Cars & Autos | Thursday 5 March, 2015 12:42 pm |

Nissan’s Altima mid-size sedan has triumphed in an extraordinary endurance challenge over 48 hours, which saw the vehicle travel 4,323.2 km non-stop– an equivalent distance of driving from Riyadh to Rome.

Certified by the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation, the endurance test started on Sunday first of March at 9:00 am and lasted for 48 hours. It took place at Al Reem International Circuit in Riyadh where several professional drivers pushed the car to new limits for two straight days. From Sunday 9:00 am to Tuesday 9:00 am, the Altima traveled 4,323.2 KM and drivers had to complete 1,351 laps of the circuit.

“At Nissan we always relish a challenge and while this endurance event was as tough as they come, we had no doubt the Altima would succeed brilliantly. A vehicle must boast the best in durability, quality and reliability to go through 48 hours of non-stop driving, and these are trademarks of the Altima,” says Nissan’s Middle East managing director Samir Cherfan.


“Our company mantra is ‘Innovation that Excites’ and to demonstrate this we came up with the endurance challenge for the Altima to showcase its incredible capabilities in an interesting and exciting way. The Altima has already been active and successful in the endurance racing scene but the regional challenge has been the most demanding the vehicle has encountered.”

The Regional 48H Endurance Race in Saudi Arabia has grabbed the attention of adventurous car lovers all over the Middle East, particularly as an Altima has been up for grabs in a competition for the public.

Fans were able to track the progress of the endurance challenge via a designated website updated frequently. There was also an opportunity to win an Altima via social media (#Altima48h) by answering technical related questions.

Previously the Nissan Altima proved its all-round quality in the Dubai 24 Hours endurance race in 2007 where it covered approximately 2,270 km, or roughly the distance between Dubai and Beirut.