The best of SEMA 2024 on the Toyo Treadpass

For years, Toyo Tire’s Treadpass has been home to some of SEMA’s most breathtaking builds. This year’s exhibition was no different.

Many are calling the 2024 SEMA Show the most impressive event in years – thanks in no small part to the variety of cars on display and, overall, the quality. The Treadpass is always the place where SEMA’s highest caliber structures come to life.

If you’re the type to point and exclaim, “CARBON FIBAHH,” then the BCNR33 Nissan Skyline GT-R from Garage Active is for you. Following on from their hit BNR32 GT-R from SEMA 2021, this new build takes the same formula and takes it to the next level with thoughtful details both inside and out.

A beautiful candy red clearcoat colors the carbon weave and fades to a natural clearcoat on the back. The engine bay features matching candy red paint, while the RB26 is coated in matte black to complement the aggressively wide three-piece wheels.

Inside, Porsche influences are evident in the form of Recaro Sportster CS seats with houndstooth cushions combined with light brown leather upholstery on the side bolsters and throughout the interior.

Even wilder than the Skyline is Bisi Ezerioha’s latest creation: a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow restomod, or ‘electromod’ as some call them. From the outside, it might look like a typical SoCal restomod, complete with a pastel chalk finish and a Tiffany blue interior on oversized wheels.

But underneath, Bisimoto has transformed this old Roller with an AC induction motor and dual battery packs. All told, the powertrain produces 639bhp – quite a jump from the 189bhp 6.75-litre V8 it had when it left the Goodwood factory in 1974.

Cam Cocalis’ tube-chassis E30 has taken social media by storm, following up on his last SEMA build – a Scion FRS with an insane amount of custom fabrication – which earned him widespread recognition at just 21 years old.

The Live To Offend (LTO) widebody convertible body wraps around a mostly custom tubular frame chassis with C6 Chevrolet Corvette pickups and suspension, while power comes from a Texas Speed 427ci LS V8. A Wilwood pedal box, more Recaro houndstooth post positions, mounted in the rear CSF race radiator and Work Meister M1 split rims contribute to a very impressive construction.

Moontech Japan’s LS1-swapped, Air lift performance The air suspension-equipped E36 has a similar vibe, but with a distinctly different approach. At first glance, with the hood up, it looks like a classic version of a modified BMW.

But with the hood off, polished intake trumpets distract your eyes from the updated interior trim, red paint, and custom turbofan hubcaps.

Prefer American V8 power in American cars? Rival Machine’s C8 Corvette has your back, even though it looks like it could break lap records at Tsukuba.

The Mustang from Tucci Hot Rods, on the other hand, has a mighty Ford Cobra Jet V8 with a supercharger between the struts. It’s not all old school though, with 3D printed aerodynamic accents co-created with a Ford OEM designer.

Like the Mustang Fastback out The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift upsets you, you might want to look away from this RB26 swapped Shelby Cobra. The modern six-cylinder turbo engine and long hood are just the tip of the iceberg of what is perhaps the most daring Cobra ever built.

While I’m a fan of V8 engines, of all the cars on this year’s Toyo Treadpass, this Cobra is the one I’d like to try out. That turbocharged inline-six that howls with the open cockpit? Yes, please!

The ‘Pure’ Bronco does its best to move away from its infamous association with OJ’s white Ford SUV with a beautiful interior and matching roof storage boxes.

Meanwhile, Toyota’s legendary Land Cruiser continues its reputation for rugged reliability and go-anywhere capabilities.

This one looks ready for adventure, with a fully upgraded powertrain and suspension combined with a modernized interior, all wrapped in its classic bodywork.

Unlike his electrical EC constructionRywire’s Ryan Basseri’s EG Honda Civic takes a more restomod approach to the tuner EV swap. We’re planning a full feature for this build, so stay tuned.

Gooichi Motors’ twin-turbo V6-swapped CR-X is a more traditional take on a Honda build. Aggressively styled and upgraded to the point of a restomod, there isn’t much of the original CR-X left here.

This pair of Porsches pushes aftermarket car design far into the future, while Miles Works and S-Klub LA’s SL Pagoda and SLR McLaren are extreme examples of Mercedes-Benz design from the 1960s and 2000s.