SEMA 2025 Preview: What’s Got Us Fired Up
The SEMA Show is roaring into Vegas November 4-7, filling the Convention Center with the best kind of sensory overload: the smell of burnt rubber, the glint of fresh chrome, and enough horsepower to make the Strip feel slow.
It’s where the industry shows off its wildest ideas, and where the GHS crew gets to see what’s next in the custom scene. Here’s what we're excited to see this year.
Battle of the Builders Takes the Silver Lot
The showdown’s heading outdoors, which means more noise, more grit, and more steel in the sun. From Hot Rods to Young Guns, it’s the place to spot talent before everyone else knows their name.
Art Walk with Larry Chen’s Eye
SEMA’s Art Walk is where horsepower meets fine art. This year, Larry Chen’s photography gets the spotlight, capturing builds the way only a guy who’s spent decades trackside can. This isn’t just wrench porn on wheels. The Art Walk brings automotive creativity to the gallery level, and Larry Chen plays a star role this year, showing select images from Life at Shutterspeed as a centerpiece.
Rumor Mill: Restomod Air’s New A/C Tech
Word on the floor is that Restomod Air is bringing something wild - a new A/C system that syncs LED lighting between the controllers and vents. Not just single-color mood lighting, but full FX sequences that can shift and pulse in sync. Think heat settings with color cues, or vents glowing in rhythm with your favorite road playlist. We’re not sure on the specifics, but if true, it’s the kind of detail that takes a show build from cool to obsessively engineered. Restomod Air has a history of blending style with function, but this would be their boldest play yet.
Education Tracks That Don’t Put You to Sleep
Shop management tips, tech deep-dives, aftermarket trends - all packed into sessions that are worth skipping lunch for. Most of it’s free if you’re registered, and a few are bound to spark new build ideas. The education tracks span everything from shop hacks to industry leadership - Aftermarket Trends, Inside the Shop, Vehicle Tech, and even talent management.
Why It Matters
The big OEM players and flashy exhibitors may dominate headlines, but SEMA is a goldmine for real builders looking for inspiration, tech, and parts they can use. Whether it’s LED-synced A/C vents or hand-built hardtails in the parking lot, the future of the scene is shaped right here. The floor is enormous - and loud. More than 2,000 exhibitors, a million-plus sq. ft. of ideas, parts, and greasy inspiration. If you’re making things that get a spark, this is where deals happen.
See you in Vegas