After eight long days and nearly 1,700 miles through the California and Nevada desert, the BMW X5 has secured first place in the Bone Stock category and second overall in the X-Cross class at the 2025 Rebelle Rally. Behind the wheel were Rebecca Donaghe and Rebecca Dalski, product managers at BMW of North America, who guided a near-stock X5 through one of the toughest navigation challenges in North America.
An old-school rally for modern machines
The Rebelle Rally is not about speed. It’s about accuracy, perseverance and teamwork. For eight days, participants use nothing but maps and compasses to find hidden checkpoints scattered across vast stretches of desert. GPS devices are prohibited. A wrong bearing can mean hours of lost time – or completely missing the day’s target.
From October 11th to 17th, the two Rebeccas drove their BMW X5 xDrive40i through every terrain the desert could offer them: dunes, rocky rivers, dry lakes and gravel roads. The event not only tests the driver and navigator, but also the durability of the vehicles brought along.
Camp means camp
The X5 competed in the Bone Stock category, where teams are allowed almost no modifications. Aside from full-size off-road tires, a roof rack, and the necessary recovery equipment, this X5 was the same as the one built in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Power came from the familiar 3.0-liter inline-six engine with xDrive all-wheel drive and a mild hybrid system that produced 375 horsepower.
This setup – plus driving modes such as xSand, xGravel, xSnow and xRock – was enough to take the team through some of the toughest sections of the rally, including the infamous “Dunes Day”. Maintaining pace through deep, moving sand required careful throttle, momentum and a steady hand.
For Dalski, the rally was a practical way to experience BMW’s technology in conditions that few customers ever encounter. As a navigator, Dalski relied exclusively on analog tools – compass, ruler and map – while Donaghe concentrated on driving.
Not BMW’s first participation
BMW’s Rebelle program has grown steadily in recent years. In 2023, an X2 M35i ranked second in its class. The following year, an X3 M50 once again featured the brand’s colors strongly.
