{"id":27364,"date":"2023-11-15T07:55:27","date_gmt":"2023-11-15T07:55:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/?p=27364"},"modified":"2023-11-15T08:10:38","modified_gmt":"2023-11-15T08:10:38","slug":"sema-2023-what-happens-in-vegas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/sema-2023-what-happens-in-vegas\/","title":{"rendered":"SEMA 2023 – What Happens in Vegas…"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve never heard of SEMA, it\u2019s kind of a big deal. Originally founded in 1963 as the Speed Equipment Manufacturing Association, it was legislatively toned down to \u2018Specialty Equipment Market Association\u2019 in 1970, and the show<\/a> these guys put on has become the stuff of legend and so with winter well and truly approaching we thought we’d hold on to a little bit of Vegas sunshine at SEMA.<\/p>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

Held annually since 1967, the SEMA show is a mighty and unparalleled display of contemporary, traditional and cutting-edge modified car culture. The huge and hallowed halls of the Las Vegas convention centre are jam-packed with incredible project builds, and all imaginable angles are covered, from trad hot rods and massive lifted pickup trucks to custom choppers and everything in-between. A special highlight every year is the Toyo Treadpass showcase, situated outside in the sun between two of the halls.<\/p>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

Treadpass always pulls together a bunch of beautifully strange ideas (this year\u2019s line-up included an electric G-Wagen and a Datsun 240Z with cantilevered inboard suspension among many others), while the Battle of the Builders is there to blow your mind with its gathering of astoundingly detailed custom creations. A wide variety of modding names from television and YouTube were there with their latest builds, including Gas Monkey Garage, Ringbrothers, Tavarish, and oodles of others. And there was a whole world of trends to explore.<\/p>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

A particularly notable concept for 2023 was the polarising notion of electrifying classics. EV conversions are growing in popularity and the technology is advancing rapidly \u2013 we saw electric drivetrains grafted into Mustangs, F-150s, MX-5s\u2026 the revolution is here. But Americans have always loved a V8 and that symbol of Americana isn\u2019t going anywhere any time soon. It\u2019s interesting to note that the most common daily-drivers out on the streets of Las Vegas are the Dodge Charger and the Tesla Model 3; this is an increasingly polarised scene, but all of these things can happily coexist.<\/p>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

Because what\u2019s most notable about the SEMA show is the diversity. Naturally there are lots of lifted trucks, lowriders and old-school hot rods, but everything else you can think of is here too. That\u2019s what makes it one of the world\u2019s greatest car shows \u2013 the level of quality and the sheer quantity of incredible cars really is something else. And so, with much whittling and more than a few arguments, we\u2019ve narrowed down our findings to our top-20 of SEMA 2023.<\/p>\n

GAS MONKEY TESTA<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

The notion of converting classic cars to electric propulsion is a polarising one \u2013 particularly if the classic in question had a particularly interesting engine to start with. But what if you find yourself with an interesting classic that doesn\u2019t have an engine at all? That\u2019s the situation Gas Monkey Garage found themselves in when they picked up a job lot of battered Ferrari Testarossa movie props, so they opted to swap this one to run Tesla power.<\/p>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

Well, why not, eh? And rather than just doing a straight swap, they decided to put a bit of further wrenching and fabrication time in and turn it into a sleek roadster with a central driving position. Because it wouldn\u2019t be any fun if it was easy.<\/p>\n

TWIN-TURBO DELOREAN<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Great Scott! It\u2019s a DeLorean that can actually do 88mph!<\/p>\n

\"SEMA,
\nForever associated with the Back to the Future movies, the DeLorean DMC-12 is an icon of retro wedge-shaped sports car culture\u2026 although it was saddled with a bit of a duffer of an engine from the factory. But restomod specialists Moceri Auto Craft sought to address this, fitting a full-fat Chevy LSX crate motor in the back, then going a step further and hanging a pair of turbos out of the bottom.<\/p>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

To get the aesthetics matching the new-found performance, they then treated the DeLorean to an imposing wide-body kit dreamed up by infamous custom designer Khyzyl Saleem (aka The Kyza), fitting air-ride and Skol wheels along with bespoke LED lights and a tasteful interior retrim. It\u2019s the car the DeLorean always should have been.<\/p>\n

TESLA LOWRIDER<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

Tesla culture is an increasingly diverse and intriguing thing, although we\u2019ve never seen one quite like this. It\u2019s a Model Y that\u2019s been treated to the full old-school lowrider treatment; everything you might expect to find on a hopping \u201964 Impala has been artfully applied to this modern EV, from the full hydraulic suspension setup and chrome wire wheels to the astoundingly detailed paint job. (Just check out the girl on the C pillar making a little heart symbol with her fingers around the Tesla logo\u2026)<\/p>\n

