Ahead of the Chicago Auto Show, Nissan showed off a wacky tread-driven 370Z Roadster. With skis in place of the Z-car’s front tires, it must be trailered to whatever mountain, ski slope or empty parking lot you want to rip around. Sure, you could just roll it onto a trailer and hitch it up to your trusty pickup, but there’s no fun in hauling a custom vehicle with a stock tow rig. Solving that problem, Nissan turned an Armada into a snow-ready show truck for Chicago.
Called Snow Patrol, Nissan is hoping to remind you that the Armada is related to its legendary Patrol SUV and invoke a sense of authority over any snowy terrain. The custom rig is modified, but not as heavily massaged as the 370Z it tugs along. To get it to easily clear the 35-inch Pro Comp MT2 tires that wrap 20-inch satin black Cognito Series 61 wheels, Nissan lifted the Armada 3 inches. Expecting rough terrain, a Smittybilt off-road bumper replaces the factory bumper and M-1A running boards/rock sliders should keep the rocker panels damage free.
As with any brodozer or trail rig, the Snow Patrol has enough lighting to make a photographer happy. Aside from the stock headlamps, this custom Armada sports a bumper-mounted LED light bar and a double-row LED light bar attached to the roof rack.
Inside the Snow Patrol, you’ll find … well, a slightly modified stock Armada interior. If you planned on doing this to your Armada, you won’t have to recover the seats to match this particular custom — the stock guts are more than good enough. Oh yeah, and unlike the 370Zki, you can do all of this to your Armada, according to Nissan’s vice president of commercial vehicles and trucks Billy Hayes. Hayes says, “The Armada Snow Patrol project was completed using readily available aftermarket parts — thanks especially to Pro Comp and Katzkin — showing owners how easy it is to take their family adventures to the next level even in some of winter’s most severe conditions.”
To check this Armada out in person, you’ll have to swing by the Chicago Auto Show. If you can’t head to the Windy City, you can get a rough idea of what your Armada would look like from the images above.