Standouts at SEMA 2024
BY COBEY BARTELS | 12th Nov 2024
THE annual Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas is a modified car mecca, with the wackiest and wildest creations rolled out across three action-packed days, but the car-makers seem to have backed off a little in terms of daring factory-commissioned concepts.
After all, the event’s overarching theme is one of aftermarket innovation, an industry that topped $50 billion in the United States last year, with the array of highly modified old and new metal on show as mind-blowing as ever.
Held from 5-8 November at the Las Vegas Convention Centre this year, the gathering brought the industry’s greatest fabricators, builders and suppliers together with around 2400 exhibitors, 1400 vehicles on display, and an estimated attendance of around 160,000 people.
From pimped-out Tesla Cybertrucks to towering Ford Super Duty monster trucks, slammed Chev C10s and a ground-scraping 1965 Jeep FJ6A Postal Vehicle with a twin-turbo V8 heart, SEMA 2024 had something for everyone.
If the quantity of OEM exhibits was somewhat reduced, their quality did not disappoint, the car-makers present at SEMA being those who blew up the internet this year, rolling out some of the show’s craziest custom creations tantalising autophiles with factory-built concepts that dropped heavy hints at an exciting future.
Here are our top pics from manufacturers that dared to think outside the box, in no particular order.
Surf’s up
Toyota pulled out all the stops for SEMA 2024, customising a range of its existing models with parts that will become available to customers in the near future, while also building a few nostalgia-driven concepts that sent social media into a frenzy.
A pumped-and-chopped 4Runner TRD Surf Concept sat centre stage, offering a perfect throwback to the ‘90s Hilux-based beach cruiser many know and love – and Toyota didn’t take any half measures.
The 4Runner TRD Surf Concept is based on the 2025 4Runner TRD Limited, sadly not available in Australia, which packs a 2.4-litre turbo-petrol four-pot producing 207kW/430Nm and a full-time 4x4 system.
In channelling the model’s coastal roots, Toyota chopped the 4Runner to feature a removable 3D-printed roof for true wind-in-the-hair beach driving and the display vehicle had two surfboards slung in the back too.
The 4Runner was also converted from a four-door to two-door body style, with two-inches of width added to each side of the vehicle for a comically muscular stance.
Much of its off-road stance can be attributed to the huge 37-inch tyres, though, mounted on custom 17x8.5-inch TRD wheels – well and truly filling the guards.
Toyota beefed the 4Runner up too, opting for long-travel suspension featuring billet aluminium upper and lower arms, custom axles, and rear-end parts from the Tundra.
Salt spray be warned, the 4Runner TRD Surf Concept also features a weatherproofed interior with waterproof flooring for an easy wipe-down after a day on the sand.
“At a show like SEMA we want to spark the imagination by taking stock vehicles and upfitting them with our Toyota accessories portfolio to do incredible things,” said Toyota Division Marketing vice president Mike Tripp.
“But, of course, this is SEMA, so we have also once again produced some truly amazing, one-of-a-kind vehicle concepts that are sure to thrill our fans!”
Toyota also showed a similarly open-air LandCruiser ROX model, harking back to the topless ’Cruisers of the past, which is unlikely to see the light of day but snapped necks nonetheless.
For those who prefer their Toyotas low and lively, but still oozing nostalgia, the marque unveiled a GR86 Rally Legacy Concept that wore the iconic Castrol-themed livery found on the TOM’s Racing Supra and Group A Celica GT-Four in the ’90s.
Little of the GR86 donor vehicle’s innards remain, now packing a 220kW three-cylinder engine and all-wheel drive from the manic GR Corolla – fuelling rumours already circulating about Toyota dumping the sportscar’s Subaru-derived drivetrain – as well as a Celica-inspired rear spoiler and rally-style light pods up front.
Outback electric
A somewhat unlikely modifier at SEMA was Kia America, unveiling two all-new custom explorers showcasing the go-anywhere potential of its battery electric vehicles (BEV).
The radical soft-roaders were dreamed up by designers at the Kia Design Centre America (KDCA), looking to position their sustainability-focused electric SUV and van models as versatile adventure rigs.
An EV9 ADVNTR Concept took the three-row electric SUV and added custom front and rear bumpers, reinforced rocker panels, a three-inch lift, and rugged wheel/tyre combination to seriously toughen up this otherwise urban runner.
Further customisation included a roof rack designed to handle rooftop tents, with integrated lighting and of course the entire vehicle was finished in a matte military green hue for added toughness.
Even more interesting, though, was Kia’s PV5 WKNDR Concept Van, which is built atop its recently released line of electric Purpose Beyond Vehicles (PBV) vans – unveiling a Mitsubishi Delica-esque electric off-roader that seriously looks the part.
