The end of October means pumpkins, candies and costumes for normal people. But for those of us who follow the auto industry, there’s an entirely different set of outfits making their grand debut at the annual SEMA show.
While some brands are skipping SEMA, Nissan is not one of them. The Japanese brand is bringing a number of concepts and racers to this year’s show, showing just how crazy its new products can get. The latest Z sports car features prominently, but the Ariya has fun too, while the Frontier pickup truck adds a healthy dose of V8. And there’s even a tantalizing marriage of classic metal with modern electrification. Let’s dive in and see what Nissan is bringing to SEMA 2022.
18 Pictures
Catch some Z’s
Half the cars Nissan shows at SEMA carry the iconic Z badge, but only one of them is truly road legal, and what the Nismo Accessorized Z lacks in its unimaginative name, it makes up for in performance and aesthetic extras. On the outside, there’s the traditional Nismo red-white-black color scheme and not much else – instead of wild fenders or crazy body kits, Mobile1 graphics and fiberglass trim carbon inside and out add a dose of motorsport flair.
Instead, Nissan is focusing on functional performance enhancements. The twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 features a Nismo-branded cold air intake that awaits CARB approval, while a larger heat exchanger keeps the engine in its happy place on days of hot track. A stainless steel Nismo exhaust with a 2.25-inch outer pipe allows for freer breathing and a better soundtrack. Nissan doesn’t share the power of the Nismo Accessorized Z, but a new Nismo dual-disc clutch and flywheel can handle up to 800 horsepower and 750 pound-feet of torque.
The heavily upgraded suspension wears Nismo twin-tube coilovers that reduce ride height by what looks like at least a few tenths of an inch. With the Nismo-branded stabilizer bar kit, coilovers are the only purchasable suspension changes. Prototype parts include a strut tower brace and a whole host of suspension linkages. New 19-inch Nismo LM-RS1 wheels protect a Nismo big brake kit. Six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers should provide a lot more stopping power, while Bridgestone RE71RS tires mean a lot more grip.
Beyond the Nismo Accessozied Z, Nissan is also showing off the 1,300 horsepower GT-R-powered Z that drifter Chris Forsberg will campaign in Formula Drift. It’s joined by a GT4-spec Z – Nissan will share its 2023 racing plans at its SEMA press conference, but with GT4 cars coming to the IMSA VP Racing series in 2023, it’s a safe bet we’ll see the new Z challenge on North Americas Circuits in the near future.
Zero emissions, maximum cooling
The craziest of Nissan’s production concepts has to be the Ariya Surfwagon. Built by Tommy Pike Customs, it adopts a vinyl wrap and wide chrome trim to replicate the classic Woodie Wagon vibe. But frankly, this change plays second fiddle to the fantastic 20-inch “smoothie” wheels. Turquoise wheels, chrome center caps and whitewall tires are as eye-catching as they come, thanks in part to the lowered ride height. Finally, a custom roof rack houses a pair of seven-foot surfboards.
If the Ariya Surfwagon is a bit too aggressive a mix of classic and modern, then the Nissan Leaf-powered Sunny pickup might be faster. Also a product of Tommy Pike Customs and owned by the Tommy Pike himself, this is a marriage of a Nissan Leaf powertrain with a 1987 Sunny pickup. It’s basically perfect.
A 40-kilowatt-hour battery and a single electric motor produce 147 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque. That might not sound like a lot, but Nissan helpfully points out that it’s twice the power and three times the torque than the Sunny originally had when it rolled out of the factory during the Reagan administration. The front suspension is based on a conversion for the S13 Silvia (240SX on our shores) while the rear sees upgraded leaf springs. The 17-inch Rotiform wheels harmonize naturally with the lower ride height and the wide body kit.
moor truck
Last but not least is the Nismo Off-Road Frontier V8 Concept which, you guessed it, is a Frontier with a V8 engine. I can’t really argue with the awesomeness of this.
The 5.6-liter V8 comes from the Titan pickup and benefits from a Nismo-branded cold air intake and cat-back exhaust. Nissan doesn’t share the total horsepower, but it should subtly improve on the factory 5.6-liter Titan’s 400 hp and 413 lb-ft. Nissan and Forsberg Racing went with a Baja truck theme, adding wide-track suspension with Nismo/Bilstein shocks on all four corners, upgraded rear leaf springs and a stronger rear axle, also from the Titan. Ride height increases by what looks like two to three inches, although Nissan didn’t share a specific figure.
The Off-Road Frontier wears a widebody kit that uses carbon fiber for the front fenders, hood and box sides. Prototype items include the steel front bumper (which includes a Warn winch), rock rails, and a bed-mounted carrier for a wheel/tire.
If the Baja life isn’t for you or you find a V8 a little overkill, Christina Roki’s Nissan Frontier Street Truck Project stands out. Based on the Frontier King Cab, this black-white-red pickup has a custom suspension setup that lowers the ride height. Rounding out the new stance are 20-inch Black Rhino Kaizen, a Performance Lab Detroit body kit and smoked headlights. The main powertrain upgrade is a Magnaflow cat-back exhaust.
Nissan will showcase all of its racing concepts and vehicles at the SEMA show in Las Vegas from November 1-4. Expect much more from the big show when it kicks off next week.
