BMW is heading back to the Rebelle Rally, the eight-day off-road competition that trades GPS systems for maps and compasses. From October 11 to 17, Rebecca Donaghe and Rebecca Dalski will take a BMW X5 xDrive40i through roughly 1,700 miles of California and Nevada desert, competing against 67 other all-female teams. The Rebelle Rally is less about speed and more about precision. Competitors have to locate hidden checkpoints across vast stretches of desert using only analogue navigation. Getting it wrong can cost hours — or worse, a chance to finish.
Maps, Compass, and a Stock X5
Rebecca Dalski, a BMW product manager based in the U.S., is taking on navigation duties for the first time. Her teammate, Rebecca Donaghe, is a Rebelle veteran who has driven everything from purpose-built off-road rigs to luxury crossovers.
“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 X5 competing in this year’s event is almost completely stock. Aside from off-road tires, camping gear, and recovery tools, nothing major has been changed. Under the hood is BMW’s 375-horsepower inline-six with a mild-hybrid system, running power through the brand’s xDrive all-wheel drive setup.
Putting the X5 to the Test
The Rebelle Rally is a reminder that the X5’s abilities extend well beyond asphalt. Over its 25-year lifespan, it’s been called everything from a family hauler to a track-day SUV. But when you strip away the electronics and GPS systems and point it at a 1,700-mile dirt maze, you get to see a different side of it — one that still carries a bit of the original “Sport Activity Vehicle” spirit that BMW launched back in 1999. Is it a true off-roader? Not in its basic definition, but it can certainly hold its own and now we will have a chance to see it in action.
This year’s event will run through remote parts of California and Nevada, where the X5’s blend of comfort and traction control will face everything from rocky trails to loose dunes.
BMW’s involvement in the Rebelle Rally has grown steadily over the past few years. After debuting in 2023 with an X2 M35i that finished second in its class, it was followed by an X3 M50 entry in 2024 that continued to showcase how capable BMW’s crossovers can be when pushed off pavement. The 2025 return with the X5 xDrive40i brings things full circle — same driver, new co-driver, and the same goal of proving that a nearly stock BMW can take on 1,700 miles of desert the hard way.
