Photo: Ringbrothers / Instagram
It's true that OEMs - especially automakers - have been greatly mobilized for this year's edition of the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. But the stunningly imaginative aftermarket realm struck gold once again – and even upgraded to platinum, if you want our two cents on the matter.
Think about it for a second. Back in 2020, when the health crisis was raging, the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) of the US automotive aftermarket had to take the hard decision to move the traditional annual SEMA Show gathering from the Las Vegas Convention Center in Nevada to the online ether. It's been a long and arduous road staging a comeback, but it's officially complete with a notch up the flying colors ribbon.
Think about it for a second-time fraction – another second. This year, the first 2024 SEMA Show-related product from one of the major automakers out there was presented online on October 15, more than half a month ahead of the live presentation. That was the Project Trailgater prepared by Japanese carmaker Nissan and custom garage Music City Trucks based on a 2025 Frontier mid-size pickup truck and devised as the one and only vehicle that lets you watch football in the woods.
Since then, the floodgates of novelties for the 2024 edition were quite widely opened – with various small outlets and big brands coming through in haste. Of course, there were many minor celebrities, and basically every self-respecting fabricator or aftermarket outlet had something for the SEMA crowds. But so do the big and scruffy automakers, and we're pretty glad they're letting the imagination run wild – even if only for just a few days between November 5 and 8.
Sure, the dates have passed, but the feeling of content lingers on – and it's not just because the carmakers and their major partners did their jobs better than last year or a few years ago. Instead, let's talk about the OEM highlights and then focus on a trio of aftermarket custom builds that could easily represent the ultimate garage dream rides.
So, there was also controversy at SEMA – the 1967 Plymouth GTX by Mopar is a stunning blue muscle car, but it's also an 'Electromod' created to showcase the company's eCrate. The EV surprise might have been a nasty one for some fans, but two Ram Trucks got the Mopar touch for the event, and they were as ICE-powered as ever – plus ready for any off-road adventure. If you wanted to hit the streets in a very Mopar manner, Dodge announced five Hemi V8 goodies, including of the supercharged variety. Just to remain in the Big Detroit Three vicinity, Ford Motor Company introduced the all-new Ford Custom Garage Packages that took the form of vehicle personalization kits offering limited-edition bundles, and the Blue Oval also featured custom builds like their supercharged F-150 that's not a Raptor R but a street truck and some Bronco and Bronco Sport SUVs.
If you think that was light, wait until you check out what Toyota had at its booth and in the areas reserved for its partners – there were no less than seven main builds, including the stunning 4Runner TRD Surf and Land Cruiser ROX concepts, but also the GR86 Rally Legacy, #84 Tacoma TRD ProRunner Race, Ultimate Tailgate Tundra, and Toyota RAV-X prototypes, as well as the Suprabird Tribute. Each and every one of them had something special and paid tribute or attracted a special part of the Toyota fanbase. With help from AAP, no other Toyota was left without a chance to shine on the red carpet under the spotlight.
Still in the Asian area, Honda pushed forward its Honda Racing Corporation division as it revealed its new business target to develop "authentic performance parts for customer use for street, track and off-road applications" along with a cool Pilot HRC prototype. Nissan, meanwhile, refocused our attention on the Project Trailgater and tripled the coolness with a Frontier destined for drift adventures along with two Kicks projects – just for the kicks, probably, as we couldn't help the pun. Seriously, there was something for everyone – including Japanese oil companies displaying custom builds or Tesla Model S Plaid Pursuit getting unveiled as the world's fastest police car. Hey, there was even an absolutely new model introduction – one that doesn't feature any aftermarket-style modifications: AC Cars and Tremec launched their jointly-developed AC Ace Classic electric sports car, which uses a Tremec Electric GT-developed EV powertrain.
But the cherry on top – cherries, to be more precise, came from Ringbrothers. By the way, if you have a different favorite from the aftermarket realm, beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, and we'd like to hear about your pick in the comments section. Anyway, the expert customizers took the 2024 SEMA Show by storm with a crescendo of incredible custom builds: a 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer now known as 'Tuka,' a 1970 Plymouth Barracuda dubbed 'Infected,' and a 1987 Buick Grand National nicknamed as 'Invadr.' By the way, we're listing them in order of their rising horsepower quotations because choosing a hierarchy would have been impossible otherwise.
