Epic stars of the SEMA show 2024

Held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, it’s expected to draw around 160,000 visitors during its week-long run. No doubt about it: SEMA is the world’s biggest show for the automotive aftermarket, vehicle tuners and custom car builders. The dramatic designs are a wonder to behold, and these are our highlights:

Ringbrothers spent 5,000 hours transforming the G-body into ‘INVADR’. The changes include fabricating the bumpers from stainless steel, extending the rocker panels and adding a carbon-fiber scoop to the hood. Beneath lies a Duttweiler Performance-built, 3.8-litre V6 with two Precision 62mm turbochargers, pushing the unit’s output to a mighty 1246bhp.

There’s plenty more where that came from. Join us as we survey some of SEMA’s best custom cars, trucks and off-roaders…

Jimco Racing is celebrating 50 years by launching the 1-2/1600 Desert Buggy, intended as an affordable entry point into off-road racing. The custom two-seat chassis is powered by a 1600-cc Volkswagen air-cooled powerplant from Jimenez Racing Engines mated to a modified VW gearbox built by California Performance Transmission. The buggy was displayed at the booth of lighting supplier Hella, which is itself marking its 125th anniversary.

SEMA regular, John Sarkisyan’s S Klub shop delivered multiple Mercedes builds to the show this year, including ‘Là SLR’, a Speed Racer-style roadster that started life as an SLR coupe. Standout features are a one-off, S Klub widebody kit that was 3D printed and fabricated, a Formula 1-inspired halo, HRE S107 wheels and Toyo Proxes Sport tyres.

The 1972 Celica had been sitting for more than 20 years before being discovered by Formula DRIFT team boss and former import drag racer, Stephan Papadakis. The subsequent rebuild went back to bare metal and was documented on social media before the car arrived at the SEMA booth of oil company, ENEOS. The 18R-G four-cylinder, eight-valve, twin-cam engine has been bored to 2.2-litres, has dual 44 Mikuni PHH side-draft carburetors and runs a Link ECU with a motorsport-spec wiring harness.

Stellantis pulled out of the 2023 SEMA Show during the UAW strike but is back this year with some Mopar concept vehicles, including this fabulous, Frostbite Blue restomod showcasing a potential future Mopar e-Crate propulsion system. Deploying major components from the forthcoming Dodge Charger EV, the GTX has a 335-hp motor under the carbon-fiber hood driving the rear wheels through a 3:1 reduction gear. The 73KWh battery pack is split between the engine bay and the trunk.

Honda Racing Corporation USA (HRC – formerly known as HPD) is creating a new business selling on- and off-road performance parts to retail customers. At SEMA it displayed a Pilot Prototype fitted with HRC-designed experimental products to increase the SUV’s off-road capabilities. The Pilot HRC Prototype is one of nine racing and special-project vehicles at the Honda booth.

Beneath the hood of this cherry-red Bel Air is a hydrogen-powered, Edelbrock-supercharged Gen3 Hemi engine built by Mike Copeland, a retired GM engineer and CEO of Arrington Performance. The car is designed to prove that a hot rod can combine sustainable fueling with traditional combustion-engine feel and sound. The machine was put together by Copeland and drag racers, Clay Millican and Jeff Lutz.

Kia Design Center America (KDCA) created two concepts for SEMA this year. Designed for outdoor weekend trips, the van is based on the EV PBV vans (purpose beyond vehicles) debuted in Las Vegas at CES earlier this year. It’s been lifted and equipped with off-road tyres, with a flexible, modular interior. The ‘Gear Head’ feature provides off-board, sheltered storage for gear when the vehicle is stationary, freeing up the maximum interior space.

All the way from Southport in England comes ‘Project Bruno’, a wild Fiat hot rod that incorporates the engine, gearbox, wiring harness and ECU from a Ducati 996 motorcycle. Builders Petrolheadonism and The Dip Monkey Garage added a carbon hood and roof, EBC racing brakes and a huge rear wing to create one of the most distinctive customs at the show. The one-off machine is advertised for sale at $65,000.

The new, 2025-model-year Kicks went on sale earlier this year and is the subject of two custom builds by Nissan at SEMA 2024. Our favorite is this rescue truck-inspired Kicks Beach Patrol concept with two inches of extra ground clearance, 18-inch NISMO wheels and Yokohama all-terrain tyres. Custom underbody protection, extra lights and custom rack mounts for traction boards and surf-rescue board complete the look.

