BMW of North America Returns for the 2025 Rebelle Rally
Veteran driver Rebecca Donaghe will pilot a BMW X5 & BMW of North America product manager Rebecca Dalski will navigate…
BMW has returned to the Rebelle Rally, the nation’s longest competitive off-road challenge. Veteran driver Rebecca Donaghe is piloting a BMW X5 across 1,700 miles of demanding terrain alongside BMW product manager and first-time navigator Rebecca Dalski. Taking place Oct. 10–17 across a vast stretch of California and Nevada desert, the challenge features a lineup of 68 female driver-navigator teams and forbids the use of GPS guidance. Instead, competitors must rely on analog navigational techniques to hunt for checkpoints throughout the desert landscape.
Dalski, whose day job centers around shaping the future of the BMW product lineup for the American market, helped test the limits of the BMW X5 while guiding her team’s journey from the navigator’s seat as they demonstrated how BMW’s best-selling model is also capable of conquering obstacles off-road, company officials stated in a press release.
“Adventure is worthwhile in itself”, said Dalski. “With an off-road package featuring xSand, xGravel, xSnow and xRock modes, the BMW X5 is well-equipped for this challenge. Add to that Rebecca Donaghe’s excellent driving skills, along with the analog navigational techniques I’ve been sharpening, and I’m sure that we’ll cross the finish line proudly in October. The Rebelle Rally was described to me as a game of chess played out in the world, and I cannot wait to see what we’ll encounter.”
The BMW X5 Is Ready for All Kinds of Driving Conditions
At the core of the BMW X5 xDrive40i is a 375-horsepower inline-six engine paired with a mild-hybrid system, delivering a responsive driving experience without sacrificing fuel efficiency, noted the release. Its powertrain is complemented by BMW’s signature xDrive all-wheel-drive system, which provides confident handling and stability in various driving conditions. For the Rebelle Rally, the stock vehicle was only augmented by the additions of off-road tires, camping gear and recovery equipment.
Since its original debut more than two decades ago, the company says the BMW X5 has been instrumental in the steady growth of the BMW X family of vehicles and remains one of the brand’s most popular iconic nameplates, famous for its versatility. The BMW X5 is assembled at the brand’s largest production site globally in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
The following internal and external partners helped bring this year’s Rebelle Rally journey for BMW to life: BMW Credit, BMW Protection Products, BMW Women in Motion, BMW Performance Center, BMW Car Club of America and BMW CCA X Chapter, XPEL, Falken, Rotiform, Morimoto, and Thule.
To follow teams throughout the rally, go to rebellerally.com/live-tracking, and to learn about a few other teams competing in the rally, click here.
