Passion & Excitement: SEMA 2025

SEMA! Since 1967, it’s been the place to see the performance industry’s latest and greatest. From classic speed parts to cutting-edge innovation, the show floor stretches for miles, proof that this industry has only grown louder and faster. And while a lot has evolved, plenty of the parts on display still fall into that “speed parts” category. Some things never change.

The Las Vegas Convention Center boasts five massive exhibit halls, and when SEMA rolls into town, they’re packed wall-to-wall with specialty gear, custom builds, racing equipment – and of course, badass vehicles showing it all off.

The Central Hall is the main entry point and the original heartbeat of the show, dating back to SEMA’s move from Southern California. Since then, it’s expanded into the North, South (both upper and lower), and most recently, the massive new West Hall. Add in parking lots full of show cars, drift demos and burnout exhibitions and you’ve got high-octane energy at every turn – with Mopar_® vehicles holding it down across the entire footprint.

Here’s a look at some of the highlights, captured both during the buzz of show hours and after-hours for clean, crowd-free car shots. Mopars in Vegas – there’s no tradition quite like it.

CHARGERS

VIOLENT ’68

Far more than your average resto-mod, this radically reimagined 1968 Charger features a chopped top, widened body and a full body drop. Under the hood? A 1,000-horsepower SRT^® Hellcat HEMI^® engine bringing serious muscle. It rides on 20/22-inch wheels and wears a jaw-dropping House of Kolor Candy Purple finish. It’s wild, it’s aggressive – and yet, it still pays tribute to the original vision Dodge designers laid down back in ’68.

PURPLE ’69

Outside sat a Plum Crazy 1969 Charger known as “Viiola,” riding on 22-inch TIS wheels with color-matched, tucked front and rear bumpers. The sharp body lines remain true to Dodge’s original design. This B-body beast is a blend of classic muscle restoration and ’80s-era Pro Street attitude – loud, low and impossible to ignore.

Powered by an old-school, aluminum-headed 440 RB topped with a classic 8-71 TBS supercharger – because some things never go out of style. Meticulous engine detailing makes this Mopar vehicle a true standout in any crowd.

SLEEK ’70

Built by Sanders Street Rods (Enumclaw, WA), this 1970 Charger is powered by a 6.2L SRT Hellcat HEMI engine paired with a T56 Magnum 6-speed. Underneath, it rides on an all-new AME chassis with independent rear suspension, delivering modern performance with classic attitude. Rushforth “Night Train” wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport rubber complete the stance. With flawless fit and finish from front to rear, subtle body mods enhance the design without compromising the iconic Gen II Charger lines.

The completely reworked Charger interior stays true to the original dash layout but with a fresh, modern execution. True to its Mopar roots, the manual transmission is topped with the iconic Hurst Pistol Grip shifter – because some traditions are worth keeping.

The tail of this Charger has received a slightly taller molded-in rear spoiler treatment, augmenting what the original factory designers had incorporated on the body shape of ’68-’70 models. 

LX SERIES CHARGER

Tucked inside the massive West Hall was this fully customized LX-platform Charger, sporting aggressive bulged bodywork and a hint of luxury European flair. Great to see the sixth-gen Chargers getting some well-deserved love.

SEVENTH GENERATION

This 392 Charger boasts a series of body upgrades and styling enhancements, including a custom two-tone paint job. Not pictured: vertical front doors and a custom suicide rear door conversion by Reno’s Garage (Lodi, CA). Check out those relocated door handles!

CHALLENGERS

DIRECT CONNECTION FSS/A DRAG CAR

Phil and Tony Mandella of PMR Race & Speed Shop have built a purpose-engineered Dodge Challenger set to hit NHRA tracks next season, flying the Paul Rossi Dodge/Direct Connection banner. It’s a brand-new build for a brand-new class – and it’s sure to turn heads while spotlighting the power of the Direct Connection parts program!

It’s impressive – those massive M/T drag slicks fit inside the stock factory wheel openings with no modifications required. Thanks to precise planning and custom backspacing by PMR (Phil Mandella Racing), it all came together flawlessly. That’s next-level attention to detail.

