Curious What a Nissan Titan XD Dually Would Look Like? Here Ya Go ...

Cars.com photos by Christian Lantry

By Aaron Bragman

The Nissan Titan XD has always been something of a strange beast — beefier and more capable than a typical light-duty half-ton pickup truck but less capable (and less expensive) than a full-bore three-quarter-ton heavy-duty pickup. We always thought that maybe Nissan would have more success with it if the company instead just went all-in and actually made a real HD pickup instead of the unusual 'tweener strategy. Apparently performance shop Z1 Motorsports had the same thought, 'cuz check this out: It's a 2019 Nissan Titan XD Dually diesel. It's serving this week as an attention-getter for Z1 Off-Road, the company's new foray into the Nissan truck world, at the 2019 Specialty Equipment Market Association Show in Las Vegas.

Related: More News From the 2019 SEMA Show

Built off a model-year 2019 Titan XD equipped with the discontinued-for-2020 turbo-diesel 5.0-liter Cummins V-8 engine, it features a host of modifications to turn it into what the company calls the "ultimate tow rig." The most obvious change is the addition of a pair of wheels on the rear axle. The truck uses American Force 19.5-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 33-inch Toyo M920 tires. The rear axle was converted to eight-bolt axles out of the Nissan NV van with a factory locking differential, while the front wheels use custom Z1 bolt pattern adaptors. The rear leaf springs have been relocated to within the frame rails in order to accommodate the tire clearance, while the suspension is lifted using a 3-inch Icon Dynamics kit.

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The standard crew-cab body has obviously been modified as well, with the beautifully formed rear fenders done in hand-laid fiberglass and a two-tone black metallic paint with NISMO gray metallic accents. The front bumper was replaced with a Rough Country Heavy Duty steel piece with integrated LED lights, with Rough Country Nerf Bars down the sides; a Hammerhead Flush Mount rear bumper with more integrated LEDs is out back. The headlights and badging from the Titan Midnight Edition were selected for their blackout look, while Z1 smoked the marker lights up top.

The diesel engine has been upgraded with an AFE intake system, Z1 engine calibration and EZ Lynk Tuner, but the company has not said what that's done for power, torque, towing capacity or fuel economy, only that they're all "improved." A Mishimoto 4-inch custom exhaust makes it all sound pretty slick, we imagine.

We're just bummed that Nissan didn't actually make this truck itself; it might've saved the diesel option for the Titan XD. But it gives us hope that public reaction to the truck (which debuted at Nissan's booth at the SEMA Show this week) might spur the company to create something like this for the new generation of the Titan XD — the 2020 model that goes on sale early next year. Sadly, that truck no longer features the Cummins turbo-diesel engine, so you'd have to be content with the 5.6-liter gasoline V-8 engine for your towing duties. But still, the truck itself looks to be a natural as a big, beefy dually, so if it looks like something you'd want in your driveway or hauling your horse trailer, let Nissan know.

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in 2019 SEMA Show, Aftermarket, Diesels, Full-Size, Heavy-Duty, Nissan, Nissan Titan XD