Could the JDM Kei pickup truck steal the show at SEMA 2023? maybe!

Everyone loves Kei trucks, which are small trucks that meet some Japanese engine displacement and size regulations, and these days we’re seeing more and more trucks making their way to the U.S., some of which end up as shop trucks used to make short trips and pick up parts, while others end up as shop trucks used to make short trips and pick up parts. That others squeeze in car events, regular coffees and even car shows from time to time. This, as the teens say, is built Different.

Shawn Bassett and Attacking The Clock Racing transformed “Little Scrappy,” their spunky Mitsubishi shop truck, into a Time Attack-themed little monster that appeared on the Toyo Treadpass strip at this year’s SEMA Week. You may remember that this outfit joined the Toyo wing in 2021 with the single-turbo Lexus GS300 Time Attack build, so they clearly love building vehicles outside the box and this Kei truck adds to the legacy.

Its cute, boxy lines and goofy side profile have been radically transformed with a massive helping of carbon fiber while its electronics have been upgraded to motorsport-level technology. Below the LED headlights, the factory bumper has been replaced with a carbon version, and below, a complex front splitter with aggressive wings was designed and manufactured in-house at the shop.

There’s lots and lots of carbon to be found first in the fender flares following the 15-inch Work Meister CR01 with Toyo Proxes RR slicks, and between the front and rear with side diffusers that match the depth of the front splitter and create a passage to allow high-pressure air from the front tires to pass freely. More than just good looks, the suspension has been reworked with Mouton coilovers.

As good as the front looks, the rear may be angrier, as the sharp fins of the shop’s low rear diffuser sat just above the carpet and at almost ceiling level is an APR spoiler with massive uprights. One of these pedestals also stabilizes a filling point for the engineered radium fuel cell located at the rear of the bed.

Carbon fiber covers the sides, bed and rear, and if you look closely you’ll notice baffles near the cab that act as ducts to feed the driver’s side radiator and passenger’s side oil cooler, both of which are mounted on the inner bed sides. A custom cage was fabricated and is placed directly behind the cab and continues toward the back of the truck. Walk around a little more and you’ll notice a catch can and remote oil filter mounted on the cage near the rear window, with a battery mounted just under the bed floor.

The hard vinyl seats that came with the truck have been replaced with Sabelt fixed-back safety buckets with seat belts, and the bus driver-style steering wheel position remains the same, but is now covered by a flat-bottomed Sabelt wheel. Directly in front of the hybrid shift knob and mounted on the custom carbon fiber dash is a Haltech switchboard to control the power distribution unit. That’s right, now completely fuseless and PDM running, Haltech was also brought in for the Elite 750 ECU and digital display.

This leaves the engine, and no, it has not been replaced. At least not yet. The original 660cc 3-cylinder engine is still in the works, but that will eventually change according to Sean, who spilled the beans on his Instagram confirming that a swap will be made, and it’s a good one. The Hayabusa will likely have a 1,300cc engine with a sequential transmission, and the plan is to bring in some aftermarket goodies including a Garrett Turbo upgrade, intercooler and lively performance plumbing. For now, you can expect to see Little Scrappy’s events in Gridlife spinning cycles as long as the old kei engine lasts.