Nissan Frontier Appears to Be Getting a Hardbody-Inspired Edition

Nissan has teased a new Frontier model that’s inspired by the original Hardbody truck from the 1980s and ’90s.The Hardbody edition will be revealed on September 14, and we may have already seen some of its features.The Project Hardbody concept that debuted at the 2022 Chicago auto show sported a lifted ride height, knobby tires wrapping retro-looking wheels, and a sport bar.

Retro trucks are rad. Among the raddest is the original Nissan Hardbody pickup from the ’80s and ’90s, and it looks like the modern-day Nissan Frontier will be getting a special edition based on its forebearer. The details of that truck will be revealed next week on September 14, and while Nissan today whet our appetite with the teaser photos shown above, we might already have a good idea of what the real deal will look like.

A Concept Comes to Life

During the 2022 Chicago auto show, Nissan unveiled the Project Hardbody concept, which was an homage to the original pickup’s Desert Runner model. Along with a red paint job reminiscent of the one worn by the old Hardbody, the concept featured a lifted ride height along with BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 tires mounted on cool wheels that look identical to the old-school set.

Among the concept’s other notable equipment are black overfenders, a front skid plate, and a sport bar with a pair of lights. A spare tire is mounted in the bed, and black “4×4” decals are plastered on the side of the front doors. While Nissan didn’t show any of those details in the teaser image it released today, judging by that truck’s glossy black front fascia, chunky tread pattern, and black hood decal, we’re betting the 2024 Frontier Hardbody edition will look a lot like the concept.

The features that will come on the yet-to-be-revealed Frontier remain to be seen, but it’s a good bet that truck will have the same 310-hp naturally aspirated 3.8-liter V-6 and the nine-speed automatic transmission that’s standard on every other Frontier. We also wouldn’t be surprised if the Hardbody-inspired edition is based on the off-road-oriented Pro-4X model, which means it’ll likely start north of $37K. We’ll find out more next week.

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Senior Editor

Eric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si.