reviews

The Nissan Frontier Desert Runner doesn’t have the racing pedigree of the Nissan Global Time Attack TT 370Z or the sheer tuning audacity of the Nissan Kicks Street Sport, but if you’re looking for a rugged version of Nissan’s long-standing pickup with some serious off-road chops, the Frontier Desert Runner should be right up your alley. Developed by the Nissan Motorsports team in collaboration with MA Motorsports, the Frontier Desert Runner is teeming with purpose-specific upgrades that help enhance the pickup’s already impressive form and functionality. Nissan has yet to give any indication of potential production plans for the tricked-out pickup, but that could come soon if there’s decent enough demand for it. For now, though, the Nissan Frontier Desert Runner takes center stage at the 2019 SEMA Auto Show.

John Hennessey is bringing some divine power to the 2019 SEMA Auto Show. The model is called the Hennessey Resurrection, but don’t confuse the perceived grace attached to its name. The Resurrection is a super-limited, take-no-prisoners, 1,200 horsepower Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 that can lay waste to any ill-fated automotive soul that gets in its way. Hennessey only plans to build 24 units of the Resurrection with each model priced at around $200,000. That’s right. If you want to be showered by the grace of the Resurrection, you need to pay up some serious cash for the opportunity. This is why it’s worth every penny.

The Toyota Supra has arrived at the 2019 SEMA Auto Show, and in true form, we’re not just talking about one Supra at SEMA. Nope. There are multiple Supras in attendance at SEMA, each wearing a different alter-ego. One of these models is called the Supra Heritage Edition. It’s the most subtle of the Supras in SEMA, but it’s also the one that we identify with the most. Part of the Supra Heritage Edition’s appeal is its connection to the aftermarket tuning world. Toyota created it as an homage to the tuning scene, something that past versions of the Supra were all very familiar with. Granted, the Supra Heritage Edition doesn’t boast any of the over-the-top madness that past custom Supras could claim, but as a celebration of the relationship between the nameplate and the aftermarket tuning scene, the Supra Heritage Edition is as good as it gets.

With a modern Ford Bronco just around the corner, TV personality and car collector Jay Leno gave new life to a first-generation Bronco Wagon with help from Ford Performance and various aftermarket tuning shops. Shown to the public at the 2019 SEMA Show, this Bronco retains the looks of the original SUV, but it features modern underpinnings with a supercharged V-8 built by Ford Performance. The story behind the vehicle is quite interesting, as it was left for Jay Leno as a joke by fellow TV host Craig Ferguson. Leno kept the vehicle in his garage unrestored until he decided that it deserves a new life.

Various companies and shops contributed to the project, starting with Ford Performance, FoMoCo’s very own performance division. Kincer Chassis, Dennis Carpenter Ford Restoration Parts, SEMA Garage, and LGE-CTS Motorsports.

Ford teamed up with RTR to tag-team the 2020 Ranger and has brought two fine examples to the 2019 SEMA show. One of those concepts was the Ranger RTR, and the other is the Ranger RTR Rambler. While the Ranger RTR is already up for sale, will the Rambler prove that it has what it takes to makes its way to the showroom floor? Let’s take a look at what the Ford Ranger Rambler by RTR is all about!

The Ford Mustang Mach 1 UNKL is a one-of-a-kind restomod project created by Ringbrothers and showcased at the 2019 SEMA Show. The company’s first Mach 1-based project, UNKL joins a long list of cool Mustang restomods built by the company in recent years. The apparently weird UNKL name has a simple meaning, as this build was made for a customer "who enjoys a close relationship with his uncle" and "pays tribute to his uncle’s influence on his passion for cars." It’s nice to see a meaningful message behind a car name. Well, let’s find out more about this interesting project in the review below.

RAM’s penchant for rolling out special edition trucks has paved the way for the truck brand to introduce a new run of special edition models that pay tribute to the five branches of the United States military. The special edition trucks fall under the RAM 1500 Built To Serve Edition name. Each of the five armed services — Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Marines — will receive their own special edition treatment. It’s unclear which of the five will get rolled out first, but the specific launches will take place every three months, beginning next week when the truck brand hosts its own Veterans Day celebration on November 11.

No doubt about it, Indian Motorcycle entered a new chapter with its all-new Challenger line and PowerPlus engine, and so far, the toppest-shelfest example of that combination is the 2020 Challenger Limited. It has that custom bagger style that Americans like so much along with a host of electronic goodies that improve safety and comfort over the long haul. Of course, the 120-plus pound-feet of torque it brings to the table doesn’t hurt at all, neither does all the historical Easter eggs the factory scattered about to tie into its own storied history.

The 2019 Nissan Kicks Street Sport is a concept car developed by Nissan Motorsports and MA Motorsports for the 2019 SEMA Show. A more aggressive version of the small crossover, it looks a lot like a Nismo-built model thanks to its sportier stance and race-inspired upgrades inside the cabin. It even features a more powerful engine, although specific performance information is not available. Sadly, this beefed-up Kicks won’t come to a dealerships near you anytime soon. Here’s why you should be upset about it.

The 2020 Dodge Challenger Drag Pak is the fourth-generation drag car based on FCA’s two-door muscle car. Based on the modern Challenger, like all its predecessors since 2008, it features drag-specific upgrades and its certified for NHRA and NMCA competitions. In short, it’s a turnkey package that turns the streetable Challenger into an ideal dragster for both amateur and professional racers. Let’s find out what’s new for the 2020 model year in the review below.

The 2020 Ford Escape is well-represented at the 2019 SEMA Auto Show. Three different versions of Ford’s hot-selling crossover are in attendance at the world’s largest auto show, including the Ford LGE-CTS Motorsports Urban Escape. As the name implies, the LGE-CTS Urban Escape is a stylish all-around crossover vehicle designed to tackle both urban and off-road environments. It comes with a smattering of upgrades in the form of new equipment and performance modifications, among other things. It’s not the fanciest tuned version of the Escape that’s at SEMA, but it is the one that a lot of people will no doubt gravitate to, in part because of its functionality and all-around usefulness in the real world.

The 2020 Shelby Super Snake Sport F-150 is a high-performance concept truck that Shelby built for the 2019 SEMA Show. Developed in response to Shelby "enthusiast’s requests for a scorching fast street truck," it’s essentially an F-150-based version of Shelby’s outstanding Super Snake Mustang. Unlike other F-Series trucks modified by Shelby, the Super Snake features a two-door cabin. Power comes from a supercharged V-8 rated at 755 horsepower, backed by a more aerodynamic exterior and exclusive features inside the cabin. Let’s find out more about it in the review below.

Chevrolet brought a very unique pickup truck to SEMA that is a sweet blend of the company’s rich history and the ‘electrifying’ future. Called the E-10 concept, the product has reincarnated from a 1962 Chevrolet C-10 pickup truck. If you’ve been following the concepts at SEMA this year, you will immediately strike a comparison with the Dodge Lowliner. However, this low-slung pickup truck comes with an electric powertrain under the hood. So, does this bold truck live up to the hype it has created over the last couple of days? It sure does!