Don’t be misled by the Ford-marked valve covers on this roadster, which has a Chevy LS3 motor with Borla injection. It was built for owners Scott & Stephanie Movic of Jupiter, Florida, by Ace Fabrication in Clever, Missouri, and has a stretched wheelbase, chopped top and air-conditioned seats. The PPG Porsche Aetna Blue paint was applied by Show Me Rod & Custom. At the time of writing, Ace’s Chris Clark had just been named in the Top 12 finalists of SEMA’s annual Battle of the Builders competition.

A carbon-bodied, electric-powered update of the AC Ace roadster – the car that evolved into the Cobra – was unveiled at this year’s SEMA Show. Propulsion comes from a Tremec Electric GT eGT413 modular EV platform. A curb weight below 2500 lb (1136kg) and 300 hp should deliver excellent performance, while a 72kWh battery package offers around 200 miles of range. First deliveries of the handmade car will be in 2025 with prices from $275,000 plus local taxes.

The only 517-hp postal vehicle at SEMA this year is the work of FTP Speed Shop in Lincoln, Nebraska. Dubbed ‘Twin Snail Mail’, express deliveries should be no problem for this short-wheelbase van, which boasts a twin-turbocharged, 4.8-litre LS motor, air suspension and Mustang II suspension and brake components.

Perhaps the most unexpected drag car at SEMA this year was built by high school students from the Applied Technology Center in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Under the guidance of the Carolina STEAM Punks organization founded by automotive professionals Gil Valk and Mark Dellinger, the students built the gasser-style CamHoStang – a Camaro front end, Honda CRX middle and ’68 Mustang rear – as part of a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) education initiative. The Quake LED-sponsored car has a high-output, 5-litre Z28 motor in its custom chassis.

Brett and Darinda Sutton’s Dodge van has incredible airbrushing by Ed Beard Jr, whose fantasy artwork has also featured in Dungeons & Dragons and Magic the Gathering. The mural took more than 1,300 hours to paint and casts the owners and their dog Bandit as pirates, as well as incorporating more than 80 hidden objects.

Toyota’s concepts are a regular SEMA highlight. The 4Runner TRD Surf Concept, based on the all-new 2025 4Runner, is one of its best yet. Inspired by So-Cal 4Runners of the 1980s, Marty Schwerter and the team at Toyota’s Motorsports Technical Center converted the 4Runner into a two-door truck with an easily removable top, bespoke suspension and two extra inches of width each side. Under the hood is the standard 2.4-litre turbocharged I4 engine with 278 hp, and a custom exhaust.

Unveiled at SEMA, the lines of this restomod C2 Corvette were refined by Peter Brock to match the original concept he drew at GM in November 1957, which ultimately became the ’63 split-window Corvette Sting Ray. Subtle improvements from the production car include wider rear windows with an extended vane between them, vents that follow the sweep of the body lines, and single-piece side windows. This first car of 20 will be auctioned at Barrett-Jackson’s January 2025 sale in Scottsdale.

‘Mustang Brothers’ Cody and Preston Ingrassia revealed their first ‘Outlaw’ Fastback Mustang GT500 at the show. The restomod is the first in a series of seven, each with a different body color and interior, and incorporating standout features such as a panoramic roof, glass engine cover, tight panel gaps and concealed underbody mechanicals. The Ford Trinity 5.8-litre, supercharged V8 is paired with a Tremec six-speed transmission.

Blazin Rodz debuted its latest custom at the SEMA Show, a 1970 Dodge Charger named “Sangria,” with the car immediately offered for sale through a Hemmings online auction. This one-off build features the first-ever DSR Performance (Don Schumacher Racing) Direct Connection 1500 Hemi crate engine, delivering 1500 hp. An all-carbon-fiber body sits atop a Roadster Shop chassis.

Sponsored by Odyssey Battery, the turquoise B210 ‘Boosted B’ is the first SEMA project by Zach Eason from Time Warped Auto of Las Cruces, New Mexico. The unusual custom is powered by a 350-hp, turbocharged Nissan KA24DET motor and has a distinctive ducktail spoiler.

