It has dawned on me that ‘The European mind’ cannot fully comprehend the magnitude of the SEMA Show.
4.6 million square meters (honestly, who even measures that in kilometers?) of cars, salespeople and pure car freedom – it’s outrageous, especially for an industry that is still a very niche market in a global sense. But somehow this vast chaos leads to an extraordinary diversity and quality of the vehicles on display. In general, of course, but we’ll get to that later.
For those new to the automotive industry, 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 more than 2,400 this year, attracting more than 160,000 industry and media professionals. While that last number may seem small considering the colossal size of the Las Vegas Convention Center, 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 huge, with ‘SEMA builds’ being one of the most highly anticipated custom and customized cars of the year in the world.
And I really mean that worldwide. Cars and brands travel from all corners of the world to make their mark in Las Vegas. Take Jean Pierre Kraemer’s stunning VW Golf Mk2, a rendering that has become reality which we first saw in 2021.
Then there is Evolve Automotive. If you’re familiar with Speedhunters – or, like me, are a diehard BMW fan – you’ve probably heard of them. Based in Luton, England, Evolve is one of Britain’s top BMW tuners, with over a decade of expertise. A quick look at their collection of cars is enough to see that they are true enthusiasts.
Even though they’re only an hour’s drive from my house, the trip from Evolve to Las Vegas was a 39-hour road trip, plus a weeklong ferry ride to New York for good measure. Yet it was the SEMA Show where they chose to unveil their latest – and perhaps most ambitious – build. What started as a modest BMW 120d is now V8-powered and looks like a 1M. When they purchased the Java Green coupe, 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 coupe 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 USA 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 put on display at CSF cooling‘s booth next to Rywire’s all-electric, all-wheel drive EK Civic build, which you can read about here.
A BMW with a racing engine parked next to a Honda converted to an EV is just a small example of the diversity of the SEMA Show.
As noted in our SEMA 2024 preview post, overlanding has become an important trend. But there’s always someone willing to push the boundaries to the limit – like Morgan Clarke, whose Range Rover Velar features a rear-mounted Lamborghini engine swap and mind-numbing amounts of bespoke fabrication. It may not be ready yet, but you can be sure I have it in front of my lens one day.
From diversity and engine swaps to completely wild builds – SEMA has it all. Take Mad Mike Whiddett’s ‘MADMAC’ McLaren P1 drift car, for example, with a 1,000 hp Mazda turbo engine with three rotors behind the cabin…
…or the 5.8L V10 E31 BMW 8 Series from Reyn Speed Shop.
It’s amazing what some of the cars at SEMA have under the hood, especially compared to our European counterpart, the Essen Motor Show. I’ll be there in a few weeks, but with European laws being so strict these days, I don’t expect to see so many street legal lunatics.
Of course, as with any event of this magnitude, there is also a downside. 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 talk, images and video at TikTok or Instagram – but what was billed as a twin-turbo Lamborghini V10 swap was nothing more than a small Chevy with half the parts missing and off-brand turbochargers on it. The engine certainly wasn’t running. 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 problem in the automotive world: the obsession with the validation of being the loudest, biggest, and most outlandish. It’s not the first time something like this has happened at SEMA (who remembers the era of the Bluetooth driveshaft?), 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 get back to the good stuff and my favorite part of the 2024 SEMA Show: what the automakers are bringing. They know the crowd is here for custom cars, so they often go wild with their builds.
In recent years, Toyota has been on a roll, leaning on its motorsports 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-powered GR86 was one of the coolest cars on display. Featuring the AWD system from the GR Corolla and the 300 hp 1.6-liter three-cylinder turbo engine, this mighty coupe pays tribute to one of my favorite rally cars of all time, the Group A ST205 Celica GT-Four.
I can’t get over the Castrol-inspired paint scheme or the GT-Four style rear wing on the rear, let alone the Speedline wheels.
And then there is the Bee*R D1GP R34 Skyline. It was a real treat to see this iconic Nissan on display at SEMA – wort and all.
I have practically traveled around the world in 1000 words. But that’s the SEMA Show for you: it’s global and constantly pushing the boundaries. I have a lot more to show from our time in Las Vegas, including a closer look at the Toyo Tires Treadpass and the spotlight features of a few notable cars, including that one 2Fast2Furious-inspired R34 Skyline from the team of Accelerator
Mario Christou
Instagram: mcwpn, mariochristou.world
mariochristou.world
Photography by Darrien Craven
Instagram: _crvn_