After eight long days and nearly 1,700 miles across the California and Nevada desert, the BMW X5 has claimed 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, BMW of North America’s Product Manager, who guided a nearly factory-stock X5 through one of the toughest navigation challenges in North America.
An Old-School Rally for Modern Machines
The Rebelle Rally isn’t about speed. It’s about accuracy, endurance, and teamwork. Over eight days, competitors use only maps and compasses to find hidden checkpoints scattered across vast stretches of desert. GPS devices are banned. Getting one bearing wrong can mean hours of lost time — or missing the day’s goal entirely.
From October 11 to 17, the two Rebeccas piloted their BMW X5 xDrive40i across every type of terrain the desert could throw at them: dunes, rocky washes, dry lakebeds, and gravel tracks. The event tests not only driver and navigator but also the durability of the vehicles they bring.
Stock Means Stock
The X5 competed in the Bone Stock category, where teams are allowed almost no modifications. Aside from off-road tires in the original size, a roof rack, and essential recovery gear, this X5 was the same as 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 producing 375 horsepower.
That setup — plus drive modes like xSand, xGravel, xSnow, and xRock — was enough to carry the team through some of the rally’s hardest sections, including the infamous “Dunes Day.” Staying on pace through deep, shifting sand required careful throttle work, momentum, and a steady hand.
For Dalski, the rally was a hands-on way to experience BMW’s engineering in conditions few customers will ever face. As navigator, Dalski relied entirely on analog tools — compass, ruler, and map — while Donaghe focused on the driving.
Not BMW’s First Participation
BMW’s Rebelle program has grown steadily in recent years. In 2023, an X2 M35i finished second in its class. The following year, an X3 M50 carried the brand’s colors through another strong showing.
