It has dawned on me that ‘The European mind’ can’t quite grasp the scale of the SEMA Show.
4.6 million square feet (honestly, who even measures in kilometres?) of cars, vendors, and sheer automotive freedom – it’s outrageous, especially for an industry that remains a very niche market in a global sense. Yet somehow, this sprawling chaos leads to an extraordinary diversity and quality of vehicles on display. Generally speaking, of course – but we’ll come back to that.
For those new to the automotive sphere, the annual SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) Show is the most important event on the aftermarket automotive calendar.
First held in Los Angeles in 1967, the SEMA Show has grown from humble beginnings with fewer than 100 exhibitors to over 2,400 this year, attracting 160,000+ industry professionals and media. While that last number might seem small given the Las Vegas Convention Center’s colossal size, SEMA is a trade-only event – for the most part, there is no public access. So, all attendees are industry insiders. That’s insane.
The event has become massive, with ‘SEMA builds’ being some of the year’s most hotly-anticipated modified and custom cars worldwide.
And I truly mean worldwide. Cars and brands travel from all corners of the globe to make their mark in Las Vegas. Take Jean Pierre Kraemer’s mind-blowing VW Golf Mk2, a render-turned-reality we first saw in 2021.
Then there’s Evolve Automotive. If you’re familiar with Speedhunters – or are, like me, a diehard BMW fan – you’ve likely heard of them. Based in Luton, England, Evolve is one of the UK’s top BMW tuners, with over a decade of expertise. All it takes is a quick look at their collection of cars to see that they’re true enthusiasts through and through.
Though they’re only an hour’s drive from my home, Evolve’s journey to Las Vegas was a 39-hour road trip, plus a week-long ferry ride to New York for good measure. Yet, the SEMA Show was where they chose to unveil their latest – and perhaps most ambitious – build. What started as a humble BMW 120d is now V8-powered and looks like a 1M. When they acquired the Java Green coupé, it had already been upgraded with an S65 engine from an E92 M3. But Imran and the Evolve team weren’t content to stop there and set out to create a true BMW enthusiast’s dream machine.
Today, the coupé is powered by a race-winning P65 V8 from Studio AG’s own BMW Z3 GT3 race car. From there, the BMW was shipped to FCP Euro in Connecticut and IND Distribution in Chicago, where it received parts from CSF Race, Bilstein, Akrapovič, Eventuri, and Alpha N. The finishing touch came with a set of Evolve’s own wheels.
The car was displayed at CSF Cooling’s booth alongside Rywire’s all-electric, all-wheel-drive EK Civic build, which you can read about here.
A race engine-swapped BMW parked next to an EV-converted Honda is just one small example of the diversity of the SEMA Show.
As noted in our SEMA 2024 preview post, overlanding has become a major trend. But there’s always someone willing to push the boundaries to the extreme – like Morgan Clarke, whose Range Rover Velar features a rear-mounted Lamborghini engine swap and mind-numbing amounts of custom fabrication. It may not be ready yet, but you can bet I’ll have it in front of my lens one day.
From diversity and engine swaps to completely wild builds – SEMA has it all. Take, for example, Mad Mike Whiddett’s ‘MADMAC’ McLaren P1 drift car, with a 1,000hp three-rotor turbo Mazda rotary engine behind the cabin…
…or Reyn Speed Shop’s 5.8L V10 E31 BMW 8 Series.
It’s mind-blowing what some of the cars at SEMA have under the hood, especially when compared to our European counterpart, the Essen Motor Show. I’ll be there in a few weeks, but with European laws so strict these days, I don’t expect to see quite as many road-legal lunatics on display.
Of course, as with any event of this magnitude, there’s a flip side. And yes, I’m talking about the drama – specifically that Miata… and others. I won’t go too deep into it – you can find all the chatter, images and video on TikTok or Instagram – but basically, what was billed as a twin-turbo Lamborghini V10 swap was nothing more than a small-block Chevy with half the parts missing and brand-less turbochargers slapped on. The engine certainly didn’t run. In front of an audience of experts and industry professionals, it was only a matter of time before the little Mazda was exposed for what it was. This points to a larger issue in the car scene: the obsession with validation to be the loudest, biggest, and most outlandish. It’s not the first time something like this has happened at SEMA (who remembers the Bluetooth driveshaft era?), and it certainly won’t be the last. The pressure to complete a ‘SEMA build’ can lead some to cut corners in crazy ways.
But let’s not dwell on the negative. Let’s return to the good stuff and my favourite part of the 2024 SEMA Show – what the auto manufacturers bring. They know the crowd is here for modified cars, so they often get wild with their builds.
In recent years, Toyota has been on a roll, leaning into its motorsport and performance heritage. From the original GT86 to the reintroduction of the A90 Supra to the rise of Gazoo Racing (GR) as a performance arm, it’s been hit after hit for the Japanese giant. At SEMA 2024, Toyota’s GR Corolla drivetrain-swapped GR86 was one of the coolest cars on display. Featuring the GR Corolla’s AWD system and 300hp 1.6L three-cylinder turbo engine, this mighty coupé pays homage to one of my all-time favourite rally cars, the Group A ST205 Celica GT-Four.
I can’t get over the Castrol-inspired livery or the GT-Four-style rear wing on the back, let alone the Speedline wheels.
And then there’s the Bee*R D1GP R34 Skyline. To see this iconic Nissan on display at SEMA – worts and all – was a real treat.
In 1,000 words, I’ve practically travelled the world. But that’s the SEMA Show for you – it’s global and constantly pushing the limits. I have lots more to show you from our time in Las Vegas, including a closer look at the Toyo Tires Treadpass, and spotlight features on a couple of standout cars, including that 2Fast2Furious-inspired R34 Skyline from the team at Throtl.
Mario Christou
Instagram: mcwpn, mariochristou.world
mariochristou.world
Photography by Darrien Craven
Instagram: _crvn_
Credit : Source Post
