SEMA 2024: 1965 Buick Skylark “The Enforcer” by VRD Customs

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There are certain types of cars that appear over and over again at the SEMA Show, such as: first-gen Camaros, Dodge Challengers, and Ford Mustangs. All of these cars are popular with performance enthusiasts, and the cars are well-supported by the aftermarket industry. But after multiple days of walking the giant convention halls, the cars start to look the same.

Walking the floor at the 2024 SEMA Show, I passed by the STEK book and saw a very unique car that drew me in for a closer look. It was a wild custom 1965 Buick Skylark built by VRD Customs of Danbury, CT. The car is nicknamed “The Enforcer” and it blends modern technology with classic style.
The exterior is painted black, and every inch of the car is wrapped with a combination of Satin Black, Gloss Black, and Carbon Fiber paint protection film (PPF) from STEK. This gives it an interesting visual look.

The exterior is adorned with a carbon fiber hood, roof, and trunk lid, as well as front aero components, including a large front air dam. Sticking up through the hood are a pair of twin turbochargers, hinting at the performance under the surface.

Hidden under the front carbon fiber canards are night vision cameras, which are an unusual feature you don’t typically see on a high-performance drag car.
Speaking of performance, this Skylark features a 350 cubic inch Small Block Chevy engine with twin turbos, producing a strong 1,400 horsepower on 93 octane fuel. It has a custom fuel delivery system with two injectors per cylinder, and the whole thing is managed by a Haltech ECU. This is an interesting choice to go with a Small Block Chevy instead of an LS-based engine, and one that I think is pretty cool.

Even with all this performance, the car doesn’t skimp on driver comforts. It includes air conditioning, power steering, and Wilwood hydroboost brakes to help make it more comfortable and controlled on the street. Yes, this car is street legal!

The custom steel widebody fenders give the car a wider, aggressive stance. You’ll also notice the side-exit exhaust pipes just in front of the rear wheels, which add to the hot rod look. It rides on air suspension at all four corners, allowing for ideal height adjustment depending on road or track conditions. The car rides on Billet Specialties wheels with wide drag slicks in the back.
Inside, the car is fitted with Braum seats and G-Force harnesses, providing both safety and comfort. A full roll cage has been installed and painted gloss grey, adding structure and reinforcement to the car’s A-body chassis. Additional comforts include Bluetooth, navigation, and Wi-Fi modules.

Open the trunk, and you’ll find an interesting layout: dual fuel cells and a nitrous bottle are mounted over the rear-mounted radiator and transmission cooler. There is so much going on with this car that it really takes a while to let it sink in.

While it may look intimidating at first glance, The Enforcer is a no-compromise build that mixes vintage muscle and modern tech. Instead of having this or that, have both! VRD Customs has taken the classic Skylark and turned it into something truly special, a drag racing beast that can also be driven on the street. I enjoyed checking out this car at the 2024 SEMA Show.

For more, follow @baggedttbuick on Instagram.

SEMA 2024: 1969 Adams Probe 16 Movie Car

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While strolling the crowded halls of the 2024 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, I stumbled upon something truly unexpected: the 1969 Adams Brothers Probe 16. This car wasn’t just another showpiece; it is a time capsule of automotive design and movie history. Parked among rows of cutting-edge builds and custom creations. Though it was half-hidden beneath a car cover, once I spotted the car, it was impossible to ignore.

The Adams Probe 16 is no ordinary collector’s car. According to Bonhams Auction House, it is one of only three chassis ever built by brothers Dennis and Peter Adams. Known for their boundary-pushing designs, the Adams Brothers envisioned the Probe 16 as a glimpse into the future of motoring. With its wildly futuristic body and low slung chassis, the car was designed to be both experimental and provocative.

Of the three cars built, two have been neglected over the decades and are now in need of restoration. The one I saw at SEMA is the most original and unrestored example in existence. A true survivor, it has weathered the decades without being dismantled, modified, or forgotten.