Fat Daddy’s Garage in Texarkana, Texas, built this custom, 6.7-litre Cummins-engined Power Wagon for owners Joy and Kevin Jordan. Key elements include a body and chassis by Tisdale Coachworks, air-ride suspension by Ridetech, Dynamat sound insulation, Classic Auto Air air-conditioning, and Nitto Grappler tyres on 20-inch Fuel forged wheels.

Builder-owner Connor McElvain has been working as a fabricator on cars for 10 years but says the Datsun is the first car he’s completed for himself. Aside from lots of fabrication, major tasks on the project included a custom four-link suspension, chassis, seats, fenders, front lip, interior and more. He adds that an open car enabled him to show off the work on the interior, seats and cantilever suspension. McElvain is a finalist in the Battle of the Builders ‘Young Guns’ category.

Another debut at SEMA is the ‘Porsche-Up Truck’, which converts a regular Cayenne V8 into an overland-style camper. Builders Gavin Malcolm and Dylan Pfohl of The Rad Factory added a Tune Outdoors M1 Camper, an Open Road 4WD awning, Quake LED lighting, an AKI Overland suspension lift and a custom purple wrap.

Quake LED’s ‘Freak Show Builds’ are a SEMA fixture. The rare ‘Quavette’ was built by Ken and Chad Krueger of Krueger Kustoms. It has Wilwood brakes and Ridetech suspension, while the body and paint was refinished by the student team working with Carolina STEAM Punks.

Another Battle of the Builders Young Guns contestant, Steven Shepard from New York finished his Valiant five years ago. The three-year build required lots of new metal and the car initially ran for a few years with a 340ci small-block motor and four-speed transmission, before he decided on a Hellcat swap.

Ram’s Power Wagon concept uses Mopar and custom accessories on a Hemi-powered truck designed to straddle the roles of daily workhorse or weekend warrior. The Satin Stealth Sand paint contrasts with a matte-black box notable for a 3D topographical map pattern.

Above the truck bed, an active cargo-rack storage system from Leitner Designs carries up to eight GearPODS that are integrated along the top of the bed sides, adding storage space without sacrificing the bed floor. Inside, the custom seats have brown and black Katzkin leather trimmed with black and orange suede.

Perhaps the wildest of the many wild builds at SEMA this year, ‘El General 6x6’ turns a military green Humvee into a race-car-style, 6WD behemoth. Builders Danton Arts Kustoms and Frenchy Export chopped the body and cut down the rear section to fit the six-wheel chassis, which has a huge rear wing modified from an airplane wing. El General 6x6 was sold for $750,000 at a Barrett-Jackson auction in January 2024.

Liqui Moly was founded in 1957 so decided on a 1950s theme for this year’s SEMA booth. Alongside the jukebox, vintage gas pumps and mechanic’s uniforms sat this elegant custom Bel Air, the subject of a just-completed, 5000-hour restoration at a cost of around $280,000. Born Vintage Hot Rods in Bakersfield, California chopped two inches from the roofline, fitted air suspension and installed a 383 stroker engine.

Solomon Lunger’s custom F-100 “Clyde” is a standout among the project vehicles on the Ford Custom Garage booth. At the heart of the pickup is a 5.2-litre V8 Ford Performance Raptor R crate engine with a 3.8-litre Whipple supercharger. It’s expected to make more than 900 bhp and 700lb ft of torque. Underneath the carbon-fiber body panels is a Porterbuilt Stage 2 coilover chassis from Fat Fender Garage.

Nissan Motorsports, racer Chris Forsberg and Nissan Design America transformed a Nissan Frontier PRO-X into a powerful, low-riding pickup that harks back to the sport-truck era. The Tarmac adds a water-cooled supercharger to the 3.8-litre V6, as well as a prototype carbon-fiber NISMO cold-air intake and performance cat-back exhaust. The result is 440 hp and 400lb ft of torque. The NISMO brake setup includes two calipers in the back, with one linked to a custom handbrake for drifting.

This unexpected Silver Shadow EV is the featured project at SEMA for Team Bisimoto, forming part of the always-popular Toyo Treadpass display of new custom builds. The Rolls rides on 20x8, Brixton Forged Luxury Series LX01 monoblock wheels and Toyo Proxes Sport summer tyres.

Drive comes from a 640bhp (477kW) single-drive AC three-phase induction motor with liquid cooling. Dual Bisimoto battery boxes contain 66kWh of LG Chem batteries. Chalk white exterior paint is complemented by a Tiffany blue leather interior.

