BMW returns to the Rebelle Rally, the eight-day off-road competition that trades GPS systems for maps and compasses. From October 11th to 17th, Rebecca Donaghe and Rebecca Dalski will drive a BMW X5 xDrive40i through approximately 1,700 miles across the California and Nevada deserts, competing against 67 other all-female teams. The Rebelle Rally is less about speed and more about precision. Participants must use analog navigation to find hidden checkpoints in vast desert areas. Getting something wrong can cost you hours – or worse, the chance to finish it.
Maps, compass and a stick X5
Rebecca Dalski, a US-based BMW product manager, is taking on navigation tasks for the first time. Her teammate Rebecca Donaghe is a Rebelle veteran who has driven everything from custom off-road vehicles to luxury crossovers.
“Adventures are rewarding in and of themselves,” Dalski said. “The BMW is met with an off-road package with the xSand, xGravel, xSnow and xRock modes.”
The X5 taking part in this year’s event is almost entirely stock. Apart from off-road tires, camping gear and recovery tools, nothing significant has been changed. Under the hood is the 375 hp in-line six-cylinder from BMW with a mild hybrid system, the power of which is provided via the brand’s xDrive all-wheel drive.
Put the X5 to the test
The Rebelle Rally is a reminder that the X5’s capabilities extend far beyond the asphalt. Over its 25-year lifespan, it has been called everything from family hauler to trackday SUV. But when you strip away the electronics and GPS systems and point it at a 1,700-mile-long earth maze, you see a different side of it – one that still retains a bit of the original “Sport Activity Vehicle” spirit that BMW brought to market in 1999. Is it a real off-roader? Not in its basic definition, but it certainly holds its own, and now we have a chance to see it in action.
This year’s event will travel through remote parts of California and Nevada, where the X5’s blend of comfort and traction control will tackle everything from rocky trails to loose dunes.
BMW’s involvement in the Rebelle Rally has grown steadily in recent years. After debuting in 2023 with an X2 M35i that finished second in its class, it was followed in 2024 by an Returning in 2025 with the
