The SEMA Show means different things to different people. At its heart, the Specialty Equipment Market Association’s annual flagship event is a trade show where member companies showcase their products and services to the automotive aftermarket, and business-to-business deals are done.
For the wider community, though, it’s where car builders debut their latest creations in collaboration with some of the industry’s biggest brands.
To say SEMA is ‘big’ would be a massive understatement. This year’s show features more than 2,200 exhibitors spanning the entire automotive spectrum – from OEMs and workshop tool makers to tire and performance parts manufacturers and everything in between. Then there are the 1,500+ vehicles on display – from mild to absolutely wild. And, of course, the people: more than 160,000 attendees are expected to pass through the doors of the Las Vegas Convention Center before they close on Friday afternoon.
We’ve got plenty of SEMA 2026 coverage coming to Turnpike over the next week or so, but to kick things off, we thought we’d take a first look at some of what’s on show.
The Toyo Tires Treadpass always serves up some of SEMA’s standout builds, and there’s no shortage of them this year, starting with a custom widebody Bugatti EB110. Yes, really. Now eight inches wider than when it left the factory, the Bugatti was reimagined by Phiaro, a Japanese company (with a Californian arm since 1988) that has been building bespoke and prototype vehicles for over 80 years. This particular one-of-one Bugatti build was based on a Jon Sibal digital render from over five years ago.
S-Klub LA has two notable builds on display – its 15th custom Porsche 356 Speedster recreation, sublime in every way, and something nobody could have seen coming. I’m talking about a creation called ‘Game Over’, or the ‘CLK750S’. As the latter name suggests, this is a custom Mercedes-Benz/McLaren mash-up, morphing CLK GTR-inspired bodywork over a 750S chassis. Because why not?
There’s also a Liberty Walk-kitted R33 Nissan Skyline GT-R, the ‘948 RS’ – a custom-widebodied and LS-swapped Porsche 944 – and plenty more that we’ll be covering in detail in a standalone story on the Toyo Tires Treadpass at SEMA 2026. Look out for that soon.
It’s become a tradition for CSF Race to showcase some of the best builds at SEMA, and this year is no different, with Ryan Basseri’s Porsche 964 and Paul Lefevre’s BMW E9 taking center stage in the booth.
Ryan’s newest build is a breath of fresh air in a world of widebody-converted and big-boosting 911s, retaining its original narrow-body form and natural aspiration while boasting an insane spec. We’ll be taking a closer look at this car in the very near future, but in the meantime, here are a few highlights: a Prato Motorwerks 3.8L stroker engine with BBi ITBs, Rywire custom electrical, Honda Midori Green paint, RAYS Volk Racing TE37 wheels, and, of course, CSF cooling.
Paul (aka The Son of Cobra) needs no introduction in the surfboard-shaping world, and the artisanal composite craftsmanship he’s brought to his boards over the years has translated seamlessly into the automotive world, resulting in some stunning classic BMW restomods. His latest creation is an absolutely incredible custom widebody E9, featuring carbon-fibre panels hidden beneath a cream paint finish. As with all Son of Cobra car builds, this one is very light and, thanks to a CSF-cooled 3.6-litre inline-six from an E34 M5, very powerful, too.
RAYS has a strong presence at SEMA 2026, with its first-ever official brand display outside in the Silver Lot, incorporating a special RAYS Driving Experience.
At the Mackin Industries booth, several new RAYS designs (and finish updates to existing designs) are making their debut. Of particular interest is the all-new Volk Racing RE27, which Dino first teased back in August. The RE27 (along with the RE27 M-Spec variant) is a successor to the famed SE37K, bringing RAYS’ latest Volk Racing performance technology and fitments to the iconic seven twin (14-spoke) design. The popular Gram Lights 57 Series also gains a new addition – the 57NS, which combines lightweight construction with an aggressive concave spoke design.
As anyone who has visited SEMA will know, it’s very easy to spot an interesting car from a distance and try to make your way over to check it out, only to be sidetracked by something else along the way. It’s how some cars are completely missed, even if you spend a few days at the show.
Thankfully, we found our way to DuSold Designs’ custom Porsche 935 build, featured in the Vibrant Performance booth. The car has an interesting story, having been converted from a 1974 G-Body 911 into a race car by JLP Racing in 1981, and then rediscovered with a totally rusted-out floor and its fiberglass panels in poor shape. That prompted the comprehensive rebuild, which, thanks to Mike DuSold, now features a shortened and narrowed, all-wheel-drive Porsche 996 chassis under the car’s new 935 JLP-3-inspired carbon fiber bodywork. Performance has been given a major boost too, with a twin-turbocharged GT3 engine out back, sending power to all four wheels.
Then, we found Round Cat Garage’s K-swapped EK9 Honda Civic Type R, in all its Seibon Carbon glory. Don’t for a moment think that the carbon fiber has been overlaid – it’s a complete overhaul with full carbon fiber panels, from the quarters to the roof, to the hood, hatch, doors, bumpers, and everywhere in between.
While the vast majority of high-profile cars on show at SEMA can be found within the Las Vegas Convention Center’s four main halls, there are plenty of interesting builds outside too. You just have to push through the sensory overload to find them.
There really is nothing quite like the SEMA Show. While it feels like there may be fewer internet-breaking cars on display than we’ve seen in previous years, we’ve still come across some amazing builds over the tens of miles of walking we’ve covered so far. Of course, these all deserve a closer look to be truly appreciated, so stay tuned for stories on some of our favorites.
