Wild & Wonderful machines from the SEMA Show 2025

The automotive aftermarket community has gathered again for the annual SEMA Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The show draws around 160,000 visitors during its week-long run, making it the world’s biggest show for aftermarket professionals, tuners, restorers, and custom-car builders.

You can spend days walking the exhibition halls without seeing it all, but we’ve gathered some of the highlights here – let’s take a look at the best:

This is a custom ’68 Bronco by Theresa Contreras of Baja Forged in Johnson Valley, California. Under the hood is a 7.3-litre Megazilla engine from Ford Performance, while the chassis features custom linked suspension from Icon Vehicle Dynamics.

Hoonigan’s Gymkhana video series will return in December – set in Australia and with Travis Pastrana at the wheel in place of the late Ken Block. The Subaru BRAT-based star of the show, ‘Brataroo’ is a lightweight, widebody machine with a rallycross-derived boxer turbo and a WRC-spec roll cage. It’s been built by Vermont SportsCar, which produces rally cars for Subaru of America, and its boosted four-cylinder delivers 670 hp and revs to more than 9500rpm.

Already a winner of America’s Most Beautiful Roadster at the 2025 Grand National Roadster Show, the latest build from Troy Trepanier’s Rad Rides by Troy shop – for owner, Ross Myers – is powered by a supercharged, 312ci Ford Y-block. Rad Rides fabricated almost every element of the car from scratch, imagining how a fenderless ’36 might have looked. The unique steel panels were shrunk to shape on an Eckold Kraftformer.

Toyota’s unexpected side-by-side concept is powered by a 300-hp, turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid powertrain derived from the Tacoma unit, and incorporates other production truck components. It offers a Silent Mode, using EV power to, “glide through trails in serenity, fully immersed in nature’s beauty”, according to its maker. It’s a well-finished concept for now, but from the outside appears to be a production possibility.

This ice cream truck’s newly designed interior highlights the latest work of artist, Mister Cartoon. The truck was first revealed in 2010 but is making its SEMA Show debut in updated form at the booth of audio specialist, Rockford Fosgate. The Tempe, Arizona-based company worked with the artist to outfit the truck with a mobile sound stage featuring the brand’s new Punch speaker line, which is being launched at SEMA this year.

The newest creation from SoCal builder, Rick Dore Kustoms is the Pantheon. The 2.5-year build was completed just in time for a SEMA debut. Luc Deley hand-formed the aluminum body over an Art Morrison chassis modified by Steve Wilk. The stunning blue paint is from Ace of Shades, while Ron Mangus did the upholstery.

SEMA is always a showcase for wild, lifted trucks, and 2025 is no exception. One of the longest and highest is this incredible Super Duty from B&B Automotive in Harrison, Arkansas. Built on custom suspension by Upcountry Fab & Performance in Adel, Iowa, the six-door behemoth has Rigid lights and rolls on 30-inch Fittipaldi forged wheels wrapped in 44-inch Venom Power Swampthing M/T tires.

Built by Riley Technologies in North Carolina, Dodge’s latest dragster for NHRA Sportsman racers is the first modern-era package car to be based on the Charger rather than the Challenger. Engine updates include a newly designed, Gen-III aluminum Hemi engine block; new H-beam connecting rods; Diamond aluminum pistons; and a forged-steel, eight-counterweight crankshaft. The Dodge Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak by Direct Connection, to give it its full name, is limited to 50 units.

The latest Freak Show Build from Quake LED is a modern take on the snow-tracked Model Ts of the past. Owner Brandon Sharp of Chattanooga, Tennessee put his car up for the conversion, with four track units fitted as well as Quake LED headlights. It currently drives, “slowly, like a tank in a World War One movie”, according to the owner, but that could change in the future if a planned drivetrain swap goes ahead.

UK-based R44 Performance and Tom Wrigley Performance have built what is claimed to be the world’s most powerful G87 BMW M2. Almost everything on the car has been changed or upgraded, including a switch to xDrive AWD, in a project that has progressed through 2024-25. The fully built engine – still displacing 3.0-litres – has been boosted by a Precision next-gen R 73.9-85 turbo, delivering a zero to 60 time of 1.67 seconds and a 8.248-second quarter mile at 164.4mph.

