XPEL, Inc. (Nasdaq: XPEL), a global provider of protective films and coatings, teamed up with BMW of North America to help protect the brand's all-new X2 model at the Rebelle Rally, the longest off-road competition in the United States. In keeping with the spirit of the competition, XPEL assembled an all-female team to install the film on the vehicle.
Just days after the vehicle's world premiere, the BMW X2 made its inaugural appearance at the Rebelle Rally. To ensure the vehicle's exterior paint was protected against dirt, rocks, dust and more, BMW asked XPEL to apply its leading paint protection film (PPF) to the vehicle prior to the race. XPEL's ULTIMATE PLUS film was used on the gloss black trim components and headlights, and the iconic BMW Frozen Portimao Blue Metallic paint was covered in XPEL's STEALTH film. In addition, XPEL applied nano-ceramic PRIME XR PLUS window film on the front windows to provide maximum UV protection and help keep the racers cool.
XPEL Installers Florine Peffer, Morgan Yakiwchuk, and Alexis Maddux performed the installation at the BMW port operations in California. It took the team a total 96 hours to hand cut and install the film to perfectly fit on the all-new X2, as templated designs have yet to be created for this all-new vehicle. Each piece of film was hand-laid and installed to ensure the X2's paint and surfaces were protected and race-ready for the Rebelle Rally.
"We are proud to partner with BMW North America on this opportunity to showcase the ability of our world-class female application engineers and industry-leading protective film products," said Duane Gotro, XPEL's Director of OEM. "We are confident that at the end of the race, the X2's paint will look just as stunning as when the race started."
"This is the first time that we have entered a BMW into this competition, which is extremely demanding not only on the driver and navigator, but also on the vehicle. We are thankful to work with XPEL to help protect the look of our recently premiered X2." said Andreas Meyer, Vice President of Product Management at BMW of North America.
The 2023 Rebelle Rally got underway Thursday, October 12, in Mammoth Lakes, CA, and finishes Saturday, October 21, in the Imperial Dunes near the Mexican border. The rally encompasses 6 stages and stretches more than 1,300 miles across the harsh and unforgiving deserts of California and Nevada. The all-new BMW X2 will be competing in the X-CROSS™ Class and will be driven and navigated by veteran Rebelle Rally competitors Rebecca Donaghe and Sedona Blinson.