--- title: "This SEMA Nissan Frontier Really Nails the Nickelodeon Hot Wheels Monster Truck Aesthetic" date: "2025-10-30" modified: "2025-10-30" authors: - name: "Andrew P. Collins" job_title: "Executive Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/andrew-p-collins" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/this-sema-nissan-frontier-really-nails-the-nickelodeon-hot-wheels-monster-truck-aesthetic" categories: - "Builds" - "Culture" - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Nissan News" tags: - "Frontier" - "Nissan" - "pickup" --- # This SEMA Nissan Frontier Really Nails the Nickelodeon Hot Wheels Monster Truck Aesthetic ![Rapid Runner Nissan]() *\Nissan, edited by the author\* There's a pretty neat batch of [Nissans]() at the SEMA tuner show this year. Besides the [V8 manual Xterra that Nismo Nick built](), the company internally is presenting a cool desert-running Armada SUV, a sweet Saudi-style old-school Patrol, and this delightfully silly "Frontier Rapid Runner" with a river kayaking theme and splashy graphic set. I had so many toys like this as a kid, and I'm guessing the people who put it together did too. Apparently, this is the same Frontier that came out to the show last year as the "[Trailgater]()," an off-road adventure vehicle designed to turn any campsite into a TV-watching area. I like this river-running version a lot better. Mostly because of the splash-themed wrap and lack of doors. I love driving Jeeps with the doors removed so much. Every time I acquire a new project vehicle, I think about how practical it'd be to make some tube doors for the same experience (and every time I arrive at the same conclusion: no, it's not viable). But Nissan and build partner [POWERNATION TV]() have more resources and creative engineering capabilities than I do, so they were able to make it happen. We'll dump all the images of this thing into a slideshow for you to scroll through: - ![]() - ![]() - ![]() - ![]() - ![]() - ![]() - ![]() - ![]() - ![]() - ![]() - ![]() [][][] The wide stance of this thing, due to Titan truck suspension, pushes it into caricature territory. But I think that was probably the point. The wheel fitment, colorway, and accessories make the whole package look exactly like a toy I would have gone nuts over in the '90s without really trying to be retro, and I'm all about it. Here's the full parts list as provided by Nissan: ## Nissan Frontier Rapid Runner Build Sheet ### Suspension - Nissan TITAN suspension components + rear axle swap - BILSTEIN adjustable coilovers - BILSTEIN front upper control arms - BILSTEIN rear shocks - Two-inch body lift ### Wheels and Tires - Prototype NISMO 17-inch x 8.5-inch +20 Ascend wheels - 37x12.50R17 Yokohama GEOLANDAR X-MT tires ### Exterior - NISMO Off-Road high bed rack - NISMO Off-Road roof rack - Prototype NISMO Off-Road 40-inch low-profile light bar - Prototype NISMO Off Road 6-inch roof rack flood lights - NISMO Off-Road A-pillar light mounts with 4-inch NISMO Off-Road driving lights - Custom open/tube door concept - Steel front and rear bumpers - Custom fender flares - Storage for up to four kayaks - Bed storage system with pull-out drawers + shelving system - NISMO Gear rack shower - NISMO Gear solar panels - NISMO Gear ratchet straps - NISMO Gear tow straps - NISMO Gear power cubes ### Interior - Covercraft waterproof seat covers - All-purpose lined floor and interior space - NISMO Off-Road All-Season floormats ### Engine - Prototype NISMO cold air intake - Prototype NISMO snorkel - NISMO exhaust - Mobil 1 Extended Performance oil *Got a tip? Or had any luck making tube doors like this? Drop me a line at andrew.collins@thedrive.com.* ## Author As Executive Editor, Andrew touches everything on the site from daily news coverage to feature stories, sponsored content, product reviews, road testing vehicles, ecommerce, and more. He's held pretty much every role there is to have at an automotive news site and has been with The Drive's publisher Recurrent since 2020. Andrew's a lifetime gearhead and longtime writer with a particularly strong penchant for road trips, off-road adventures, and archaic vehicles. His passions outside of the automotive world include skiing, obsolete video games, and his dog Bramble who occationally helps review cars. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()