The end of October means pumpkins, candies and costumes for normal people. But for those of us who follow the auto industry, there’s an entirely different set of outfits making their grand debut at the annual SEMA show.
While some brands are skipping SEMA, Nissan is not one of them. The Japanese brand is bringing a number of concepts and racers to this year’s show, showing just how crazy its new products can get. The latest Z sports car features prominently, but the Ariya has fun too, while the Frontier pickup truck adds a healthy dose of V8. And there’s even a tantalizing marriage of classic metal with modern electrification. Let’s dive in and see what Nissan is bringing to SEMA 2022.
18 Pictures
Catch some Z’s
Half the cars Nissan shows at SEMA carry the iconic Z badge, but only one of them is truly road legal, and what the Nismo Accessorized Z lacks in its unimaginative name, it makes up for in performance and aesthetic extras. On the outside, there’s the traditional Nismo red-white-black color scheme and not much else – instead of wild fenders or crazy body kits, Mobile1 graphics and fiberglass trim carbon inside and out add a dose of motorsport flair.
Instead, Nissan is focusing on functional performance enhancements. The twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 features a Nismo-branded cold air intake that awaits CARB approval, while a larger heat exchanger keeps the engine in its happy place on days of hot track. A stainless steel Nismo exhaust with a 2.25-inch outer pipe allows for freer breathing and a better soundtrack. Nissan doesn’t share the power of the Nismo Accessorized Z, but a new Nismo dual-disc clutch and flywheel can handle up to 800 horsepower and 750 pound-feet of torque.
The heavily upgraded suspension wears Nismo twin-tube coilovers that reduce ride height by what looks like at least a few tenths of an inch. With the Nismo-branded stabilizer bar kit, coilovers are the only purchasable suspension changes. Prototype parts include a strut tower brace and a whole host of suspension linkages. New 19-inch Nismo LM-RS1 wheels protect a Nismo big brake kit. Six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers should provide a lot more stopping power, while Bridgestone RE71RS tires mean a lot more grip.
Beyond the Nismo Accessozied Z, Nissan is also showing off the 1,300 horsepower GT-R-powered Z that drifter Chris Forsberg will campaign in Formula Drift. It’s joined by a GT4-spec Z – Nissan will share its 2023 racing plans at its SEMA press conference, but with GT4 cars coming to the IMSA VP Racing series in 2023, it’s a safe bet we’ll see the new Z challenge on North Americas Circuits in the near future.
Zero emissions, maximum cooling
The craziest of Nissan’s production concepts has to be the Ariya Surfwagon. Built by Tommy Pike Customs, it adopts a vinyl wrap and wide chrome trim to replicate the classic Woodie Wagon vibe. But frankly, this change plays second fiddle to the fantastic 20-inch “smoothie” wheels. Turquoise wheels, chrome center caps and whitewall tires are as eye-catching as they come, thanks in part to the lowered ride height. Finally, a custom roof rack houses a pair of seven-foot surfboards.
If the Ariya Surfwagon is a bit too aggressive a mix of classic and modern, then the Nissan Leaf-powered Sunny pickup might be faster. Also a product of Tommy Pike Customs and owned by the Tommy Pike himself, this is a marriage of a Nissan Leaf powertrain with a 1987 Sunny pickup. It’s basically perfect.
A 40-kilowatt-hour battery and a single electric motor produce 147 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque. That might not sound like a lot, but Nissan helpfully points out that it’s twice the power and three times the torque than the Sunny originally had when it rolled out of the factory during the Reagan administration. The front suspension is based on a conversion for the S13 Silvia (240SX on our shores) while the rear sees upgraded leaf springs. The 17-inch Rotiform wheels harmonize naturally with the lower ride height and the wide body kit.
moor truck
Last but not least is the Nismo Off-Road Frontier V8 Concept which, you guessed it, is a Frontier with a V8 engine. I can’t really argue with the awesomeness of this.
The 5.6-liter V8 comes from the Titan pickup and benefits from a Nismo-branded cold air intake and cat-back exhaust. Nissan doesn’t share the total horsepower, but it should subtly improve on the factory 5.6-liter Titan’s 400 hp and 413 lb-ft. Nissan and Forsberg Racing went with a Baja truck theme, adding wide-track suspension with Nismo/Bilstein shocks on all four corners, upgraded rear leaf springs and a stronger rear axle, also from the Titan. Ride height increases by what looks like two to three inches, although Nissan didn’t share a specific figure.
The Off-Road Frontier wears a widebody kit that uses carbon fiber for the front fenders, hood and box sides. Prototype items include the steel front bumper (which includes a Warn winch), rock rails, and a bed-mounted carrier for a wheel/tire.
If the Baja life isn’t for you or you find a V8 a little overkill, Christina Roki’s Nissan Frontier Street Truck Project stands out. Based on the Frontier King Cab, this black-white-red pickup has a custom suspension setup that lowers the ride height. Rounding out the new stance are 20-inch Black Rhino Kaizen, a Performance Lab Detroit body kit and smoked headlights. The main powertrain upgrade is a Magnaflow cat-back exhaust.
Nissan will showcase all of its racing concepts and vehicles at the SEMA show in Las Vegas from November 1-4. Expect much more from the big show when it kicks off next week.
