Nissan Frontier Tarmac Concept is ready for the (mean) streets

The annual SEMA Show sees automakers (and tuning shops) reveal unique creations and customized one-offs that highlight a brand's creativity. Nissan was no exception when they arrived at this year's SEMA Show in Las Vegas with several unique builds.

However, we'll focus on one particular Nissan that quickly got our attention. Say hello to the Frontier Tarmac Concept which Nissan claims “embodies the spirit of sport and muscle trucks of the past”.

Made possible thanks to Nissan Motorsports, Nissan Design America, and racing legend Chris Forsberg, the vehicle started out life as a Frontier Pro-4X before getting plenty of upgrades.

Billed as a street truck, the Frontier Tarmac Concept immediately catches your attention with its lowered stance, eye-catching Afterburn Orange paint job, and carbon fiber accents throughout the exterior. Speaking of carbon fiber, the tailgate spoiler, tonneau cover, and ultrawide fenders are made from lightweight yet durable composite material.

It also gets an aggressive widebody kit, custom front & rear bumpers, carbon-barreled NISMO Tarmac 20-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Yokohama Advan 315/35 series tires, and a prototype high-performance fully adjustable coilover suspension kit also from NISMO.

Under the hood, the pickup truck comes with a 3.8L V6 engine that gets a helping hand from a Root-style supercharger. Complemented by a cold air intake system and a custom NISMO exhaust system, the Frontier Tarmac Concept generates a meaty 446 PS and a generous 542 Nm of torque.

With that kind of power under the hood, going fast means slowing down even faster. Luckily, the Frontier Tarmac Concept comes with powerful brake calipers derived from the Z NISMO. In addition, the pickup gets a high-performance big brake kit that features custom 15-inch floating two-piece rotors and mounts.

Not forgetting about the interior, Nissan also customized the cabin with a unique carbon fiber steering wheel and Recaro seats. The latter is covered in a custom upholstery that complements the vibrant orange exterior of the low-riding pickup. It even gets a manual handbrake complete with a tall handle – negating the need for the stock foot-parking brake.

While we won't be expecting Nissan to make the Frontier Tarmac Concept into a production vehicle, perhaps Nissan could take some of the concept's elements and make a NISMO variant for the not-so-distant future. Heck, the next-generation Navara could use some NISMO goodies, too.