Autobytel Picks Their Best of 2013 SEMA in Photos

Another exciting SEMA Show in Las Vegas has come and gone. SEMA, the acronym for the Specialty Equipment Market Association, is a massive show of anything and everything you could want in the automotive aftermarket, which takes over the Las Vegas Convention Center annually. From welding to rims, paint to custom shifter knobs, furniture fashioned from seats and other parts to garage machinery, plus race cars, tuners, low riders, donks, resto mods, classic cars, hot rods, rat rods, monster trucks, off-roading… if it's not at SEMA, it just might not exist yet! Here are some of the cool and curious cars that caught the eyes of Autobytel, starting off with this stunning 1934 Ford Five-Window Coupe called the Iron Orchid from Galpin Auto Sports.

Photo: Megan Green

Every year, SEMA hands out awards in four categories. 2013's Hottest Sports Compact went to the Scion FR-S. Musician/Producer Steve Aoki kitted out this FR-S art car with HALO LED lighting and Strobe lights, amps, Go Pro cameras, wi-fie, Pioneer speakers, and a professional mixer.

Photo: Megan Green

The Jeep Wrangler took home the 2013 Hottest 4x4-SUV award.

Photo: Megan Green

Ford's F-Series won the 2013 Hottest Truck. Attendees got to see some of them in action on Ford Out Front's track set up for SEMA.

Photo: Megan Green

Ford took another award, with the Mustang winning the 2013 Hottest Car. Mustangs were all over inside and out, and Ford had some drivers showing them off at Ford Out Front.

Photo: Megan Green 

PPG Automotive Refinish's Carnival of Color was just that with this eye-popping 1968 Chevy Caprice front and center.

Photo: Megan Green

Miss Pontiac? Have a fifth-generation Camaro but what you really want is a Firebird? With this Z/TA body kit, your dream of a modern-day Trans-Am can come true.

Photo: Megan Green

Of course DUBB had some donks! This Oldsmobile 442 is gorgeous in purple with Forgiato wheels.

Photo: Megan Green

Arizona's Local Motors showed up with their truly awesome and unique Rally Fighter.

Photo: Megan Green

Low but not at all ratty - the Aluminum Dually won the UPS Ride Your Hauler to SEMA contest. Based on a Ford '30-'31 Model A truck with '67 Lincoln 460 V8 engine, the interior is hand-made with gauges gleaned from other classics.

Photo: Megan Green

Not just a tail fin - it's a tail fin made into a bike; a Harley Davidson  '08 Dyna Street Bob. This red, rideable Chevy Bel-Air fin took over 3000 hours to build by LUPO Racing.

Photo: Megan Green

SEMA is where automotive imagination manifests in all its iterations. You decide if this is the bus of your dreams or nightmares.

Photo: Megan Green

Speaking of nightmares, the zombie scourge invaded SEMA. Hyundai's Santa Fe Zombie Survival Machine is the product of an on-line contest to design the best zombie fighting vehicles.

Photo: Megan Green

A bit more elegant is this Hyundai Veloster Turbo in a pearlescent green, aptly named SkyAgua Pearl. Designed by Fox Marketing Cars, it was one of six highly customized Hyundais revealed at SEMA.

Photo: Megan Green

Back outside, a Nissan Nismo 370Z is vibrant in red with a carbon fiber hood.

Photo: Megan Green

If anyone was wondering where all of the new C7 Corvettes are, most of them seemed to be on the show floor at SEMA. We were able to preview the Corvette Stingray Gran Turismo^® concept before it arrived at the convention center. It's a show-stopper with acid yellow headlamps, navy blue matte paint, carbon fiber elements, and the seven-speed manual trannie that is standard to the C7 Corvette Stingray.

Photo: Megan Green

For the pick-up truck fans, Chevrolet showed off a black 1978 Silverado with red accents. While the styling is classic, under the hood the Silverado is powered by a new E-ROD 5.3 liter powertrain for a more modern, emissions-compliant drive with more power than the original at 326hp.

Photo: Megan Green

Outside in the lot, another Chevy truck, the '78 Chevrolet Stepside PIckup, sat a bit lower with a chassis by Jim Meyer Racing and a World Products all-aluminum 572 engine.

Photo: Megan Green

Not to be left out of the pick up truck fun, Toyota had Jesse James fabricate a Tundra. Lifted four inches, you're all set to barbeque with a slide-out chopping block and cooking surface, complete with a Kitchen-Aid oven. Bon appetit, y'all.

Photo: Megan Green 

Had enough of pick-up trucks? How about a little speed? This all-electric dragster will try to break 200 mph, piloted by Don Garlits during the upcoming NHRA season.

Photo: Megan Green

Giovanna Wheels brought along some luxury and super cars. A tasteful pearl white Audi R8 with some of their custom rims drew picture-takers.

Photo: Megan Green

There were a few Lamborghini Aventadors on the show floor, such as this one in bright orange.

Photo: Megan Green

Musician Neil Young's famous LincVolt was featured prominently in the main lobby. The LincVolt is a 1959 Lincoln Continental convertible reconfigured as a hybrid, and powered using a combination of electric and domestically produced ethanol.

Photo: Megan Green

Quite the wedding gift, the elegant 1939 Bugatti Type 57C, known as the Prince of Persia Bugatti, was given to Mohammed Reza Pahlavi by the French government.

Photo: Megan Green

At 4:40 pm on Tuesday, in keeping with tradition, the Mopar '14 Limited Edition Challenger was revealed. Only 100 of the white Challenger with Mopar blue branding will be produced.  

There were more than 25 cars that we liked at SEMA, though, so click here to check out our gallery dedicated to 50 years of the Ford Mustang, and click here for another gallery featuring some of the many hot rods at SEMA.

Photo: Megan Green