By Brady L. Kay
As a staff we gravitate toward the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) annual show like an overweight man craves an all-you-can-eat Vegas buffet. Who are we kidding? We look forward to the annual November show even a little bit more because there’s nothing else quite like it. In 2020 the in-person show was cancelled because of the current pandemic, but it was back in full swing in 2021 and unless you’ve attended the massive Las Vegas event before, it’s hard to grasp the size of it.
Since the last SEMA Show, the Las Vegas Convention Center has expanded and now includes 4.6 million square feet of convention space and an additional 2.2 million square feet of outdoor space! Simply put, the show felt bigger because it was bigger, despite travel restrictions that kept a lot of international vendors away.
In fact, the 2021 SEMA Show was the largest North American automotive trade show since the pandemic, with more than 100,000 attendees, exhibitors, and media participating.
With so much to look at it’s impossible to see everything or even get within 10 feet of every booth during the limited four-day time frame. Yet we averaged more than six miles a day and did our best to see as much of the show as we could.
Industry giants such as Bully Dog use the annual SEMA Show to showcase new products as well as make there presence known by having trucks like this one on display.
Every SEMA there is one vehicle the show seems overrun with and this year it was clearly the new Ford Bronco. Even Denver fans were tired of seeing all of these Broncos by the end of the week.
Talk about getting your attention. This RAM Mega Cab with its pink accent colors was very well done. We especially loved the huge, dual, diamond-shaped, miter-cut, and very pink exhaust stacks to help tie it all in.
Until they start putting diesel engines in the new Ford Broncos, I can’t get too excited about them. However, as the world’s first Bronco pickup I must admit this 2021 version is pretty cool. As a nod to the half-cab Broncos once used by fire departments, BDS Suspension outfitted a Black Diamond Edition two-door Bronco to get fire response personnel into rugged areas. BDS removed and shortened the Bronco’s roof, added front and rear winches, upgraded the suspension with FOX Performance Elite components, and put the machine on 37-inch Nitto tires.
The 2020 Chevy 5500 6×6 built by Papis Garage lured us into the Atturo Tire booth. The shop actually had a second 6×6 at SEMA as well, a 2021 Dodge 5500. What they had in common was TrailBlade MT tires from Atturo, which would be a great fit for those looking for a dependable tire for their own diesel truck.
The new trucks are fun to see, but it’s the classics like this GMC by Chem Lab and Hostile Wheel Company that we love to see. The truck utilizes a massive custom subframe for its lift and has coilover and external bypass dampers at all four corners. The custom truck’s Hostile wheels are wrapped in Fury Country Hunter M/T tires.
If I were to take a dremel tool to the side of my truck there is no way I could get the same results, but for artist Hank Robinson it’s just his latest project. The engraved 2018 Super Duty titled “Country State of Mind” includes a Stealth Black Laser X Grille from T-REX and it was truly amazing to see Robinson actually doing the finishing touches with his dremel tool at the show.
We took a double take when we saw this truck being watered. Of course it made sense when we realized it was fully covered with live growing moss. Wait, what?
This massive six-door Ford F350 Super Duty sported a suspension system from Carbon Shock Technologies along with Maxxed Forged Wheels and Fury Country Hunter M/T tires. A beauty like this might jumpstart the six-door truck craze once again.
The majority of the trucks on display at SEMA are often lifted so these diesels really standout in a crowd and get noticed. Some lifts feel a little over-the-top on certain builds, but we really like how this RAM turned out. It’s the right height and look for both this show as well as the streets and we can’t say that about every lifted truck we saw.
Jay Leno draws a crowd wherever he goes, especially in the automotive world.
As much as we’d like to believe they were working, Jason Huff (L) and Cameron Bischoff were most likely planning the night’s activities following the show.
Banks Power’s supercharged Duramax 6.6L engine is the culmination of more than a year of electrical and mechanical engineering, design, and development. To showcase the new turnkey (crate) high-performance diesel engine, Banks engineers chose a rusty ‘66 three-quarter-ton Chevy pickup, a dichotomy of new and old.
Trending at this year’s SEMA Show was electrification and electrified vehicles. Whether it was a modification for a new electric vehicle (EV) or the ability to modify an ICE vehicle with a new electric motor, exhibitors and builders demonstrated that the EV market is a growing segment for the aftermarket.
Country music star Keith Urban (R), was on the Ford stage when his restored 1969 Mustang was revealed. The singer has owned the car since 2008 when it was gifted to him by Nicole Kidman to celebrate their second wedding anniversary, but it was in serious need of a makeover.
If you’ve been paying attention, Fusion Bumpers has continued to grow its presence at the show each year. Most of its show builds are daily drivers too, which of course makes us a big fan of their projects as well as their bumpers.
I’m guessing as a kid this truck owner used all the crayon colors in the Crayola box.
Looking for the total package? Check out what truck guru Chris Payne brought to the show. This massive RAM truck is not only towing a beautiful, matching Supra wakeboard boat, but also has a fully customized Smart car on the bed rack. If there’s a part that can be customized on a truck or added to it, this rig has it.