Wild and wonderful vehicles at '23 SEMA

WITH the global aftermarket automotive parts sector speculated at nearly $A500 billion this year, it’s no surprise that a show dedicated to this industry within an industry attracts a huge audience. 

The annual, three-day SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) trade show held in Las Vegas each November has grown to massive proportions, attracting more than 70,000 buyers from around the world along with, this year, 2400 exhibitors and a total of 161,000 attendees.

Many thousands of new products ranging from mechanical performance components through paints, lubricants, consumables and tyres to new technology were on display, and for sale, as the exhibition itself morphed into something of a show-and-tell with manufacturers, customisers and performance modification companies vying for attention with crowd-pulling vehicles.

This year, organisers made additional space available for burgeoning electrification technology that now offers, on a broad scale, EV conversions of classic cars.

Some of the highlights:

Creating plenty of attention was a radically styed BMW M4 converted into a ute. It’s a long stretch to outlay $160,000 for an M4 and then slice the roof off at the rear, in the process removing everything apart from the floor.

The BMW ute is finished with Stek Automotive USA’s carbon film highlights while the mechanicals remain the same as a stock M4, built around a twin turbo petrol straight six.

Moving to Japanese iron and the Toyo Tires area provided some of the most spectacular modified cars at SEMA, among them an LS3 V8-swapped Toyota GT86 built by 21-year old Cameron Cocalis over four years.

Resto-mods were commonplace at SEMA, like the Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R with a stroked RB30 six-cylinder engine, a large turbo and nitrous oxide injection that cranked out a ‘healthy’ 1050kW driving through a six-speed Hollinger gearbox similar to that used in a V8 Supercar.

SEMA 2022 ushered in what was called “SEMA Electrified”, a pavilion dedicated to the electrification of not only classic models but also the new wave of electrified supercars and hypercars. 

Featured was a DeLorean DMC with a full EV conversion from a company that makes EV ‘crate’ motor conversions.

SEMA excels at providing variety with motorsport specials sharing space with American classics and Japanese domestic market builds alongside modified Italian supercars, lifted trucks with big V8s in diesel and petrol, electrified classics and wild custom vehicles. 

As much SEMA limelight as modified cars was occupied by SUVs and trucks, specifically US pick-ups of many permutations from ultra-powerful V8 brutes and clever camping conversions to heavy-duty off-roaders and towing rigs, all the way up to off road-racing trucks suitable for events like the Baja 1000.

Off-the-shelf lift kits, huge mud tyres on equally huge rims and six-wheel drive conversions are commonplace, in addition to outlandish paint, ground clearance you could potentially walk under and engines uprated to double or triple the standard specification.

As well as connecting manufacturers with buyers, the annual event provides education seminars that focus on business strategies and techniques such as online marketing, customer service, product training and new vehicle technology.

It facilitates networking events and provides features and attractions that highlight industry trends, including live drifting demonstrations, hands-on workshops and drive experiences.

The show itself occupies 112,000 square metres of exhibit space with a similar amount of space for special features throughout the Las Vegas Convention Centre, outside areas and neighbouring Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino.