Slammed Nissan Frontier Muscle Truck Called Tarmac Is All Nismo and Mean

Based on the same Frontier platform it used to put together another show truck for SEMA, the Project Trailgater, Tarmac comes across as a build that does fear whatever competition is left in this segment. And what segment would that be? The slammed, supercharger truck one, that's what.

The Tarmac is the work of Nissan's North American operations and Forsberg Racing and the result is, simply put, something that can't be ignored, from the paint job – which is something new for the 2025 model year, a paint called Afterburn Orange - to the performance figures of the monster.

I'll start with the visual mods made to the Frontier for the simple reason they're impossible to miss. The aforementioned paint job is not the only upgrade made, and perhaps not even the most visible. That's because the carmaker and its partner spared no expense in literally flooding the truck with carbon fiber parts, going from the vented hood at the front to the fenders at the sides, the roof cap on top, and the tonneau cover at the rear.

All this impressive work is highlighted even more by the wide body kit installed on the Frontier, which makes the concept four inches wider than a stock Frontier PRO-X, but also the underbody LED lights making it shine in the dark.

Completing the visual look is a set of four forged face wheels in matte bronze of the Nissan Nismo variety. They are 20 inches in diameter and dressed in Yokohama Advan tires, but it is what's behind them that is truly spectacular: a big brake kit that employs the same calipers used on the Z Nismo, and a slammed suspension system with adjustable coilovers.

The interior was brought up to speed as well, and here we now get Recaro Sportster CS sport bucket seats, carbon fiber on the steering wheel and trimmings, and Alcantara here and there.

Unlike some of the custom projects we see taking to the floor of the SEMA show, which bring only visual and comfort enhancements to the table, the Tarmac is a beast at heart as well. That's because Forsberg Racing worked its magic on the 3.8-liter V6 engine of the truck.

By installing a Roots-style supercharger, a Nissan Nismo cold air intake, and a Nissan Nismo exhaust system, the engine's max output was taken to 440 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque.

Nissan says it took those involved no less than six months to put the Tarmac together. The expected effect is to remind people of the muscle trucks of the past, while at the same time drawing in more and younger customers to the model.

There are no plans to turn the Tarmac into a production truck, but one can always have the Frontier Forsberg Edition package that's available for any Frontier made since 2022.