\"SEMA,
\nThe difference here is that the wire wheels are massive, the hydro setup\u2019s in the frunk, and\u2026 well, it\u2019s a Tesla. This, we did not expect.<\/p>\n

JH RESTORATIONS MERKUR XR4Ti<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

The Sierra is a familiar sight to Brits, but it\u2019s a bit more of a curio in the States. Sold as the Merkur XR4Ti, their version of the XR4i didn\u2019t have an Essex V6 in it like ours did, but instead a turbocharged 2.3 Lima. And what Canada-based JH Restorations have done here is to restomod an XR4Ti to an exquisite degree; it\u2019s still a 2.3, but there\u2019s no Lima here; nope, it\u2019s got a boxfresh EcoBeast (like you\u2019d find in a new Mustang or Focus RS), coupled with Cosworth styling \u2013 you\u2019ll note that it\u2019s got a whaletail rather than a biplane, and the split side windows have been replaced with full-length Cossie panes.<\/p>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

The chassis features Corvette C6 hub-based QA1 suspension and Wilwood brakes, and the interior has been beautifully retrimmed with some cunningly integrated modern upgrades. The car took the Battle of the Builders Top Sport Compact title as well as the People\u2019s Choice award from BASF.<\/p>\n

REVOLT SYSTEMS \u201965 MUSTANG<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

Electrifying classics is a love-it-or-hate-it idea, but you can\u2019t deny the quality of the execution here. Revolt Systems\u2019 electric powertrain boasts 600bhp and 900lb.ft, which sounds like a whole lot of fun, and the notchback it\u2019s wrapped up in features bodywork by Hot Dog Kustoms, paint by TCP Global & Custom Shop, and bespoke HRE wheels.<\/p>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

Revolt reckon that \u201cthe torque is exhilarating, and leaves you feeling like you\u2019ve just launched off an aircraft carrier.\u201d Crikey.<\/p>\n

PETROLHEADONISM COROLLA<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

One of the most hyped and talked-about cars of the show was this, the 1973 Toyota Corolla KE25, built in Britain by @PETROLHEADONISM.CLUB specifically for SEMA. This was a no-holds-barred build with a six-figure price tag, the intention from the start being to create the best possible version of a KE25, take it to SEMA and display it on the EBC Brakes stand, then sell it to fund the next one. (Indeed, for $125,000 you can take it home\u2026)<\/p>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

It\u2019s got carbon parts by Elite Carbon Composites, wheels by 6AD Forged, BC Racing suspension, a custom cabin by @davethetrimmer, and a fabulous 4A-GE motor built by Petrolheadonism Performance. Just check out the carbon intake trumpets and the gorgeous exhaust manifold. This build really is something else.<\/p>\n

V12 BMW Z4 GT3<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot to unpack with this one. Quite probably the world\u2019s most powerful Z4, this unhinged creation is powered by a supercharged Mercedes-Benz M120 V12 engine, putting out somewhere in the region of 1500bhp.<\/p>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

The brainchild of Florida-based Gooichi Motors, the Stage 3 V12 is boosted by a ProCharger blower and mated to an HGT Precision sequential transmission; externally it\u2019s a pukka GT3 race car body converted to street-legal specs, and it still has the factory air jacks. A truly insane build.<\/p>\n

RINGBROTHERS ROLLS-ROYCE<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

\u2018Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon?\u2019 That\u2019s the line that\u2019ll instantly spring to mind for any Wayne\u2019s World fan when they spy a white Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud. And this particular Roller, a 1961 Silver Cloud III, was one of the more unexpected builds of SEMA \u201923; it was crafted by notorious high-end restomod specialists Ringbrothers, who are more usually found playing in the muscle car sphere.<\/p>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

And as with all their projects, they\u2019ve gone all-in \u2013 it\u2019s got a full custom chassis, a supercharged Chevy LT4 V8, larger custom wheels to replicate the original design (with floating gyro centre caps like modern Rolls-Royces), a full custom interior with \u201957 Chevrolet front seats, and a starlight headliner featuring 1,000 LEDs. And yes, there is a jar of Grey Poupon in the back.<\/p>\n

TJIN EDITION MACH-E SAFARI CONCEPT<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