Described as a “demonstration build” by Honda Racing Corporation USA (HRC) and the Rally Ready driving school, this Civic took learnings from the Honda of America Racing Team (HART) Acura Integra rally car and HRC’s touring cars. Street legal, it’s built to compete in the ARA 2WD class. Numerous prototype parts include brakes sized for rally wheels, the shifter, carbon-fiber hydraulic handbrake, and a custom exhaust. Honda says the rally-ready Type R is being evaluated by HRC for future commercial racing programs.

‘Big Bird’ is being built by Apex Auto Works for owner, Richard Tomlin. It will run at the 2026 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb as a tribute to his late father, with whom Tomlin drag raced the car at Bandimere Speedway, Colorado. It will be driven on the mountain by Ben Ryan, running on Hoosier tires.

‘Lola’ is the hero car of Fast & Furious star, Sung Kang’s new movie, Drifter, scheduled for release in 2026. Kang has written, directed and starred in this story of a janitor who finds redemption and belonging through the competitive drifting scene. Multiple versions of Lola, a Toyota Corolla AE86, are on display at the show; the one pictured is Lola 1, which has a 4AGE motor with a TRD header. Kang also unveiled a newly built Veilside Datsun 240Z, nicknamed 78.

This fully built Blazer Bonanza by Big Sky Classics in Arizona is the star of the booth for United Pacific, showcasing the company’s LED lighting and other K5 accessory products. Power comes from a 6.2-litre, Gen 5 LT1 by GM Performance/Autonation, with a GM Performance 10L90 transmission, an Offroad Design four-inch lift among other suspension upgrades, US Mags Scottsdale wheels, BF Goodrich KO3 tires, and Grecian Bronze paint by Carney and Sons.

New SEMA exhibitor, Lemons Headers unveiled this Lizzy Musi 'Norma Jeane' Tribute Camaro. Musi, who starred in the show Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings, passed away from cancer in 2024, aged 33. Lemons Headers and the Musi family worked together to complete the build of Norma Jeane, a 700-hp, Edelbrock/Musi-powered, restomod reimagining of the Camaro that Musi raced.

Forsberg Racing has modified this Nissan Z Nismo ahead of a planned entry into Gridlife GT, power-to-weight based touring car series, in 2026. It incorporates numerous Nismo components – including prototype wheels, a coilover suspension kit, adjustable suspension arms, racing harness, a cat-back exhaust – as well as a MoTeC dash, APR Performance aero parts and a Z1 competition big brake kit. At the SEMA Show, a Podium 1 racing simulator lets attendees virtually pilot the GT-Z race car.

Desert Power Wagons of Castle Hayne, North Carolina, specializes in restomods of the classic Dodge utility vehicle. This crew cab has a 5.9-litre, 24-valve Cummins six-cylinder that makes more than 400 hp and upwards of 900 lb-ft of torque. The suspension features Eibach springs and Fox shocks, while the Electric Green metallic paint is a Mercedes-Benz color.

This newly completed Jeep with a spectacular turtle-themed wrap was built by the Lifted Rippers shop in Port Charlotte, Florida, for owner Jaylin Haidle of Turtally Awesome Lighting. It rides on 28-inch Fittipaldi wheels and 42-inch Venom Power Terra Hunter MTs.

SEMA Battle of the Builders, Young Guns contender, Roberto Munoz is behind this eye-catching build. Where fruit and vegetables were once sold from the back, Munoz has installed hydraulics from vintage airplanes to power the air suspension. The six-cylinder motor has a Wayne 12-port head and a Winfield carburetor.

On show in SEMA’s Future Tech Studio is an off-road-themed Hyundai Ioniq 9 built by BigTime content creators, Jeremiah Burton and Zach Jobe. The electric SUV’s paint scheme takes inspiration from BigTime’s 1977 Kenworth K100 cabover, Bud. The Hyundai’s look is transformed by lifted suspension, a roof-mounted light bar, and OZ Racing wheels shod with BF Goodrich all-terrain tires.

Displayed outside is this neat W202 C-Class. Its DTM-inspired, carbon-fiber body kit is new from Cascade Garage, which is producing a limited run of 25 kits for the W202 C-Class and another classic Mercedes touring car, the W204. Available in both fiberglass and carbon fiber, the W202 aero kits contain a front and rear bumper, side skirts, skirt extensions, door side panels, arch trim for the rear quarter panels, adjustable trunk spoiler, and four front bumper canards.