Starting with the off-road SUV, this custom-built K5 Blazer is another slap in Chevy's face regarding its decision not to make a modern successor like the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco. Ringbrothers invested no less than 3,700 hours into this build, and the result is stunningly dressed in a BASF Glasurit Waterborne mix called Galactic Black, and under the carbon fiber hood resides a 525-horsepower GM Performance 6.2-liter LS3 V8 sending the power to an NP208 transfer case through a Bowler Tru-Street GM 4L60E automatic transmission. As a quirky detail, this GM vehicle has chassis elements from a third-generation Tacoma to snatch the independent front suspension and even a rear window stolen and canted from a contemporary Jeep Wrangler!
Secondly, while I usually dismiss fancy-colored cars and would probably run away from a pink car as fast as I can, this time around, I would drive around with a huge smile on my face if I was handling the steering wheel of Ringbrothers' Pink Eye-dressed 1970 Plymouth 'Cuda now called 'Infected.' After 5,600 hours of work, they created an incredible restomod packing that was just about anything you can think of to make it a million-dollar project, and then some more. To top everything up, under the bespoke carbon fiber hood resides none other than Mopar's supercharged HEMI V8, thanks to a Hellcrate Redeye pack – and it came complete with 807 horsepower and 717 ft-lbs of torque channeled to the rear wheels through a Bowler Tremec TR-6060 six-speed manual transaxle transmission. Wait, wait, wait, as there is more. While it's a lot more inconspicuous due to the custom BASF Glasurit Waterborne mix, fittingly called "Dark Vader Gray," the 1987 Buick Grand National, now called 'Invadr' is even more powerful, even though it only has a 3.8-liter V6 under the hood!
That's possible thanks to a twin-turbocharged mill from Duttweiler Performance and some 5k hours of hard work – the beast now looks conspicuous but needs carbon-ceramic brakes and many more modern upgrades to cope with the new level of power. More precisely, the twin Precision 62mm turbochargers send 32 lbs. of boost into the 3.8-liter V6 and make out no less than 1,246 horsepower on E85 – so it needs the custom Roadster Shop chassis, the four-link rear suspension with Penske three-way adjustable shocks, the Brembo brakes, and all the other goodies. All the power is channeled to the wheels via a Bowler Tremec T-56 Magnum six-speed manual transmission and a carbon-fiber drag-race shaft – and it's all because the powertrain can be raised to no less than 2,000 horsepower if anyone chooses to increase the pressure to 50 lbs. of boost! How about that? So, which vehicle is your absolute favorite from the 2024 SEMA Show?
Think about it for a second-time fraction – another second. This year, the first 2024 SEMA Show-related product from one of the major automakers out there was presented online on October 15, more than half a month ahead of the live presentation. That was the Project Trailgater prepared by Japanese carmaker Nissan and custom garage Music City Trucks based on a 2025 Frontier mid-size pickup truck and devised as the one and only vehicle that lets you watch football in the woods.
Since then, the floodgates of novelties for the 2024 edition were quite widely opened – with various small outlets and big brands coming through in haste. Of course, there were many minor celebrities, and basically every self-respecting fabricator or aftermarket outlet had something for the SEMA crowds. But so do the big and scruffy automakers, and we're pretty glad they're letting the imagination run wild – even if only for just a few days between November 5 and 8.
Sure, the dates have passed, but the feeling of content lingers on – and it's not just because the carmakers and their major partners did their jobs better than last year or a few years ago. Instead, let's talk about the OEM highlights and then focus on a trio of aftermarket custom builds that could easily represent the ultimate garage dream rides.
So, there was also controversy at SEMA – the 1967 Plymouth GTX by Mopar is a stunning blue muscle car, but it's also an 'Electromod' created to showcase the company's eCrate. The EV surprise might have been a nasty one for some fans, but two Ram Trucks got the Mopar touch for the event, and they were as ICE-powered as ever – plus ready for any off-road adventure. If you wanted to hit the streets in a very Mopar manner, Dodge announced five Hemi V8 goodies, including of the supercharged variety. Just to remain in the Big Detroit Three vicinity, Ford Motor Company introduced the all-new Ford Custom Garage Packages that took the form of vehicle personalization kits offering limited-edition bundles, and the Blue Oval also featured custom builds like their supercharged F-150 that's not a Raptor R but a street truck and some Bronco and Bronco Sport SUVs.
