SEMA

While we're huge fans of adding forced induction to Miatas and MX-5s, extra power isn't the only thing that can make a sports car faster. The SEMA special this year from Mazda is the Super25, built with an eye toward endurance racing speed and durability. An incremental evolution from the Super20...

Acura bills its gateway-to-the-brand ILX sedan as the ideal blend of sport and luxury, but our experience with the car tells us it’s lacking in the sport department. Even with the 201-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine (the largest available), the car lacks the kind of thrust we...

Announced in 2011, the B-Spec series (sanctioned by both the SCCA and Grand Am) is arguably the cheapest way to go racing on a professional level. Up to now, the series has starred the Honda Fit, the Ford Fiesta, the Kia Rio, the Fiat 500, the MINI Cooper, the Toyota Yaris and the Mazda2. Now...

If you're a fan of all things modified and tuned up, then you're probably really enjoying the first day of SEMA's exploits. Add to the list these special-edition 2013 Subaru WRX and STI sedans, decked out in orange and black for Halloween--and going on sale in limited quantities soon. Just 200 of...

At last year’s SEMA show, Chevy announced that it would build 69 COPO Camaros for the 2012 model year. The number was in honor of the original COPO (short for Central Office Production Order) Camaro, which hit the drag strip in 1969 as a factory-built race car. Like the originals, the new...

Automakers seem to be pulling out all the stops for this year’s SEMA show, indicating that the automotive aftermarket is chugging along just fine. Both Ford and Chrysler have announced double-digit SEMA show cars, and even Chevrolet seems to be closing in on that number with the late addition...

Like all cars with a passionate fan base, Fiat’s 500 revival makes a great blank canvas for customization. Even from the show room floor, there are 500 models to satisfy the needs of most buyers, from those concerned primarily with fuel economy (the base 500) to those who spend weekends on an...

The 2012 SEMA show kicks off today and a number of tuned cars are making their presence known. The latest is a bunch of Beetles that Volkswagen has organized with a number of its suppliers and chosen customizers, with the modifications ranging from subtle upgrades to some over-the-top items. The...

Last week we told you about Scion’s FR-S Tuner Car Challenge, which would pit three customizers from around the country in a head-to-head-to-head build of Scion’s FR-S coupe. Each was given a Scion FR-S, $15,000 and ninety days to build a car that will impresses an independent judging...

In 2011 the new GS 350 F Sport debuted at SEMA, and now Lexus is using the show to display a supercharged version.

We’ve already seen the challengers from Toyota’s Dream Build Challenge as well as its Scion FR-S Tuner Challenge, but now the Japanese automaker is giving a preview of its own concepts and tuned vehicles that it plans to display next week at the 2012 SEMA show. The highlight of...

The popularity of the reproduction Mustang body shells, including one for the 1965 Mustang Convertible and another for the ’67 model, has prompted Ford to approve yet another reproduction of one of its most cherished models, this time a 1940 Ford Coupe hot rod. Like the previous Mustang...

Three tuned Scion FR-S coupes will be headed to SEMA to see which tuner deserves the $10,000 prize.

Tire manufacturer Toyo will be back at the SEMA show in 2012 with four new concept vehicles developed with some top tuners, including Japan’s Wald International. One of the concepts is based on the Lamborghini Murcielago supercar, though what’s most impressive about the lineup is its...

Ford teamed up with almost a dozen tuners to help develop its range of custom Mustangs for the 2012 SEMA show.

Remember the Sonic Dusk concept car that Chevrolet presented at last year’s SEMA show? Well, the concept has since been confirmed for production and will be appearing in its final form at this year’s SEMA show, which takes place next week in Las Vegas. The idea behind the original...

When it comes to restored or modified cars, an insurance agent can either be your best friend or your biggest nightmare. Few things are worse that finding out your cherished ride wasn’t insured for replacement value, adding insult to the injury of theft or accident damage. State Farm...

The best-selling vehicle in Ford’s lineup is the F-Series pickup, and that’s been the case for many years. If Ford is using SEMA to highlight other hot sellers, like the Escape and Fusion, it stands to reason that tuned F-Series pickups would command booth space, too. Truckin’...

Remember the Toyota Racing Dream Build Challenge that pits four of Toyota's top drivers from NASCAR and NHRA in a race car build-off? Well, we now have our first look at the entry from one of the drivers, NASCAR star Kyle Busch, who has come up with the new ‘Rowdy Edition’ Camry based...

In the world of almost pointlessly powerful front-wheel-drive cars, Bisimoto Engineering is a legend. Wringing unbelievable herds of horses from pint-sized engines, the Bisimoto team continues its magic, pulling 600-plus horsepower out of a 1.8-liter Hyundai Elantra GT for SEMA. Based on the...