Sitting on the Ford stand was this one-off concept \u2018designed to stretch imaginations and highlight the possibilities of EVs\u2019. It\u2019s got hand-fabricated steel wide-arches housing 18\u201d Black Rhino Barrage wheels, along with custom RPG Offroad suspension which features Fox shocks, Eibach springs and a 1.5\u201d lift.<\/p>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

Inside it has bespoke Recaros and Holley data monitoring, while outside there\u2019s a whole load of lamps and a winch. Which is all very cool.<\/p>\n

DIESEL LAMBO<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

The builders of this Gallardo reckon it\u2019s the world\u2019s first diesel Lamborghini, and it\u2019s certainly an idea that\u2019ll give the purists something to think about. What began as a crash-damaged baby Lambo (don\u2019t worry, they didn\u2019t cut up a good one) has been fitted with a twin-turbo Cummins straight-six, with everything custom-fabricated to be as beautiful as it is functional.<\/p>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

1 Way Diesel Performance carried out the install, mating the derv to an open-gate manual \u2019box. Sacrilege? No, it\u2019s magnificent!<\/p>\n

S-KLUB TESLA 300 SL<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

Cat, meet pigeons. If there\u2019s one surefire way to really wind up the purists, it\u2019s to take a revered classic that many consider to be untouchable, and comprehensively remix it. Such is the case with this Mercedes-Benz 300 SL \u2018Gullwing\u2019. A sports car icon, a racing legend, a symbol of timeless boulevardier chic\u2026 but this one \u2013 this one is a bit different.<\/p>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

Built by S-KLUB LA, the 1955 300 SL has been stuffed with the guts of a Tesla Model 3; the Tesla\u2019s monocoque was gently teased (with big hammers, probably) to fit the Merc\u2019s slender profile, and all of the Model 3 systems are fully functional \u2013 not just the drivetrain, but the infotainment, sensor cameras, climate system and self-driving features. Very clever indeed, and very, very polarising.<\/p>\n

BADD GT<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

310.8mph. That\u2019s the headline figure here. The hotly-contested title of \u2018fastest street car in the world\u2019 belongs to the BADD GT, a heavily modified 2006 Ford GT that you could, if the mood took you, conceivably pop to the shops in. It\u2019s got functional a\/c, electric windows and a stereo, and its owner Johnny Bohmer regularly uses it for the school run \u2013 and in 2022 he took it to the Kennedy Space Centre and smashed through the triple-ton.<\/p>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

The twin-turbo V8 still runs the stock block \u2013 it\u2019s putting out around 2,700bhp, and that\u2019s actually a relatively conservative state of tune, they have the potential to wind it up a lot further if they feel like it. Which is pretty rad.<\/p>\n

C7 AUDI RS6<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

It\u2019s always fun to spot a car on UK plates at a foreign show, particularly when it\u2019s over 5,000 miles from home. And this brutally styled RS6 has an interesting story behind it. Bought by YouTuber Mat Armstrong as a crash-damaged wreck (which, he says, was the only way he could afford to buy his dream RS), he brought it back from the dead in record time \u2013 and as you can see, he didn\u2019t build it to stock.<\/p>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

Nope, this beast has some seriously hardcore aero. How often do you see door-mounted canards\u2026? \u2018Hard work beats talent,\u2019 so the man says. Yeah, we can relate to that.<\/p>\n

E-CHARGER CHIEFTAIN<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

Well now, this is interesting. What if you\u2019re into classic cars, and you\u2019re also into low-emission vehicles and reducing your carbon footprint, but you\u2019re a bit turned off by the idea of swapping electric motors into old cars? Here\u2019s another way of thinking, courtesy of E-Charger. This is a bolt-on system that can turn any car into a hybrid, which they reckon can boost peak power by up to 150bhp while also lowering tailpipe emissions.<\/p>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

Their demo vehicle at SEMA was this 1957 Pontiac Chieftain, fitted with a modern 6.0-litre Vortec V8 along with the E-Charger setup; positioned above the Vortec manifold is a 50kW AC motor turned by a supercharger pulley, while there are 35 lithium-ion battery cells and a battery charger in the boot. And fresh for 2023, they\u2019ve also installed an autonomous driving kit from Perrone Robotics!<\/p>\n

TEXAS SKIDMARK<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

The electric Testarossa wasn\u2019t the only car built for SEMA by Gas Monkey Garage. Nope, those boys have been very busy. Being Texan-based, pickup trucks have always sat at the core of the business (after all, such things are an integral fibre in the fabric of the South), and the truck they\u2019ve built here is particularly cool. Plucked from their \u2018POS row\u2019, where all the very worst project bases live, it\u2019s been fully reworked into a flawless show-stopper, with paint to die for and a killer stance thanks to its Air Lift Performance suspension.<\/p>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

