While traditional auto shows are struggling for attention, the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas – which brings together the automotive aftermarket and repair industry, tuners, racers and restorers – remains a huge draw for more than 2,000 exhibiting companies and around 160,000 visitors.
And while new cars are not the focus in the vast Vegas show halls, a small number of exhibiting vehicle manufacturers rolls out some fabulous new concept cars and trucks for the enthusiastic crowd. TractionLife traveled to Sin City for the 2025 SEMA Show to bring you eight of the best.
Related – Our Picks: 6 Standout Off-Road Innovations from SEMA 2025
Infiniti QX-80 R-Spec
The R-Spec is what happens when you casually slide a Nissan GT-R-sourced, highly-modified, 1,000-hp motor under the hood of a full-size luxury SUV. The 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V6 has custom Garrett turbochargers, intercoolers, and exhaust manifolds, JE pistons, Boostline rods, ARP rod bolts, and an upgraded fuel system. Inspired by the GT-R T-Spec Takumi Edition, this wild QX-80 is visually upgraded by a colour-shifting purple wrap along with restyled exhaust finishers, diffusers, fog lights, badges, and other design cues.
‘The Dude’ Ram 1500 Concept
Street trucks are back in vogue, and with Hemis available again in the Ram 1500, the 395-hp, Sublime Green ‘The Dude’ concept is the result. The lowered truck rides on satin-black 22x10J wheels, while a custom front splitter and side sills accentuate the stance. There are side-exit exhausts with black tips alongside other black elements like the vintage-style Dude C-stripes on the flanks. Inside, the stitching on the Alea leather seats is bright-green, as is a custom The Dude logo on the dash.
Honda Baja Passport Race Truck
This race version of the 2026 Passport TrailSport competes off-road in the Unlimited Truck 2WD Class and will shortly take on the Baja 1000. Powered by a twin-turbocharged V6 from Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) that uses the same block and cylinder heads as the production Passport’s motor, the approximately 550-hp truck has 24 inches of suspension travel in the front, 30 inches in the rear, and 40-inch Maxxis tires.
NISMO GT-Z
Sports cars from mainstream manufacturers (we don’t count hot SUVs) are a dying breed, but Nissan continues to fly the performance flag with the Z and Z NISMO. Forsberg Racing completed this Z NISMO race-car build in time for the SEMA Show, incorporating numerous components from the NISMO catalog – including prototype wheels, a coilover suspension kit, adjustable suspension arms, and a cat-back exhaust. Forsberg plans to enter the renamed NISMO GT-Z into the Gridlife GT touring car series in 2026.
Hyundai IONIQ 9 Off-Road SUV Concept
SEMA’s Future Tech Studio is the hub of all things EV during show week. And while its square footage is a fraction of the space given over to internal combustion, it consistently plays host to some of the most innovative and original builds in the show. Basking in the reflected glory of the Future Tech Studio this year was this factory-supported Hyundai project – a taste of how an off-road IONIQ 9 might look. It’s the work of BigTime content creators, Jeremiah Burton and Zach Jobe, who took inspiration from their 1977 Kenworth K100 cabover, Bud. Lifted suspension, a roof-mounted light bar, and OZ Racing wheels with BF Goodrich all-terrain tires change the visual character of this EV SUV.
Toyota bZ Time Attack Concept
Toyota goes all-out with its SEMA display, with concepts catering to racers and off-road enthusiasts alike. One of its many 2025 builds was also its first battery-electric SEMA concept, the bZ Time Attack. Six inches lower than stock and with a six-inch wider track, the AWD machine was built in-house by a team at Toyota’s Motorsports Technical Center, led by Marty Schwerter.
Scion 01 Concept
At the other end of the scale, Toyota also surprised showgoers with this side-by-side concept that revives the Scion brand. Incorporating some production truck parts and powered by the i-Force Max, 2.4-litre hybrid motor from the Tacoma, it has a Silent Mode for nature-friendly trail driving. Will Toyota build it? We think there’s a good chance it could happen.
Baja Forged Race Bronco
And finally, like the Jeep Wrangler, the Ford Bronco is a SEMA Show staple, with dozens of vintage and modern examples on display with varying degrees of customization. Strutting its stuff on the Ford Performance stand was this rebuilt 1968 Bronco 4×4, conceived by Theresa Contreras of Baja Forged in California to compete in the 4500 Mod Class at King of the Hammers and other top desert races. It’s powered by a wild ‘Megazilla’ crate motor from Ford Performance – a 7.3-litre V8 with 612 hp – but remains street legal.
Related – One Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, Endless Overland Possibilities
