NASCAR-inspired American motorsport truck
One of the cars exhibited by T.R.A.KYOTO at Tokyo Auto Salon 2024 was a slightly older truck-based vehicle with a playful twist. When it comes to truck-based customization, the lift-up style is very popular these days, and there are other old-fashioned ways to have fun, such as low riders, but T.R.A.KYOTO’s proposal was a sports truck that was not restricted by these boundaries, but took on new ideas with a free spirit. The concept of the vehicle, based on the Nissan Frontier, is NASCAR, which represents American motorsport.
Dare to choose the Nissan Frontier
Truck-based customization has been attracting a lot of attention in recent years, but when T.R.A.KYOTO adds its touches, the result is a uniquely cool machine. The most notable feature is the choice of the base vehicle, which is not a current model, but a slightly older model. The cheapness of the base vehicle is very important, as are the subsequent customization costs, but above all, if you want to make drastic modifications, you can be more daring with the previous generation than with the current model, or even the previous generation than with the current model. The bottom line is whether the car looks cool or not.
As a result of our pursuit of coolness in the T.R.A.KYOTO style, we came up with the choice of an American motorsport truck with a NASCAR image. The vehicle chosen as the base was the US-spec Frontier, the successor to Nissan’s Datsun Truck.
Although not so familiar in Japan, the Frontier is an orthodox working vehicle overseas and is exported not only to the US but also to all parts of the world, including the UK. It is exported not only to the US but also to the UK and other parts of the world.
When we spoke to T.R.A.KYOTO, they told us that there are many other special trucks, but they dared to choose the Frontier this time because they wanted to express a cool-looking sports truck using the most orthodox pick-up truck.
As for the specific specifications, the car was not built as a race car as it is, but rather as a car for street fun. The customization methods are not focused on racing, and although the car looks like a NASCAR car, the parts are selected and installed as a street car.
The white steel wheels that stand out amongst the racy body paint are forged American Racing wheels, which were popular in the 1990s. They are fitted with 6-hole hubs, just like a street car, and are 10J x 15 inches front and rear, with Toyo Tire R888 255/50R15 tires on the front and 235/50R15 tires on the rear.