If you think that was light, wait until you check out what Toyota had at its booth and in the areas reserved for its partners – there were no less than seven main builds, including the stunning 4Runner TRD Surf and Land Cruiser ROX concepts, but also the GR86 Rally Legacy, #84 Tacoma TRD ProRunner Race, Ultimate Tailgate Tundra, and Toyota RAV-X prototypes, as well as the Suprabird Tribute. Each and every one of them had something special and paid tribute or attracted a special part of the Toyota fanbase. With help from AAP, no other Toyota was left without a chance to shine on the red carpet under the spotlight.
Still in the Asian area, Honda pushed forward its Honda Racing Corporation division as it revealed its new business target to develop "authentic performance parts for customer use for street, track and off-road applications" along with a cool Pilot HRC prototype. Nissan, meanwhile, refocused our attention on the Project Trailgater and tripled the coolness with a Frontier destined for drift adventures along with two Kicks projects – just for the kicks, probably, as we couldn't help the pun. Seriously, there was something for everyone – including Japanese oil companies displaying custom builds or Tesla Model S Plaid Pursuit getting unveiled as the world's fastest police car. Hey, there was even an absolutely new model introduction – one that doesn't feature any aftermarket-style modifications: AC Cars and Tremec launched their jointly-developed AC Ace Classic electric sports car, which uses a Tremec Electric GT-developed EV powertrain.
But the cherry on top – cherries, to be more precise, came from Ringbrothers. By the way, if you have a different favorite from the aftermarket realm, beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, and we'd like to hear about your pick in the comments section. Anyway, the expert customizers took the 2024 SEMA Show by storm with a crescendo of incredible custom builds: a 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer now known as 'Tuka,' a 1970 Plymouth Barracuda dubbed 'Infected,' and a 1987 Buick Grand National nicknamed as 'Invadr.' By the way, we're listing them in order of their rising horsepower quotations because choosing a hierarchy would have been impossible otherwise.
Starting with the off-road SUV, this custom-built K5 Blazer is another slap in Chevy's face regarding its decision not to make a modern successor like the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco. Ringbrothers invested no less than 3,700 hours into this build, and the result is stunningly dressed in a BASF Glasurit Waterborne mix called Galactic Black, and under the carbon fiber hood resides a 525-horsepower GM Performance 6.2-liter LS3 V8 sending the power to an NP208 transfer case through a Bowler Tru-Street GM 4L60E automatic transmission. As a quirky detail, this GM vehicle has chassis elements from a third-generation Tacoma to snatch the independent front suspension and even a rear window stolen and canted from a contemporary Jeep Wrangler!
Secondly, while I usually dismiss fancy-colored cars and would probably run away from a pink car as fast as I can, this time around, I would drive around with a huge smile on my face if I was handling the steering wheel of Ringbrothers' Pink Eye-dressed 1970 Plymouth 'Cuda now called 'Infected.' After 5,600 hours of work, they created an incredible restomod packing that was just about anything you can think of to make it a million-dollar project, and then some more. To top everything up, under the bespoke carbon fiber hood resides none other than Mopar's supercharged HEMI V8, thanks to a Hellcrate Redeye pack – and it came complete with 807 horsepower and 717 ft-lbs of torque channeled to the rear wheels through a Bowler Tremec TR-6060 six-speed manual transaxle transmission. Wait, wait, wait, as there is more. While it's a lot more inconspicuous due to the custom BASF Glasurit Waterborne mix, fittingly called "Dark Vader Gray," the 1987 Buick Grand National, now called 'Invadr' is even more powerful, even though it only has a 3.8-liter V6 under the hood!
That's possible thanks to a twin-turbocharged mill from Duttweiler Performance and some 5k hours of hard work – the beast now looks conspicuous but needs carbon-ceramic brakes and many more modern upgrades to cope with the new level of power. More precisely, the twin Precision 62mm turbochargers send 32 lbs. of boost into the 3.8-liter V6 and make out no less than 1,246 horsepower on E85 – so it needs the custom Roadster Shop chassis, the four-link rear suspension with Penske three-way adjustable shocks, the Brembo brakes, and all the other goodies. All the power is channeled to the wheels via a Bowler Tremec T-56 Magnum six-speed manual transmission and a carbon-fiber drag-race shaft – and it's all because the powertrain can be raised to no less than 2,000 horsepower if anyone chooses to increase the pressure to 50 lbs. of boost! How about that? So, which vehicle is your absolute favorite from the 2024 SEMA Show?
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