2017 SEMA Show – Recapping The World’s Largest Automotive Event

The Specialty Equipment Manufacturing Association, more commonly known as “SEMA”, has been hosting its trade show since 1967, and this year was one of the biggest I have seen in the 17 years I have been attending the SEMA Show. This trade-only event started small and was held in the basement of Dodger Stadium with just 5 display booths. The show blossomed quickly, and in 1977, the show was moved to the Las Vegas Convention Center where it has remained ever since. Bigger than ever, the 2017 SEMA Show hosted more than 70,000 buyers, with 12 different sections across four halls, with an ever-expanding outdoor pavilion that features three driving courses and vendor displays.

Because the SEMA Show is trade only, the average gearhead can’t get inside, but the outside area is a little different. No badge is needed to visit the expansive car show that has come to dominate the event.

We spent the week at the show and saw all the cars. So, so many cars. While the show is a trade-only event, it has also become the world’s largest car show. With hundreds of cars on display, it is easy to get lost in sea of chrome and rust. Yes, I said rust, because if anything has become apparent, rust is now a popular finish, even for show cars. Personal preferences aside, there are so many vehicles on display you are bound to find several that you could fall in love with. 

LT swaps are hot right now, and if you don’t know what that is, it is the next evolution of GM powertrain. This direct-injection engine comes in a 4.3 V6 and V8s in 5.3 and 6.2 liter versions, with a 6.2 supercharged model called the LT4, making 650 horsepower. Like the ubiquitous LS-series engines, the LT platform is starting to catch on in the world of hot rodding and engine swaps, we captured several vehicles that had been LT-swapped. Direct injection also means that the intake valves don’t get cleaned with fuel wash, so you have to use a special cleaner to keep one in top shape. 

There are always lavish vehicles on display at the 2017 SEMA Show, so many that is impossible to even see them all in four days. We have compiled a few of our favorites from the show to share with you. Enjoy!

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Photos courtesy of Jefferson Bryant and SEMA.