The KDCA team transformed the van with a lift kit and off-road tyres, but they also took advantage of the vehicle’s modular interior with a range of storage solutions onboard.
With off-grid functionality in mind, the WKNDR also features solar panels and hydro turbine wheels that feed the batteries to run accessories like an onboard compressor (fitted to the concept) when out in the wild.
“Kia’s rugged and capable utility vehicles have long been known for being versatile, adaptable and comfortable to suit the needs of a wide range of consumers,” said Kia America chief operating officer Steven Center.
“We wanted to ‘level up’ the functionality and capability by developing these concepts that take those legendary attributes to the next level.
“Our vehicles already help people live their active and adventurous lifestyles and it was fun to see just how far we could go with these latest concepts. The SEMA Show acts as a blank canvas for creativity and offers a glimpse into what Kia’s automotive future may hold.”
Bucking Bronco
Ford premiered a range of new ‘Custom Garage’ kits for the Bronco and F-150, offering customers the chance to upfit their vehicles with visual and performance upgrades – including a wild 523kW supercharger package for its V8-powered F-150 XL.
The Custom Garage options will start with two Bronco packages – Matte Black and Sinister Bronze⯖ which offer upgrades well beyond colour schemes and decals. Of course, the program is a US-only initiative for now.
Both the kits include two-inch levelling suspension, Ford Performance calibration tool, upgraded wheels that will house 35-inch tyres, fender flares and various visual upgrades like unique badging.
A Dark Trail Series pack is also coming for the Bronco, while the Ford Performance F-150 FP700S kit is on its way for customers wanting to turn their two-wheel drive Effy into a tyre-killing street truck.
The FP700S kit takes a 2024 Ford F-150 XL 4x2 and adds a lowering kit and 3.0-litre Whipple supercharger, good for 700hp (523kW) of V8 goodness. The kit plays to the low-slung street truck trend, but acceleration figures have not been quoted.
Ford Performance Parts also worked with builder Solomon Lunger to create an old-meets-new F-100 tribute truck, which was unveiled at SEMA.
The low and loud F-100, dubbed Clyde, packs a modern 5.2-litre V8 Raptor R crate engine fed by a 3.8-litre Whipple supercharger, producing an astonishing 671kW of power and a tyre-melting 950Nm of twist.
Most notably, the no-expense-spared F-100 build features exposed carbon-fibre body panels all round, no doubt improving its power-to-weight ratio even further.
Racetrack to road
Honda Racing Corporation USA (HRC US) premiered a new business venture, developing and producing performance parts for street use off the back of its motorsport success – seemingly taking on the aftermarket.
The move follows strong interest in the Acura Integra Type S HRC Prototype, which was unveiled at Monterey Car Week in August, with HRC deciding to roll out a range of factory-backed performance parts for the model.
According to HRC, its proven race engineers are working on the first prototypes which are due as early as next year, although no specific parts were shown.
Instead, HRC showed a range of its race-winning machines that offered clues around the performance upgrades that may become available for Honda owners in North America.
Front and centre was the championship-leading Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 F1 car, piloted by Max Verstappen and powered by the Honda RBPTH002 engine that revs to an astonishing 15,000rpm.
More real-world examples included the Acura Integra Type S HRC Prototype, mentioned earlier, which takes a regular Integra and adds HRC goodies like advanced aerodynamics, weight reduction and improved suspension – parts likely to become available under the new program.
The Civic Type R will benefit too, with an 11-generation Indy pace car example on display that was fitted with an HRC brake package, four-point racing harness, and exclusive graphics and lighting.
On the more extreme end of the spectrum, HRC rolled out the hardcore Ridgeline Baja Race Truck, which has taken four class wins in the Baja 1000 and five in the Baja 500 in recent years.
The off-road racer now competes in the Trophy Truck category but is the only entrant running a V6 – over the more popular option of a naturally aspirated V8.
HRC’s Baja Ridgeline uses a production-based (but heavily fettled) turbocharged ‘R35TT’ 3.5-litre V6 producing 410kW, courtesy of upgrades like a custom intake plenum and remapped ECU.
"HRC US has been winning races and championships on and off road for three decades, and we're excited to apply this experience to new lines of performance parts for Honda and Acura enthusiasts eager to augment their performance driving experience," said HRC US senior vice president Jon Ikeda.
"To be an HRC genuine part, it must meet our exacting standards, while functionally improving vehicle performance and the driving experience."
All we can do now is hope some of the concepts rolled out at SEMA will make it to Australia’s shores – although we aren’t holding our breath.