This life-size toy car box was created for the Toyo Treadpass display in collaboration with Time Capsule, a miniature merchandise company. The ‘toy’ on view is a twin turbo, 1982 Kremer Porsche 935 K3, built serial SEMA show-car builder, Bisimoto Engineering. The custom K3 rides on Brixton forged centerlock TR17 Circuit+ wheels wrapped in Toyo Proxes RTM 275/40 ZR17 front and 345/30 ZR19 rear tires.

Alan Johnson of Johnson's Hot Rod Shop in Gadsden, Alabama, revealed a newly completed, lightly pearlescent-white Trans Am Pace Car. Built as a daily driver for his wife, Angie, it rides on the first of Roadster Shop’s new Trans Am chassis. The custom designed and machined wheels are increased in diameter from stock to 18 inches (front) and 19 (rear), while under the hood is a bespoke, 850-hp LS built by Automotive Specialists and featuring a brand-new ProCharger intake design.

‘The Ghosted ’66 C10’ is the how Rob Ward, founder and CEO of Legacy EV, sees an electric classic: “simple, fast, and truly one of one”. At the heart of the electric drivetrain is a 450kW Revolt motor that delivers 800 lb-ft of torque, and an 82kWh APP battery pack. Other modifications include air suspension, Wilwood brakes and 20-inch, 100-spoke Dayton wheels.

Hayden Macklin has been building this 280Z since the age of 13. It boasts a custom Carbon Signal KamaruZ body kit, air ride suspension, an L28ET turbo motor, and custom Takeyari-style exhaust tips. Rare parts in the interior include a Kameari tachometer, a BRE steering wheel, Lonely Driver pedals and a Star Road shifter knob, while Japanese artwork is revealed when you pop the hood.

Gracing the Toyo Treadpass is the latest Mercedes project from John Sarkisyan of S Klub, a contemporary S63E AMG masquerading as a 1971 Mercedes 600 (W100). The car provides the full functionality of an S63 in a 1970s body that incorporates the lower bumper, diffuser and side skirts from its modern cousin. The roof is carbon, and the mirrors come from a Ferrari Challenge race car.

Method Wheels is behind this striking exhibit, Beyond the box, made from folded corrugated cardboard (note the sheets that have been split to provide the tire tread). Method worked with a movie promotion company on the project, which took 200 hours, and is destined for Method’s new HQ.

‘Project SHO-OFF’ by builder/owner, Dillon Houck, swaps a Yamaha/Ford, 3.0-litre DOHC, Taurus SHO engine into a 1965 Ford Falcon. Originally acquired by Houck for $800 at the age of 12, he and his father garage-built the car over seven years from when Dillon was in middle school. The Falcon was later restarted in 2024 and completed to its current state.

Based on the new-for-2026 Passport, Honda says this concept has been engineered for off-road terrain and overlanding exploration. Performance and protection modifications include: redesigned lower front and rear bumpers for greater approach and departure angles; extended aluminum skid plates, rock sliders and additional underbody protection; a custom multi-zone lighting control system; new front and rear dampers; custom exhaust; a 60mm suspension lift; and a one-inch increase in tire diameter.

Ned Dunphy’s GTS was the overall winner and record holder at the 2025 Hot Rod Drag Week, staking a claim as America’s quickest street car. With ETs consistently in the low-six-second range, he averaged 6.175 at 247mph across the five days of racing – during which he also drove 600 miles on the street! The Viper’s 572ci, Steve Morris/SMX motor by Pro Line Racing makes 4000 hp.

We can expect to see plenty of examples of trucks from the new Scout Motors company at SEMA in the coming years, but for now, here’s a beautiful restomod of an original Scout II. Underneath the BASF Glasurit Shelter Green-painted body is a Roadster Shop chassis with independent front suspension. The build by Velocity Restorations also features Holley RetroBright headlights, Recaro seats, and a 6.2-litre, GM Performance LT1.

Launched at the 2025 SEMA Show, just 20 of the new, 1052-hp Ford Godzilla-powered Super Snake CSXs will be built – still ten times as many as Carroll Shelby completed, with the first of his twin-supercharged originals appearing in 1966. The body follows the 427 S/C shape and style, but the classic Cobra silhouette can be modified by the addition of twin helmet diffusers, front splitter, and rear diffuser.

Porsche racers and customizers, Kellymoss have developed the GT4R for serious track-day enthusiasts and racers who want, “the highest-performing, most connected version of the GT4 RS Clubsport available outside of a sanctioned race series”, according to Kellymoss co-owner, Victoria Thomas. Modifications include a titanium exhaust and muffler delete, new aerodynamic components, a weight-saving, carbon-fiber body kit, and an optional, full-custom rear suspension.

Forsberg Racing’s second Nissan build for SEMA 2025 involved upfitting its classic Y60-generation Patrol with Nissan and Nismo components. Under the hood is a 1,000-hp, highly modified, Garrett-turbocharged, Nissan TB48, 4.8-litre inline-six controlled by Link electronics. The wheels are Nismo custom, 17-inch Axis beadlocks wrapped in 35-inch, Yokohama Geolandar tires. The off-roader also features Holley RetroBright LED headlights, and Recaro Sportster seats.

Displayed at the booth of sponsor, Rowe Motor Oil, John Ludwick’s rare, freshly completed Auto Union is not your average SEMA fare. The two-door coupe has an Eva Resto bolt-in Beetle swing-arm air suspension kit with Air Lift Performance management, a VW Type 3, dual-Solex carbureted motor, anti-corrosion protection from Fluid Film, and 1982 BBS E50 wheels.

FuelTech took the 463-hp V8 from a wrecked 2012 Ferrari California and swapped it into a DeLorean DMC-12, replacing Marty McFly’s underwhelming PRV V6. They then mated it to a six-speed Porsche 911 (997) gearbox and drove the car 2000 miles from Atlanta to SEMA. The upgraded DeLorean also has KW Suspension parts, and larger wheels, tires, and brakes.

Nick Bryduck’s Golf is no ordinary Mk2 GTI, with a Schimmel Performance-built, turbocharged, 3.2-litre VR6 motor from a Mk4 R32 under the hood. The motor will handle 1,000 hp, although he says it’ll be tuned less aggressively for daily driving.

Patience Metal Fabrication – local to Bryduck in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota – did the fabrication work, including the neat, SCCA-approved roll cage, while custom plaid upholstery gives an authentic GTI look to the interior.

Alongside a Dodge Charger as one of two Mopar street machine concepts at the show this year, the Dude Ram taps into the street truck revival trend with a lowered stance and theme inspired by the popular sport trim package from the early 1970s. Based on a Ram 1500 Big Horn, the concept features Sublime Green paint, vintage-style ‘Dude’ C-stripes in satin black, and other black exterior elements. Its Hemi is upgraded with a Mopar cold-air intake.

Toyota’s first battery-electric SEMA concept build is the bZ Time Attack Concept. The AWD machine is six inches lower than stock and its track is six inches wider. It was built in-house by a team at Toyota’s Motorsports Technical Center led by Marty Schwerter, who describes the two biggest challenges as, “battery performance and aerodynamic integration”, with the EV chassis making it harder to implement the widebody aero package and necessary cooling.

Large-scale 3D printing at Toyota’s Add Lab in Georgetown, Kentucky – including the fender arches – was part of the solution.

Realtruck and Matchbox join forces on this one-off, modified Wrangler, which will be auctioned off at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona to benefit Richard Rawlings’ Gas Monkey Foundation. Built by Doetsch Off-Road in Chandler, Arizona, the Jeep features a RealTruck Superlift 4-inch lift kit, Husky Liners Weatherbeater floor liners, Rugged Ridge HD stubby front bumper, AmFib snorkel system, and other accessories. A Matchbox toy version will go on sale from April 2026.

And finally, no SEMA round-up would be complete without a Mustang, in this case, Sanja, a GT350 owned and modified by Gary Patterson of Greensburg, Kentucky. Design details include a 1967 Mustang side profile and taillights, and Ferrari 812 and Ford GT rear wheel-well vents. The extensive aerodynamic package – wings, splitter, canards, diffuser and more – was tested in the A2 Wind Tunnel in Mooresville, North Carolina.

That marks the end of this collection of some of SEMA’s most eye-catching vehicles. The trade show runs until November 6th and is immediately followed by SEMA Fest, which is open to the public. Click here for more information!

If you enjoyed this story, please click the Follow button above to see more like it from Autocar