Media Production by Ron Reichel
SEMA. The ultimate car show. But it’s not just a car show, it’s an immersive multi-day event dedicated to the automotive industry.
This years SEMA did not disappoint. There were definite a few themes that was on display. The big one being the electrification movement. Electric vehicles and electrifying components for an existing vehicle was probably the biggest thing throughout the show.
Electrification
There were several vehicle releases that took center stage (sorry, there isn’t a center stage so to speak). On display were new vehicles like the Ford Bronco, Nissan Z, Chevrolet Corvette Z06, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and the list went on. Vehicles like the GMC Hummer came back. But it came back with a twist. Gone is the massive diesel driveline, replaced by an electric one.
An Electric Snake?
The Shelby Cobra is an iconic car created by the legendary Shelby Cobra. He stuffed a massive engine in a tiny car and the rest is history. There is nothing like a built 427 rumbling inches away from you. The raw horsepower, heat, and sound are simply magic.
Enter the electrification movement. One of the premier Cobra replica builders Superformance, showed off an electric Cobra. Just stunning.
The big announcement that really got my attention was Ford releasing a new crate motor. But this wasn’t another Coyote destined for a Mustang build. It was an electric motor. Best of all, it costs only $3,900. The Eluminator was shown in the Ford F-100 Eluminator Concept. This motor is from the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT Performance edition. It has 281 horsepower and 317 pound feet of torque. Put one on each wheel to put down 480 horsepower and 634 pound pound feet of torque.
Electrified Everything
The awesome thing about the car industry is the creativity that is on display at SEMA. Here are a few electric builds.
SEMA Horsepower
Of course the internal combustion chamber is alive and well. On display were some of the hottest cars. The first is the COPO Camaro. A 572 cubic inch purpose built drag racer. In the old days, GM allowed you to custom order a race car. Thankfully, those days are back. GM allows you to customize your drag racer to blow the doors off your buddies at the track.
Of course the boys from Mopar were there with their version. A full drag race car from the factory in the form of a Dodge Challenger Drag Pak. This Hemi powered monster will do 7.5’s in the quarter mile fresh from the dealer.
Next up is Kidigit Designs 1953 Corvette. You can follow along here with the creation of a custom Corvette. The thing about these are they are stunningly beautiful yet terrible to drive. They had small passenger compartments and handled poorly. Dave Kindig and his team of artisans recreated the 1953 Corvette by putting a custom Roadster shop chassis, LS motor, and beautiful leather interior. They handcrafted all the chrome trim and interior bits. Best of all, they aren’t made of fiberglass. Oh no, that would be too common. The carbon fiber body is much stronger, stiffer, and likely lighter.
They brought the first 2 they made to the show. A pearl white over red one was featured in their booth. A light blue one was on the show floor. If you look closely, you’ll notice the fins are gone from the tail lights. They had to remove them in order to release the molds they made to create the bodies. The craftsmanship is of course at the highest level.
This was tough to do. To pick a sample of the amazing builds that were there. Here are a few favorites.
Import Muscle
The JDM movement was alive and well at this years SEMA. The amount of GR Supras was simply crazy, like every one ever built was modified and brought to SEMA.
Monster Trucks
The level of build on the trucks that seemed to be everywhere was unreal. Each truck has thousands of hours into them in labor and likely 100’s of thousands invested in parts. You could eat off of the suspension parts on these builds.
That’s a wrap for SEMA 2021. An unbelievable event that is sure to be bigger and better next year. Thanks for visiting.