This is probably about as crazy as Nissan would feasibly go with the midsize Frontier.
Forsberg Racing built this particular concept, and it landed at this year’s SEMA show packing a 5.6-liter Endurance V8 from the larger Titan pickup. In a world of fantastically berserk super trucks from the Ford F-150 Raptor R and the Ram 1500 TRX, this might seem…well, a bit tame. Nevertheless, it still keeps the dream of a V8 midsize rig alive for some folks, and it’s a cut above the last Nismo off-road Frontier we looked at.
Even without forced induction, installing a V8 bumps this Frontier’s output to 400 horsepower and 413 lb-ft of torque (like the half-ton Titan). That’s substantial, considering the stock 3.8-liter V6 manages 310 horsepower and 281 lb-ft.
Forsberg and Nissan went a few steps further than that, though, prepping this truck to stir the imagination of Frontier owners all over the country. To that end, you get a Nismo Off Road cold air instake and cat-back exhaust system. This Frontier also gets 18-by-9-inch wheels with 295/70/R18 mud-terrain tires. Behind the wheels, you get wide-track suspension with Nismo/Bilstein external reservoir shocks and a custom rear leaf spring pack. The lower control arms, front spindles, wheel hubs and the rear axle come straight from the larger Titan.
Capping off this truck’s look and features, the Frontier V8 Concept gets a Nismo Off Road roof rack and LED lighting. There’s also a custom widebody kit with carbon fiber front fenders, hood and bedside. Nismo also supplied a custom, prototype bumper that improves the truck’s clearance and approach angle. Finally, you need to recover yourself or someone else, there’s a Warn winch onboard.
Check out more of our 2022 SEMA coverage below: