Las Vegas — Audio. Axles. Brakes. Car care accessories. Electronics. EV charging cables. Motor oil. Race cars. Shocks. Tires. Tools. Wheels. It was all on display at the SEMA Show.
The SEMA Show is not an auto show — rather it is a trade show featuring aftermarket parts and accessories to customize your vehicle. Auto racing and performance are also part of the show.
Toyota debuted its all-new Tacoma X-Runner concept pickup truck. It is equipped with a modified i-FORCE 3.4-liter twin-turbocharged V6 producing 421 horsepower with 479 lb.-ft. of peak torque. The new sporty truck was designed at Toyota’s Calty design studio in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Ford returned to the SEMA Show and showed off four different electric vehicle concepts: Mustang Mach-E Rally, Tjin edition mustang Mach-E Safari Concept and two others.
Meguiar’s told me about their new car care products for both consumers and professionals. Look for many of the new products to arrive in early 2024.
“This year, we are releasing our full line of ceramic coating,” said Justin Blank from Meguiar’s. “It’s going to deepen the gloss in your paint and give you insane protection. This is our new product in our pro line. We also have another ceramic coating and this is part of our ultimate line which is more of our consumer line. This is essentially a spray and buff off. It’s also going to give really good protection, long-lasting and overall great durability. The whole line of ceramic products are really big right now.“
Tier one supplier ZF introduced me to their new SACHS performance damper and performance clutches.
“Here we have our SACHS performance damper for street cars…these are used on newer model Mustangs and they are adjustable in ride height,” said Donovan Jordan, product manager of TRW Chassis at ZF. “They adjust based on the road conditions for the vehicle. This is a display for our performance clutches. At ZF, we’re many known for our transmissions. This is one of the best transmissions on the market. It’s known for being lightweight and it also uses our clothes as well. It’s a very good transmission that’s used on many vehicles at the moment.“
ZF also displayed this 1970 Dodge Charger from the “Fast” movie series. It was driven by Vin Diesel in “The Fast and the Furious” (2001).
Last year’s SEMA Electrified section of the show has grown into the new SEMA FutureTech studio. More and more Car enthusiasts are transforming their gas-powered vehicles into electrified vehicles.
Panthera Automotive showed off their aftermarket sound generator which will allow electric cars to make noises so others can hear the engine roar. EVs are very quiet so this could also help with safety for nearby pedestrians.
“The great thing is that it’s only connected to the OBD dongle and it transfers all the data through our amplifier and makes the sounds,” said Rafael from Panthera Automotive. “So it can unplug to any other car if you swap the car. You can also change the volume of the sound.”
Fuel2Electric explained how they can assist people who want to convert their gas powered vehicles into electric. They will put consumers in touch with professionals who can take care of their EV conversion safely and correctly.
“Cars are born as 12-volt systems—all of your lights, turn signals, horns and things run off that voltage,” said John Wilson from Fuel2Electric. “The engines and transmissions for EVs are high voltage and they run off of big batteries and a number of batteries. The number of batteries and the size of the engine will determine what kind of horsepower, what kind of torque and range you have. It’s really based on budget, what your goals are and what kind of vehicle you have. But we’re here to help you with those questions. Typically, you start around $35,000 and it can go way up from there to way over $100,000. It all depends on how much horsepower, torque and range you want to get.”
Mission Foods, maker of the Mexican tortillas, was announced as the new title sponsor of the 2024 NHRA Drag Racing Series.
“It feels great—obviously, we had to take that year off during the pandemic but the last couple of years, the show has been great,” Blank added. “The show has been great, we’ve been great. SEMA is always a great time for us. I think it’s a great time for everybody in the industry to get together. We’re all in this together.”
Attendees were also to get autographs from models and other celebrities at the SEMA Show. Some of the featured celebrities included Mario Andretti, Chip Foose, John Force, Cristy Lee, Jay Leno, Leah Pruett, Gene Winfield, among hundreds more.
The SEMA Show was followed by the first-ever SEMA Fest at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds. The inaugural event was open to the public with automotive displays as well as performances by top bands including Imagine Dragons, Incubus, Wiz Khalifa, AJR, Third Eye Blind, Walk the Moon, Ludacris and many other musical acts.
The SEMA Show will return in 2024. For more info, go to www.SEMAshow.com.
New car care products by Meguiar’s for 2024 
New SACHS clutch and damper by ZF 
Rafael from Panthera Automotive told me about their new aftermarket sound generators 
John Wilson from Fuel2Electric told me about their service which helps people looking to convert their gas-powered vehicles into electrified vehicles. 
The all-new 2024 Toyota Tacoma X-Runner concept truck made its debut at SEMA Show 
Ford showed off this Tjin Edition Mustang Mach-E Safari Concept 
Ford also displayed this Mustang Mach-E Rally edition 
NHRA announced its 2024 season will be sponsored by Mission Foods
Stay with AmericaJR for more coverage from the 2023 SEMA Show…