One of the greatest things about car culture is the sheer scope of expression and creativity on display at conventions and events, and nowhere does it quite like the Specialty Equipment Marketing Association car show (SEMA). With the 2024 edition now past us, we’ve pulled together some of the very best bits we found. Grab the popcorn—this is going to blow your mind.
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1) Nissan R33 GT-R
One of just 55 ever built by Nissan for homologation purposes, this R33 GT-R N1 has been cosmetically reimagined to look like a ‘400R.’ Including the bodykit, diffusers, wheel arches, and hood. The long list of mechanical changes includes a HKS intercooler, Bosch injectors, and a titanium cat-back exhaust that means its RB26 engine now produces around 750hp. Ooft.
2) Renault Dauphine
Somewhere beneath the gaping vents and the pumped-up bodywork is a Renault Dauphine. For some context, the Dauphine is 22 inches wider than the original. Oh, and it’s also mid-engined, with a Volkswagen VR6 powertrain paired with a six-speed manual. The whole thing sits on a fully custom chassis with a bumper-to-bumper cage, supported by a bespoke push-rod suspension, motorsport-grade sway bars, and chunky brakes. Definitely SEMA-worthy.
3) Porsche Boxster 986
This Carrera GT-inspired Boxster 986 has had eight individual body panels bonded together to give it a clean, factory-like finish. All on a car that originally cost just $2,500. The color (Azzuro Thetys) is also a custom paint-to-sample made for the latest 911, and looks gorgeous atop the newfound shape of this incredible build.
4) Buick Grand National
Ringbrothers has quite a reputation these days, and its ultimate build has been revealed at SEMA: a 1,246hp Buick Grand National. It’s the company’s fastest-ever car and pushes out almost five times as much power as it did when it left the factory. The 3.8-liter V6 now boasts two 62mm turbos, funneling 2.2 bar of boost into its nervous system.
5) Toyota Land Cruiser
It was only a matter of time before somebody took the new Land Cruiser and added a three-inch lift kit, an aftermarket roof rack, and masses of extra body armor to it. Which is precisely what Matt Brock has done with what was once a base-spec motor. Cool color, too.
6) Mercedes-Benz 230SL Pagoda
Now here’s something truly unusual. Pagodas are rare and expensive, but that hasn’t stopped S Klub LA from throwing on an audacious widebody kit, a ducktail spoiler, and three centrally mounted tailpipes. The team has likely exhausted the world’s reserves of red paint on project Aleiya, too, which takes certain components from a more modern R230-generation SLK.
7) Ford F-250
More red, did you say? How about a vintage Ford F-250 in ‘Candy Apple’ for your taste? The rough and ready look is a nod to its natural calling as a rugged work truck, and we appreciate the brutal simplicity. Oh, and there’s a new four-wheel-drive system and 7.5-liter V8 shoved in for good measure.
8) Toyota GR86
Don’t you just love it when manufacturers tap into nostalgia? Toyota’s Celica GT-Four-themed GR86 is a fantastic example of just that. Armed with the 300hp turbocharged three-pot from a GR Corolla, four spot lamps, extended mudflaps, and that livery, this is one factory-backed retro build we can really get behind.
9) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
An 800hp monster that looks like it’s straight out of the 2000s street racing game Juiced. Owner Archie Concon has said its future lies in time-attack racing, but has already run a quarter-mile in just over 10sec flat at 375kph. Not far off Dominic Toretto’s fabled number...
10) Porsche Cayenne
Fancy a spot of rallying and rock crawling? Dillon Houck’s Porsche Cayenne has been built specifically for that, sitting pretty on its 33-inch tires and featuring enough body armor to see it through even the mightiest of desert trails.
11) Nissan R34 GT-R
Current R34 GT-R prices are pretty much a one-make comedy show. If you’ve managed to source one of these prohibitively expensive old cars and want to spend even more on modernizing it, Japanese tuner Built By Legends will make yours look exactly like the one pictured for $500,000 (P29 million)
12) Ford Mustang GT
Fourth-generation Ford Mustangs aren’t the meanest-looking things on the street, so Matt James decided to remedy that with a few modifications, starting with a 900hp, 5.2-liter V8. It’s seen plenty of track time, too, so we can only imagine how many times James has had his organs realigned as a result.
13) Ferrari F40
An F40 in cream, with HS21 alloys. We don’t need to say much more, do we?
14) Plymouth Cuda
The second Ringbrothers car is a tribute to Mopar. The Plymouth Cuda is a handsome brute as is, but the team decided to drastically reduce its wheel-well space, throw on a carbon hood with a black hole-sized vent, and improve on the original car’s ’70s handling. What’s left is an 817hp muscle car that can likely run rings around most modern performance cars.
15) Mazda MX-5
This is a first-gen Mazda MX-5 with a Lamborghini V10 up front, which is about as wild an idea as trying to befriend a pack of hungry tigers. Jefferson Marcal is the name of the man who’s put it together, and it might just be our favorite build from SEMA this year. Imagine a lap of Spa in this thing?
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