This beautiful Impala was built by the Old Anvil Speed Shop in Orange, California, for owner Eric Sass. It has a unibody chassis, handmade aluminum bumpers, a custom hood scoop, spoiler and diffuser, and custom CNC interior parts.

The first Aston Martin to be entered into SEMA’s Battle of the Builders competition is a unique update on the classic Goldfinger Q car. Kevin Kay Restorations in Redding, California, was commissioned to build the street-legal machine, beginning with an original RHD DB5.

Operational gadgets include prop guns with light and sound, bulletproof shield and glass, front and rear overrider rams and rotating license plates. A Raspberry Pi computer controls them all, enabling operation from an Apple watch with a custom app.

Part of an outdoor display of huge overland vehicles, the Veracruz was built on Elevation Off Grid Black Edition chassis that features a LiquidSpring leveling system. The Ford F-550-based machine carries up to 250 litres of fuel, 284 litres gallons of fresh water and 167 litres of grey water. It has an onboard Bluetooth air system to deflate and inflate the tyres, maple cabinets, 41-inch Goodyear tyres and a home theater setup.

Penske is displaying this IMSA GTU-spec race car, which was built in Japan by ArtSports with 288 GTO-style body panels after being exported from the US in 1990. The Ferrari spent 20 years in Japan before returning to the States and last changed hands three years ago. The current owner had a new Penske damper setup installed as part of a recent overhaul by GSpeed in Cresson, Texas.

‘Tofu’ is owner Georjah Erin Silva’s newly completed Toyota. No part of the bed-free pickup has been left untouched, including a freshly built, turbocharged 22RE motor. Behind the cab, the exposed chassis is exquisitely finished, revealing the components of the air-ride setup by Hoppo’s Custom Suspension Works. The three batteries are mounted right at the back to aid weight distribution while the cab has a cut-down dashboard from a ’59 Impala with upholstery to match.

The Autograph Lounge concept is conceived around an entertainment system in the cargo area, perfect for tailgating. It’s trimmed in burgundy leather and features slide-out drawers, an integrated monitor and a 900W audio system with Klipsch speakers. Externally the prototype lowering kit gives the Infiniti a new-found sleekness.

‘Famscursion’ is a custom Super Duty billed as the ‘King of SUVs’. Built by Cody Olive and owned by Franklin Williams, the truck can be lifted 12 inches on air suspension. There’s a 6.0-litre diesel motor with Banks performance exhaust, Flog bumpers, Rigid lighting and Mickey Thompson tyres on Fittipaldi rims, while the former truck bed now contains a Kicker audio system.

Taking inspiration from the Porsche 917 that raced at Le Mans in 1971, this Pink Pig Cayenne appeared on the Kumho booth, shod with the company’s MT71 mud-terrain tyres. External modifications include rock sliders, under skids, a Warn winch, 3-inch suspension lift and side-exit exhaust. Inside, the gauge cluster matches the ‘butcher’s map’ exterior.

The ‘Suprabird’ celebrates Toyota’s newest ambassador, NASCAR great Richard Petty, who as usual was at SEMA signing autographs. This modern evocation of Petty’s iconic Plymouth Superbird was the vision of NASCAR analyst, Rutledge Wood, who started with a GR Supra 3.0 Premium from his collection.

There are mechanical modifications, but this car is all about the styling. A body kit was added to enhance the Superbird look, and the Toyota was painted – not wrapped – in Petty blue. His #43 was then hand-painted on the doors and roof in another nod to the original race car. The Suprabird will also be released as a Hot Wheels model, with a prototype visible on the dash of the show car.

The Cybertruck hit SEMA in numbers for the first time in 2024, with more than a dozen customized examples on display – from a ‘Cyber Squire’ woody with a panelled look, to a patriotic stars-and-stripes wrapped truck in US election week, to this pursuit vehicle from Unplugged Performance’s fleet division, UP.FIT. The Tesla is outfitted with specialized lighting and electronics, and a pursuit-rated wheel-and-tyre package.

With that, we’ve reached the end of our roundup of some of SEMA’s finest vehicles. The trade show runs until November 7th and is immediately followed by SEMA Fest, which is open to the public. Click here for more information.

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