SEMA 2022 was a big one for OEMs

THIS year’s SEMA show in Las Vegas featured the usual array of jaw-dropping vehicles from the aftermarket performance sector, joined by a number of global car-makers grasping the opportunity to exhibit new products and ideas before a big in-person audience.

Among the 2400 exhibitors in 2022 were Dodge, Ford, General Motors, Lexus, Nissan, Toyota and Volkswagen all with new vehicles to tempt show-goers and to extract rich market research from the 171,000 people who visited SEMA this year – of which 70,000 were private and commercial buyers.

Toyota did not hold back, dominating the show with a stable of custom-built vehicles along with debut models covering on- and off-road performance, adventure travel and new initiatives for off-the-grid explorers or those who just love to accessorise their Toyotas.

Debuted at SEMA was Toyota’s new Trailhunter grade that will soon be available on trucks and SUVs sold in North America but would likely also go down well in Australia. The vehicles will be outfitted with overland-ready components, reinforcements and functionality straight from the factory.

Toyota also announced its Associated Accessory Program, which makes a range of factory-approved accessories available at the point of purchase for Toyota and Lexus vehicles.

In terms of vehicles, Toyota had 13 special builds on show including the GR Corolla Rally Concept that turns the up wick of this new hot hatch even further, the 10-Second Twins – two GR Supra drag strip specials built on a $10,000 budget and the GR86 Daily Drifter that resembles a drift car but can be driven on the road.

Moving into the dirt, Toyota trotted out the 2023 ‘Simba’ Sequoia by X Overland and 2022 ‘Orion’ Tundra by X Overland – designed for exploring some of the world’s most remote places – and the Sequoia TRD Pro Adventurer by Westcott Designs – another eye-catching custom trail-capable rig. 

There was even an Aussie presence on the Toyota stand with the FJ49, Megatourer and Supertourer, aka the “Black Truck”, from Queensland-based Patriot Campers that provided a look into LandCruiser-based overlanding and off-road adventure in the land Down Under.

A highlight was the FJ49, a 1977 FJ45 with modern technologies and components along with the Megatourer, a six-wheeled LC79 conversion with aggressive looks and unparalleled capabilities and the LC79-based Supertourer that is both aggressively good looking and fully capable on off-the-grid journeys.

Nissan took a number of concepts and racers to this year’s show including the latest Z sportscar, the electric Ariya SUV Surfwagon concept and a petrol V8 Frontier (Navara) ute. The company was covering all possibilities with internal combustion and electric powertrains along with a dash of classic Nissan. 

Performance arm Nismo was front and centre with a vast array of ‘functional’ performance options for various models. 

Apart from a Nismo-accessorised Z, the company showcased a 970kW, GT-R-powered Z joined by a GT-4 spec Z that Nissan will campaign in its 2023 racing plans.

The wildest of Nissan’s production-based concepts was the Ariya Surfwagon complete with a vinyl wrap to recreate a classic Woodie appearance, while the company also took the opportunity to transplant a Leaf EV powertrain into a small, classic 1987 Nissan ‘pickup’.

But most interest surrounded the Nismo Off-Road Frontier V8 Concept which features a 5.6-litre V8 out of Patrol (and others) though in this case with Nismo cold air intake and cat-back exhaust.

The vehicle has more power and torque than Patrol, along with a Baja Rally-style suspension upgraded rear axle, a carbon fibre wide body kit and plenty more. No word of a V8 Navara becoming available any time soon.

From a Euro manufacturer perspective, none was more visible at the show than Volkswagen which took out the inaugural SEMA award for electric vehicle of the year with its ID.4 SUV.

The award is voted on by SEMA exhibitors, who determine the winners based on the vehicles they see as having the greatest appeal to consumers and potential for accessorisation. 

In addition to EVs, Volkswagen revealed the Jetta GLI Performance Sedan Concept that was inspired by touring cars of the past equipped with a RacingLine engine, braking and handling upgrades and featured wide-body styling with Rotiform 20-inch wheels. Performance upgrades to the turbo engine result in a handy 260kW and 500Nm.

Other show-stopping customised Veedubs based on North American market SUVs were the Atlas Basecamp 4WD Concept and a similarly specced Taos Basecamp Active concept. There was also an ID.4 EV Drone Command Concept and various current model accessories concepts and homage models.

Showing a decidedly un-nanna streak, Lexus cut loose at SEMA with a swag of high performance vehicles like the DSPORT IS600+ Project Build.

What started as an IS350 F Sport evolved into the most aggressive performance-focused project car Lexus has yet displayed at SEMA, with more than 450kW from an all-aluminium V35A V6 engine featuring a pair of billet compressor wheel turbochargers and liquid-to-air intercoolers 

Making its SEMA debut, the Lexus Electrified Sport Concept is a glimpse into the brand's zero-emissions performance future with styling cues from the Lexus LFA, is expected to clock a 0-100km/h sprint in the low two-second range with a potential cruising range that could exceed 700km due to the use of solid-state batteries. 

Other striking Lexus models included the LC300-based LX600 Urban Concept sporty modifications and a Prado-based GX460 Overland Concept, a kind of mobile glamping tent for those who want to go off-road without compromising on luxury. 

The latter has Old Man Emu suspension with increased ground clearance, travel and load capability to support gear, accessories and the larger Toyo Open Country mud tyres. The front CBI bumper includes a Warn winch mounting, recovery points and an increased approach angle.

Lexus also customised its new RX500h F Sport Performance SUV with cosmetic accessories including an eye-catching Matte Violet Metallic wrap.

As expected, American iron was well represented at SEMA, the likes of Dodge there to fly the flag with 20 vehicles on display including “the future of electrified muscle, Dodge’s Charger Daytona SRT Concept with nine possible powertrain outputs”. 

Dodge unveiled three different battery-electric power levels as well as two levels of Dodge Direct Connection performance upgrades for each power level.

SEMA also hosted the worldwide public debut of the first six 2023 Dodge “Last Call” ICE powered models.

These comprised the Dodge Challenger Shakedown, Dodge Charger Super Bee, Dodge Challenger and Charger Scat Pack Swinger, Dodge Charger King Daytona and Dodge Challenger Black Ghost that celebrate the end of the Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger in their current forms.

The Dodge Hornet GT GLH Concept gave show-goers a look at the newest entry in the four-car Dodge vehicle line-up while also showcasing Direct Connection performance parts upgrades for the Hornet.

Direct Connection is the Dodge brand’s performance parts portfolio, demonstrated at SEMA in the newly available Dodge Challenger body-in-white kit, as well as the stunning, Direct Connection-licensed Finale Speed 1970 Dodge Charger carbon fibre body.

Direct Connection parts featured throughout the Dodge display at SEMA, including power plants from two newly announced crate engine series.

The supercharged Hellephant series    represents the most powerful line-up of third-generation Hemi cast-iron and aluminium V8 engines to date while Hemi’s six-cylinder successor has already received the crate treatment with a new HurriCrate series derived from new 3.0L Hurricane twin-turbo straight six.

The Dodge display also showcased an expansion of Direct Connection’s officially licensed parts, with the introduction of a 1120kW/1355Nm Direct Connection 1500 Hemi V8 crate engine.

Additional classic and modern Dodge vehicles featured on the company’s stand.