Under the bonnet is a Chevy L8T race motor from Scoggin-Dickey, which makes some truly unholy noises, and the cabin is tastefully trimmed in olive green. The masters of the pickup really knocked it out of the park with this one.<\/p>\n

SUPERCHARGED SHELBY<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

Any Shelby is a special Shelby, and the GT350 has passed into the rarefied pantheon of all-time desirables over the generations. And this one\u2026 this is more special than most. You see, back in 1966 Shelby American began experimenting with the addition of Paxton superchargers, with the aim of offering them to customers as an optional extra to boost their 289ci V8s up to a heady 440bhp.<\/p>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

Eleven such prototypes were built, and this is one of them; its first owner was a Dr Robert Mowrey of Los Altos, California and, unlike other buyers, he didn\u2019t wring its neck and give it a hard time on track, meaning that this is one of the very few survivors. It now resides in the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

LUCID AIR<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

It takes a healthy slug of grit and a certain amount of steely-eyed forthrightness (or, at least, a decent marketing budget) to buy a brand new car and start mucking about with it. You\u2019ve got to be very sure about your intentions before you commit to chucking your warranty away. Hence the inclusion of this particular car in our SEMA top-20 list.<\/p>\n

\"SEMA,
\nWhat is a Lucid Air? Well, it\u2019s a luxurious electric four-door sedan, conceived with the Tesla Model S and Porsche Taycan squarely in its crosshairs. Its party piece is that the entire back end acts as the bootlid (take a look at where the shutlines are), and these cars are still a pretty rare sight \u2013 so it\u2019s intriguing to see one that\u2019s already been modified. Yes, it\u2019s a simple air-and-wheels build, but the combination of Vossen wheels, air-ride from Universal Air, and a colour-phasing vinyl wrap from Eye Kandy Wraps adds up to something very cool. It\u2019s the world\u2019s first Air on air!<\/p>\n

EMPI BEETLE GTV II<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

This fresh new build from EMPI is proper next-level stuff. Built by Victor Gonzalez, Larry Hole and Tyler Kitchen, this \u201962 ragtop is a stellar showcase of what the legendary air-cooled tuning outfit has to offer. The motor is an all-new EMPI Long-Block Plus, built by Jack Sachette, featuring a magnesium case, forged crank, H-beam rods, Stage 1 heads and twin 44 HPMX carbs. That killer stance is thanks to a 2\u201d narrowed beam, forged spindles and trailing arms, and Bilstein B6 shocks, while the rims are EMPI x Chip Foose 15\u201d BRMs that have been artfully weathered for a mag-look; there are disc brakes all round too.<\/p>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

And just check out that interior, fabulously retrimmed by Sewfine Interior Products with real Scottish-sourced tartan. This is a masterclass in early-sixties Beetle modding.<\/p>\n

KEVLAR VTEC 356<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

Quite possibly the only car at SEMA to have your nan\u2019s old living room rug as its carpet, this offbeat Porsche is a proper purist-needler. And at what stage does a 356 stop being a 356? It depends how much of it is left, really\u2026 this one has a full carbon-Kevlar body, Impul wheels, Kevlar seats, and \u2013 as subtle as a jab in the eye with a lemon-soaked pinkie \u2013 a Honda K20 VTEC motor mounted in the middle.<\/p>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

A magnificent example of the your-ride-your-rules philosophy; it may not be winning any trophies at Pebble Beach, but it\u2019s won a place in our hearts.<\/p>\n

LOADS OF MASSIVE TRUCKS<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

This was inevitable really, wasn\u2019t it? The pickup truck is such a crucial cultural trope in the USA that the bigger-is-better ethos has been running rampant for decades, and the result in 2023 is a compelling and beguiling subculture of lifted trucks \u2013 ideally so extraordinarily tall that you need a ladder to climb in.<\/p>\n

\"SEMA,<\/p>\n

We got talking to a truck enthusiast from North Carolina who\u2019s been building such things for years and bringing them to SEMA, and he expressed a great deal of surprise that this cult of lifted trucks just isn\u2019t a thing in the UK. We had to explain that they simply wouldn\u2019t fit.<\/p>\n

If after all of this your fervour for modified classics has been suitably agitated then head on to Car & Classic<\/a> to begin your very own journey. We don’t all have to be as outrageous as the cars at SEMA but once bitten by the custom and modified bug it’s a difficult affliction to shake. Better to just embrace it then…<\/p>\n\n\t\t