Nissan Frontier TARMAC Concept Is a Track-Ready Sport Truck for SEMA
Nissan teams up with Chris Forsberg to build slammed 440 horsepower truck that dreams of being a Nissan Z.
Nissan Motorsports and three-time Formula Drift Champion Chris Forsberg are teaming up for SEMA 2024, but rather than do the obligatory sports car thing they’re working on a 2025 Nissan Frontier truck. Dubbed the Frontier "TARMAC Concept," the build is meant as a throwback to a time when midsize performance trucks were all the rage at the SEMA show.
“Twenty years ago, having a performance truck was definitely a cool thing. But today, very rarely do you see lowered, performance truck builds,” said Forsberg. “I haven’t built a lowered truck since 2003. It just seemed fun—it was different.”
There’s always a bit of corporate synergy with OEM SEMA builds, the TARMAC is also doing double-duty as a showcase of upcoming NISMO products for the Nissan Frontier.
Forsberg started by bolting on a water-cooled supercharger to the 3.8-liter V-6, as well as a prototype NISMO carbon fiber cold air intake and NISMO cat-back exhaust. Altogether the package boosts the Frontier’s output to 440 horsepower and 400 lb ft of torque. Stopping the truck is a set of NISMO brakes that were installed using custom mounts. Those calipers clamp down on two-piece floating and slotted rotors. There are two calipers per wheel in the back with the second set being linked to a custom handbrake, because of course Forsberg is going to drift this thing.
To pull off the TARMAC’s slammed look, Nissan Motorsports developed a bespoke version of its prototype NISMO high-performance street suspension. The package includes adjustable coilover suspension in front, a flip kit, and C-notch in the rear.
Covering up the TARMAC’s wide stance are custom carbon fiber flared fenders which add 4 inches to the truck’s width. The tailgate spoiler and tonneau cover are also carbon fiber pieces. Under the fenders are a set of custom 20-inch NISMO wheels wrapped in 315/35 Yokohama Advan tires.
Inside is a custom carbon fiber steering wheel and Reacaro seats with custom upholstery along with the anodized handbrake fabricated by Forsberg. It really is a badass midsize truck, but we recommend not getting too attached. This is a one-off just for SEMA, unfortunately—but if someone has the time and money, there’s no reason why they couldn’t recreate it.
Andrew Beckford’s passion for cars started as a middle schooler when his friend Richie explained how an internal combustion engine works. He was bitten by the bug and the rest, as they say, is history. He dug deep into the tuner scene and eventually wrote for Turbo Magazine, Import Tuner, Super Street. He covered car shows, feature builds, and reviewed racing games for those magazines in addition to covering motorsports including Formula Drift, Indy Car, and F1 for his personal blog. Eventually Beckford joined MotorTrend to cover the daily automotive news beat. Besides being a gearhead, Beckford has been a gamer since the ’80s and is a huge fan of the arcade racing games of the ’90s like Daytona USA, SEGA Rally, and Ridge Racer. Beckford’s a movie buff as well, especially comic book films from DC and Marvel. When car culture crosses over with gaming and entertainment, rest assured Beckford is aware of it. In addition to serving as a consultant on a “triple A” racing titles, he’s reviewed major racing games such as Forza Motorsport, Need for Speed, Gran Turismo, F1, and more. He’s also interviewed blockbuster directors including Steven Caple Jr. (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts) and Neill Blomkamp (Gran Turismo). His biggest profile to date was with Robert Downey Jr. on his love affair with cars and his show Downey’s Dream Cars on MAX. Beckford’s profile of Downey Jr. was the first print cover story written by an African American in MotorTrend’s history. Along with KJ Jones, Andrew Beckford also heads up MotorTrend’s celebration of Black History Month by spotlighting diverse voices in the automotive industry and motorsports. Beckford’s first car was a 1982 Nissan Stanza affectionately named “Stanley” by his late mother.
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