Our Favorites Builds and Concepts From SEMA Show 2023

With SEMA Show 2023 coming to an end, it’s time to take a look back at some of the most exciting builds to hit the convention floor this past week. From automaker concepts to aftermarket projects, here’s our list of what you need to see from Las Vegas' largest automotive celebration.

Ringbrothers 1961 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II "Paramount"

There are only a few shops out there that can be considered SEMA Show royalty, and the team at Ringbrothers ranks right at the top of that list. The multi-time Battle of the Builders champions didn’t stick with its traditional pony car roots this time around, however. In fact, you might not even realize that this aging Rolls was a Ringbrothers build at first glance. That’s because this car, known as Paramount, features an almost unmolested exterior. Beneath that stately bodywork sits some hardware that’s more familiar to SEMA fans, including a custom Roadster Shop chassis, Fox RS SV coilover suspension, and a Strange Engineering Ford 9-inch rear.

That long hood hides the real star of the show though, as a supercharged 6.2-liter LT4 V-8 engine waits below. The C7 Corvette Z06 engine is good for 640 hp and 635 lb-ft in this trim and comes mated to a 10-speed Bowler Tru-Street automatic gearbox. A Sean Smith Design interior completes the transformation, with highlights such as a starlight ceiling and a stash drawer for your finest spirits. It’s one badass cruiser.

Nissan Rally Z Tribute

Nissan teamed up with Tommy Pike Custom to create the Rally Z Tribute for this year’s SEMA Show. Drawing inspiration from the Datsun 240Z that won the 1971 East African Safari Rally, the pair created a dirt-ready version of the current Z platform.

The off-road enhancements include a custom two-inch suspension lift made from NISMO and KW Safari components, a reworked bumper for improved clearance, underbody skid plates, and a set of prototype 17-inch NISMO Safari wheels. Other tweaks to the sports coupe include a NISMO cat-back exhaust, tons of additional lights, an upgraded clutch and flywheel, as well as Recaro race seats with four-point harnesses. The graphics package helps highlight how much of the 240Z shape is maintained by the Z, and makes us wish for a production variant of this concept.

Ford Mustang FP800S Concept

Up until this week, getting an 800-horsepower version of the S650 Mustang platform would have required a GTD allocation. That’s no longer the case however, as Ford Performance is rolling out a new 3.0-liter supercharger package for the 5.0-liter equipped S650s.

The Mustang FP800S Concept shows off what that package can do, giving this “lowly” Mustang GT over 800 hp to work with. That comes as a result of the aforementioned blower, an upgraded fuel billet fuel rail and larger injectors, a larger 92-mm throttle body, and a twin 120-mm intakes. A larger heat exchanger, an intercooler pump, and a dual air pass, dual water pass intercooler fight off heat soak.

This particular concept backs that engine up with a six-speed manual gearbox, but the blower kit will work for automatic models as well. The Dark Horse trim will even benefit from its own supercharger package, though Ford hasn’t released specifics for that car quite yet. Also, its 3-year, 36,000-mile warranty might just be the best part, so long as an ASE-certified tech is the one to do your installation.

Ford Performance ORV Concept Ranger

Factory-built rock crawlers and overlanding rigs have become a big business in recent years. Ford has been leading that charge for over a decade at this point, kicking off the arms race with the F-150 Raptor back in 2009. That said, models like the F-150 Raptor and Ranger Raptor are genuinely pricey bits of kit these days. The ORV Concept Ranger provides customers with a preview of a cheaper alternative on the way from Ford Performance.

While not a genuine trim level, this build features a ton of parts that will be available for XLT and Lariat customers via the Ford Performance catalog in 2024. Examples include hardware like an ARB suspension lift kit, ARB bumpers for improved clearance and protection, as well as upgraded underbody skid plates. For the overlanding crowd, Ford will also offer an ARB fridge/freezer combo, rock rails, and an onboard air compressor. This build also might be the best-looking Ranger this side of the new Tremor.

ENEOS Jaguar E-Type 2JZ

Built by drifter Faruk Kugay in collaboration with Japanese oil company Eneos, this Jag is unlike any other. Under that long bonnet now sits a 3.0-liter turbocharged 2JZ inline-six. The Supra engine has been heavily modified for show car duty, including a fresh head casting, upgraded rotating assembly components, a new fuel system with larger injectors, and a larger turbocharger from Borg Warner.