The SRT Hellcat powerplant is already in place and will be fully built, blueprinted and dyno-tested before this machine hits the drag strip for testing.

Meet Tony Mandella, the driver behind this new NHRA drag car set to debut in 2026. For SEMA, they even created a full-size wall poster to showcase the build!

“Take your Challenger to the next level” is the mantra behind PMR’s new ’08-’23 Dodge Challenger Cage Kit, designed and prototyped on the Rossi body-in-white. Highlights include in-house CAD design, precision-bent 4130 chromoly steel and full SFI 25.2 certification.

Here’s Paul with the M2 Machines rep behind the scale diecast models of his cars. SEMA is where business meets passion – and moments like this make it all worth it.

PRO TOURING ’70

“Relentless” is the name of this radical 1970 Challenger, owned by Steve Nettleingham and built by Hot Rod Garage (Oklahoma, OK). It’s detailed to the max – riding on an Art Morrison chassis and powered by a Mopar small-block punched out to 428 cubes, boosted by twin turbos and backed by a six-speed Bowler Performance manual. Nelson Racing Engines worked their magic on the powerplant, while 19/20-inch Forgeline 3-piece Dropkicks wrapped in Michelin Pilots complete the stance.

BIRD TREATMENT

It’s not the first modern-era Challenger to get the “Superbird” treatment – but the classic-meets-modern style still turns heads. While most builds go with Petty Blue for that iconic look, this Metallic Gold version proves the “wing car” theme still draws serious attention. Parked front and center at the main entrance, it definitely got its share of looks!

TARGA TOP

From Team Hybrid comes a Targa-topped Challenger with vertical doors and a Procharger-equipped HEMI engine. It definitely drew attention – some fans loved the bold mods, while others had mixed feelings about removing the factory roof section.

International visitor Manuela Giraldo from Medellín, Colombia, stopped to check it out and remarked she’d never seen anything like it – adding that it would definitely stop traffic back home!

There’s no doubt – the ’08-’23 Dodge Challenger remains a favorite and a standout platform in the high-performance aftermarket.

DON GARLITS AWARD

Legendary drag racer Don “Big Daddy” Garlits, now 93, was honored with the prestigious Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award during the SEMA Banquet at the Bleaulive Theater, Fontainebleau Resort.

“This is one of the biggest awards I’ve ever received – it’s right up there with having my car inducted into the Smithsonian in 1987. I’d just like to thank everyone,” said Garlits as he took the stage.

This award has previously been presented to icons like Dan Gurney, Carroll Shelby, George Barris, Richard Petty and Don “The Snake” Prudhomme. Garlits joins truly elite company – and it’s a recognition that’s more than well deserved.

ROAD RACER 1935 PLYMOUTH COUPE

A GT-1 race chassis paired with a 550-cube Viper V10 pushing 803 dyno-verified horsepower, mated to a TR6060 race transmission with a Pistol Grip shifter – all wrapped in an uncut 1935 Plymouth Coupe body. The original paint and patina remain, accented by carbon fiber wide fenders. Built by Ruffian Cars and showcased in the CTEK (Sweden) Battery Charging booth at SEMA, this build turned plenty of heads.

Highlights include an 8-point roll cage, CCW 16-inch wheels with Goodyear race rubber, full-race braking system and a relocated trunk-mounted radiator. A rare, creative and wild statement piece for SEMA ’25!

A standout detail: the use of an authentic 1935 California license plate. Also true to the era – the single rear taillight, which was all that was required back then.

Technically, the 8.0-liter V10 came from the Dodge side – but when you’re dropping it into a 1935 Plymouth Coupe, it’s fair game to blur the lines. And the Chrysler Corporate Blue engine paint? That’s just the icing on the (authentic Mopar) cake.

LEAH AND TONY

You never know who you’ll run into on the SEMA Show aisles!

PROOF OF ATTENDANCE

Call it proof of attendance – official SEMA hats, shirts, backpacks and other exclusive gear are available at SEMA GEAR stores throughout the show floor. Each year brings fresh logo designs and new must-have merch for attendees.

Author: James Maxwell