Supercharged Nissan Patrol Y62: Custom 4x4

WHAT has the ability to travel to any corner of Australia, take on tracks that’d leave twin-locked GU Patrols scratching their heads, a refined interior and more power than a Ferrari 488 GTB?

Vote for Andrew's Supercharged Patrol to decide this year's Custom 4x4 of the Year.

If you answered anything but Andrew Cassar’s insane supercharged 5.6L Y62 Patrol, you’d be sadly mistaken.

Watch the vid to see this Supercharged Y62 Patrol in action.

Despite being the spiritual descendant of one of Australia’s most popular 4x4s, the Y62 has had something of a rocky start. Its drastic change to fully independent suspension and petrol-only engine choice had many people scratching their heads, wondering just what the hell was going on over at Nissan.

Andrew wasn’t one of them. As the owner of On Track 4x4 Repairs in Kealba, Victoria, and a long-time winch truck competitor, Andrew is no stranger to modified 4x4s and could see the potential lurking underneath the new Patrol.

“It was between this and the LandCruiser 200 Series,” Andrew told us. “The creature comforts were better in the Y62 and it just represented better value for money. It’s a huge step up from the GU Patrol in every way and makes the current 200 Series look dated.”

If it sounds like Andrew might be a little smitten with his Patrol it’s because he has reason to. Lurking under the bonnet is Nissan’s VK56 5.6L V8 engine, delivering 300kW in stock form. This engine is that far ahead of the game there are modified versions currently running around the V8 Supercar circuit that bump that figure up to 480kW, but even they pale in comparison to the power underneath Andrew’s right foot.

“When we first got it we threw it on the dyno and it pushed out 160kW at all four wheels after drivetrain loss,” Andrew said. “We then fitted it with a Harrop 2.3L supercharger kit and had the stock ECU retuned by Harrop; it’s now putting out 350kW at the wheels.”

That’s a huge 118 per cent increase in power – and still comes in cheaper than a comparable 200 Series. You might be forgiven for thinking power like that must take a balance of modifications, but the Patrol driveline is basically stock other than the Harrop supercharger and tune and HM exhaust system. The engine, transmission and transfer case all remain unopened.

“It goes great,” Andrew said. “It sounds like a HSV, goes like a HSV. It’s comfortable, put the family in, tow the boat, do whatever you want and the fuel bill isn’t that bad considering. It’s up around 21L/100km and I drive it like I stole it!”

That’s a fair trade-off for a vehicle weighing three tonnes with V8 Supercar power. Despite this the Patrol still has a range of well over 1000km between drinks, with a 150L LRA auxiliary fuel tank taking the total capacity up to 290 litres.

While independent suspension and a host of electronic aids make the Y62 perform better on- and off-road than the older models could only dream of, the 35-inch tyres are a nod to out-and-out off-road performance. “We actually run two sets of tyres depending on use,” Andrew told us. “If we’re heading to the snow or mud I’ve got a set of 35/12.5R18 BFGoodrich mud terrains on the stock rims. I’ve also got a second set of rims with 305/70R18 Mickey Thompson ATZ P3s we’ll use for running around town or beach work.”

Between both sets of 35in tyres, the factory rear diff lock and the Harrop ELocker up front, the Patrol is a sight to behold off-road. “It astonishes me how far it goes,” he added. “I drive tracks all the time that I never thought you could get a fully independent 4x4 up and it does it with ease. I don’t miss the solid axles.”

Asking the huge Y62 wheel arches to take a 35-inch tyre was a little more than they could handle, so Andrew raised the Patrol by a full 50mm on each end. It’s riding on Old Man Emu springs with matching Nitrocharger Sport shocks on each corner.

Like most modern independent suspension set-ups, 50mm is the max the Y62 can be lifted before running into issues with alignment and angles. However, Andrew tells us it’s currently on the hoist again, swapping out the Nitrochargers for a set of remote reservoir fully adjustable BP-51s.

While the bar work may look neat and orderly it’s actually a compilation of off-the-shelf and custom, something that seems to be a running theme with Andrew. Up front there’s a colour-coded ARB Deluxe bullbar that plays host to a Magnum 10,000lb winch. Andrew ditched the stock Magnum motor and swapped it out for a 6hp unit from a Warn 9.5XP for a little more power, although he assured us it’s rarely used for anything other than clearing trees off tracks.

Protecting the Patrol’s flanks are matching scrub bars and sliders. With no off-the-shelf solution for these the team from On Track 4x4 custom-made them to suit. The rear end now looks the part, with a full rear bar from Kaymar guarding the rear quarters and carrying the spare tyre.

Getting the spare out of the recess in the rear floor wasn’t just for looks, either. In its place now resides five Fullriver 20Ah batteries for a total of 100Ah in reserve. The set-up is controlled by a Redarc BCDC 1225 charger with provisions for solar and smart start, so at the flick of a button the big Patrol can jumpstart itself. While the battery system packs more than enough power for the Lightforce 240s up front and Icom IC440 UHF inside, there’s no extensive storage system like you’d expect.

“There needs to be room in the back for a pram,” Andrew said with a laugh. “The Patrol does family duties, so it’s normally got three kiddie seats in there and the back’s full of groceries.”

If the future of 4x4s in Australia is as fully independent grocery-getters with ungodly amounts of power and ability, then it’s looking rosy.

WHAT’S IN THE NUMBERS?

ANDREW’S Patrol is fitted with a Harrop 2.3L FDFI2300 Supercharger Kit, boosting at 7psi.

The Harrop FDFI2300 kit ($10,989) is a twin rotor supercharger with Eaton’s Roots-type TVS internals. In force-fed systems there are two figures that matter: how much air is going in, and how hard it’s being pushed.

Two large rotors force 2.3 litres of air into the engine at 7.3 psi, or half of one atmosphere of pressure, for every rotation of the supercharger. More air going in equals more power. Simple stuff.

Vote for Andrew's Supercharged Patrol to decide this year's Custom 4x4 of the Year.