PHAT BLASTER

NO WEIGHT LOSS SUPPLEMENTS HERE. THE ADDITIONS TO ANTHONY BARR’S PATROL WERE ALL COOKED UP TO CREATE HIS OWN ULTIMATE TOURING VEHICLE.

- MATT RAUDONIKIS

NISSAN’S Y62 Patrol might have polarised the Patrol faithful when it replaced the venerable GU in Australia back in 2013, but it has steadily built up a strong following among four-wheel drivers as more and better equipment has become available to tweak the big wagon. While many lament the lack of a diesel engine and live axles, there’s no disputing the Y62’s VK56 petrol V8 engine is one of the best mills on the market and rewards the driver with awesome performance and a killer V8 howl.

When we asked long-time live-axle Patrol owner Anthony Barr what he loves most about his Y62, he said with a grin, “The noise and the power,” adding the ground clearance afforded by the independent suspension at each corner. Turn the sound up when viewing the video of the Patrol (4x4Australia.com.au) and you’ll understand why he’s smiling.

Anthony has had what he says are ‘countless’ GQ and GU Patrols over the years but has been sold on the Y62 from the time they came out. It was only more recently that he was in the position to get one.

“I was a trainee sales person for Nissan back in 2013 when the big boss owned one,” Anthony recalls. “He once told me to go do a fuel run in it and from that day I wanted one. Then once I found out how capable these things could be it was all I needed.

“When my dual-cab TD42 was written off I decided it was this (a Y62) or a 200 Series, but (with) my budget of around 50K I could only get into a stock GXL 200 with more than 200,000km on it and needing love.”