Comeback of Street Trucks, and an Imaginary Build for You!

Feel like street trucks of the past are kind of making a comeback? You've seen factory builds in shows, some trim levels with lowered suspensions and powerful engines offered in dealer lots? You're right, the street truck craze of two decades ago is apparently here.

From ’90s Legends to Today’s Compact Trucks

Back in the ’90s, true street trucks like the GMC Syclone and Ford SVT Lightning rewrote the rulebook. These weren’t your everyday haulers—they were low, mean, and ready to rip. With muscle car power under the hood, sporty ground effects, big wheels, and bold paint, they turned small truck platforms into sports car killers.

That spirit lives on in today’s compact truck renaissance: social‑media‑fueled builds, wild SEMA concepts, and grassroots “mini‑truckin’” meetups that prove the pavement is as much loved as the beaten path among pickup truck enthusiasts.

Factory Street Truck Builds at Recent SEMA Shows

Even major brands are flirting with the street truck formula again. Here are some standout factory or OEM‑supported builds from the last few SEMA expos:

Nissan Frontier Tarmac (2024)

• Builder: Forsberg Racing for Nissan

• Specs: Supercharged V6 with 440 HP, coilover suspension

• Why It Matters: A modern twist on the ’90s Hardbody vibe. Nissan took its midsize Frontier and turned it into a drift missile, reasserting that a small truck can handle sideways antics just as well.

Toyota Tacoma X-Runner Concept (2023)

• Builder: Toyota Racing Development (TRD) prototype

• Highlights: Lowered suspension, 421 HP twin-turbo 3.4L V6, flared fenders

• Street Truck Link: While not in production, this compact truck concept brings back memories of an X‑Runner‑style Tacoma, hinting that Toyota sees value in a factory street truck offering.

Ford F-150 FP700S (2024)

• Builder: Ford Performance

• Specs: Coyote V8 with a Whipple supercharger, 700 HP, 22” wheels

• Significance: Throwback to the late-90s SVT Lightning. Built entirely with OEM Ford Performance parts, you can order the parts through the Ford Custom Garage program, 50-state legal, and comes with a 3-year warranty.

Fukin Tuned’s Imaginary Street Truck Build

If you’re thinking of a project of your own, let us guide you and give you a couple of ideas. We’ve picked the Ford Maverick for the mock-up build, as it has been all the rage among small trucks for a while. On top of that, it checks every box for a 2025‑era street truck platform:

• Size & Weight: Small footprint, unibody agility—just like 90s classics.

• Powerplant: Turbo EcoBoost 2.0L delivers good torque and a broad tuning potential.

• Affordability: Base price under $25K makes it the cheapest blank canvas in the segment.

• Aftermarket Love: Suspension kits, airbag kits, and performance mods are already flooding the market.

Here is your ~$15,000 Ford Maverick street truck build:

• BC Racing BR Coilovers (adjustable) – ~$1,200

• 20×8.5" US Mags Bandit 2-pc forged five spoke wheels – ~$5,700/set

• Michelin Pilot Sport 4 (245/40R20) performance tires – ~$2,800/set

• Retrax Foldable Tonneau Cover (electric) – $3,200

• COBB Stage 1 Power Pack (air filter and tune) – $675

• Magnaflow Street Series cat‑back exhaust – $770

• Kicker Plug & Play Hideaway Subwoofer (powered) – $750

Here's an AI-generated render of our Maverick street truck build. 

The Ultimate Upgrade for a Modern Street Truck: Fukin Tuned Throttle Response Controller

The ultimate addition to our build would be the Fukin Tuned throttle response controller. Whether you’re just starting your project or you’re looking for the best way to tie things up, the Fukin Tuned throttle response controller is the best upgrade you can get.

Fukin Tuned eliminates throttle lag and gives you four fully programmable driving modes. With 36 sensitivity levels in total, you get full control of your truck’s throttle response. Best part? The whole thing is wireless to control—no controller unit, no buttons, just pull up your phone and find the perfect pedal feel.

Unlock instant acceleration with a 15-minute plug-and-play install. And if you ever want to go back to stock (why would you though), just unplug it; Fukin Tuned requires no permanent changes. It always plays nice with your truck’s warranty, so you get no dealership headaches.

While performance-oriented, Fukin Tuned throttle response controller also doubles perfectly as a seamless kill switch for your truck. It comes built-in with a straightforward Anti-Theft feature. Subscribe through the app, calibrate your unit once, and activate the Anti-Theft mode to disable the gas pedal anytime you need. It is FREE for the first 14 days, and then it costs $0.99 a month or $9.99 a year after the free trial expires.

With easy installation, Bluetooth control, and insane adjustability, Fukin Tuned throttle response controller is the best bang-for-your-buck mod you can get for your build.

Get yours now, and finish that build the way it should be!