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Nissan has built a supercharged Frontier drift truck


Nissan has built a supercharged Frontier drift truck

Nissan is no stranger to fun one-offs. The latest, developed for this year's SEMA show in Las Vegas, is a heavily modified Frontier pickup designed for drifting. The one-of-a-kind truck features custom suspension, a supercharged engine and a set of handsome retro Recaro seats.

Called the Frontier Tarmac, the truck was built in collaboration between Nissan and Forsberg Racing under the direction of drifting legend Chris Forsberg. The pickup was first designed by the Nissan Motorsports team in 2021 and is based on a Frontier PRO-X. The redesign took six months.

The Frontier Tarmac retains its 3.8-liter V6, but Nissan has added a water-cooled supercharger and a prototype Nismo-branded carbon fiber cold air intake and cat-back exhaust. The result is an additional 130 horsepower and 119 pound-feet of torque, for a new total output of 440 horsepower and 400 pound-feet.



Nissan Frontier Asphalt for Sema 8

Photo by: Nissan



Nissan Frontier Asphalt for Sema 3

Photo by: Nissan

Nissan doesn't provide any information about the transmission, and based on the photos it looks like the standard gear selector for the nine-speed automatic has been retained. Power goes only to the rear wheels, while Nismo calipers with custom mounts provide stopping power. In the back you'll find two sets of brake calipers, one for normal braking and another connected to the huge, one-off hydraulic handbrake for drifting.

“Twenty years ago, having a high-performance truck was definitely a cool thing. But today you very rarely see lowered high-performance trucks,” Forsberg said in a statement. “I haven’t built a lowered truck since 2003. It just seemed fun – it was different.”



Nissan Frontier Asphalt for Sema 7


Nissan Frontier Asphalt for Sema 11

Photo by: Nissan



Nissan Frontier Asphalt for Sema 9

Photo by: Nissan

Other interior changes include a carbon fiber-trimmed steering wheel and two Recaro front seats covered in a custom retro upholstery pattern. The suspension is a modified version of the Nismo road suspension offered for the Frontier. It features adjustable coilovers in the front, a flip kit in the rear to lower the ride height, and a C-notch in the frame to lower it even further.

“You can rightly call this truck 'slammed,'” Forsberg added. “It’s very low.”

The Frontier Tarmac concept will debut at Nissan's SEMA booth in Las Vegas starting tomorrow, November 2nd. You can see it alongside a variety of other modified vehicles Nissan is introducing at the show.

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