Following on the heels of three retro performance concepts, Nissan has revealed a trio off-road SEMA builds. The one that tugs at our heartstrings the most is the Pathfinder XE-V6 Concept. It takes a modern Nissan Pathfinder and outfits it with the look of its first-generation namesake, the venerable WD21, and in the process makes it a little more off-road ready.
The name itself is a callback to the XE-V6 designation used on VG30-powered versions of the WD21, differentiating it from four-cylinder versions. However, it fits with the current Pathfinder as well, which comes with Nissan’s ubiquitous 3.5-liter VQ-series V6 standard.
Swoopy decal stripes recall Nissan trucks of the 80s and 90s and look perfect against the vibrant Aztec Red paint of the era. Though Nissan says the stripes “referencing the vibrant graphics of 1980s-era Patrol SUVs,” we think they most closely resemble the stripes on mid-90s Nissan Hardbody pickups, on which the original Pathfinder was based.
The throwbacks aren’t limited to the color and graphics. Nissan has outfitted the Pathfinder with a custom rear swing-out spare tire carrier, just like the original. The rock rails are custom as well, but are reminiscent of the ones on the WD21 as well.
Nissan even threw some retro mudflaps on the concept, with the old school hamburger logo and 80s Nissan font. The concept started out as a Pathfinder Rock Creek, which as a bit more power and torque than the standard Pathfinder, 295 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque versus 284 horsepower and 259 lb-ft, and a 0.6-inch lift.
The XE-V6 concept adds another four inches of lift and subframe drop spacers. The prototype NISMO 18×9-inch AX-5 wheels look good wrapped in 285/75-R18 Yokohama Geolandar M/T G003 tires, but to really get that retro look we would’ve like to see the three-spoke wheels that appear on the Frontier. Sadly, their 6-lug pattern isn’t swappable with the unibody Pathfinder’s 5-lug hubs.
Nevertheless, we find this the best rendition of the fifth-generation R53 Pathfinder that Nissan has created to date. It’d be great if it entered production, and should have been the 40th Anniversary edition.
