Nissan Patrol family this month. Launched in response to popular demand, the Patrol Safari Falcon, Gazelle, and Gazelle-X were developed for and are exclusively available to customers in the Middle East. The names of the new cars also inspired the shape formed during the record-breaking synchronized car dance.
“At Nissan we are committed to bringing our customers ‘innovation that excites,’ and we are thrilled to have broken yet another GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title with the Nissan Patrol,” said Kalyana Sivagnanam, regional vice president for Marketing and Sales at Nissan AMI and president of Nissan Middle East.“The Patrol family holds a unique and special place in the hearts of people in the Middle East, and we have seen highly encouraging year-on-year sales increases across the entire range. We believe the launches of the Patrol Falcon, Gazelle, and Gazelle-X will continue the car’s proud legacy as one of the only true all-terrain vehicles of its time, and this new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title will further cement the Patrol’s legendary status in the region.”
Juergen Schmitz, managing director of Nissan Middle East, added: “What makes this achievement even more special is the fact that everyone who took part in the record-breaking attempt were Nissan staff. It was a great privilege to give our employees the opportunity to take part in this landmark achievement. We were so pleased by the enthusiasm displayed by everyone, and single-minded determination they demonstrated towards achieving this goal.”
The Nissan Patrol range has an enduring popularity in the Middle East. In Nissan Middle East’s Financial Year 17 (April 2016 – March 2017), market share of the entire Nissan Patrol range increased by 11.4 percent compared to the previous year, with the Patrol becoming the best-selling full-size SUV in the UAE. Since 2011 sales of Patrol have quadrupled, with market share being up by 167 percent. Furthermore, in the first half of Nissan Middle East’s current financial year (April – September 2018) there was a year-on-year increase in sales of the Patrol Safari family of 30 percent across the Middle East region (excluding KSA).
Nissan Middle East’s new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title is the sixth to have been achieved by the company, with three of these being awarded to the iconic Patrol. Most recently, Nissan Middle East sped into the record books after driver Masato Kawabata (Japan) achieved the fastest ever vehicle drift. Kawabata reached staggering 304.96km/h while driving a Nissan GT-R NISMO during an event at Fujairah International Airport in April 2016.