The car made its debut back in October 1969 at the London Motor Show. Powered by a BMC 1.8-liter OHV inline 4-cylinder engine that was tuned by JanSpeed, the powerplant is mounted transversely in the chassis, probably more out of necessity than performance.

But what really cemented the Probe 16’s place in pop culture was its role in Stanley Kubrick’s dystopian 1971 film A Clockwork Orange. Renamed the “Durango 95” in the film, it served as the surreal and sinister mode of transportation for the gang of Droogs led by Malcolm McDowell’s Alex DeLarge. That brief screen appearance made the Probe 16 a cult classic among car lovers and movie buffs alike.

After its cameo in the movie, the Probe 16 spent much of the 1970s and 1980s in Canada before returning to the U.K. around 1990. From April 2019 through March 2020, the car was part of the “Hollywood Dream Machines – Vehicles of Science Fiction and Fantasy” exhibit at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. This curated event featured more than 40 iconic screen-used vehicles from movies and video games. The Probe 16 was a fitting addition, since its radical lines still look more like science fiction than reality, even half a century after its creation.

Seeing this car in person at SEMA was such an unexpected surprise. This obscure, hand-built, British sports car turned movie star was the last thing I expected to see at the convention for aftermarket and modified car parts. The juxtaposition of this artsy, postwar machine sitting among modern custom builds and being used to promote car covers made the moment even more surreal. All I could do was smile and snap some photos before moving on to the next booth, and the next car. You truly never know what you might come across at the SEMA Show!

SEMA 2024: 1973 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am “The Hammerhead”

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With more than 2,000 vehicles on display, the 2024 SEMA Show in Las Vegas was a sea of custom builds and cutting-edge performance machines. One car stood out at the Hot Rod magazine booth in the Central Hall, not just for its aggressive styling, but for the sheer audacity of its engineering. Plus, it’s nickname is “Hammerhead,” so there’s no way I could not write about this car.

This 1973 Pontiac Trans Am isn’t just another restomod car with an LS crate engine (and SEMA has plenty of those!), it is a complete re-imagination of what a classic American muscle car can be in the modern era. The Camerons set out to build the ultimate time attack machine, and from what I saw, they have set the bar extremely high.


At the core of the Hammerhead lies a 400 cubic inch LSR V8 engine from Concept Performance, buried deep under the firewall and pushed 28 inches rearward from its factory position. This all-aluminum beast produces an eye-watering 1,800 horsepower and 1,200 lb-ft of torque, thanks to twin Garrett G35-900 turbochargers feeding a custom LME dual throttle body intake manifold. Fuel is delivered by high-flow Injector Dynamics ID1700 injectors, which ensures the 6.5-liter engine has adequate fuel when the pedal is mashed to the floor.

Backing that engine is a unique transmission: a Reynard Champ Car six-speed transaxle, originally sourced from a 2001 IndyCar. Shifts are handled by a Motec pneumatic paddle system, bringing F1-style responsiveness to the Trans Am platform, which is a sentence I never thought I would hear.


The Hammerhead rides on a full custom tube chassis from Horizon Motorsports, designed to handle the extreme forces of time attack racing. The driver and passenger seats have been relocated 8 inches rearward, helping the car achieve a finely tuned 47/53 front-to-rear weight distribution. Despite its giant engine and massive widebody kit, the car tips the scales at a surprisingly lean 3,100 lbs.

Visually, the Hammerhead is a lot to take in. Every body panel has been reworked for function and aggression, with only the cowl, roof, and original VIN tag remaining untouched. It’s almost a caricature of the Trans Am form, with the exaggerated wheel arches, massive front air dam, and mega wing in the rear. It looks every bit a race car, even standing still on the convention center floor.

What I love about this car (besides the fact that it’s an F-body) is the story behind it. Cavan and Russell Cameron didn’t just build a car, they executed a vision. As a father and son team, they combined decades of experience and passion into a custom car that blends different generations of performance. At SEMA 2024, this car drew a lot of attention from passersby.

The 1973 Trans Am “Hammerhead” is more than just a showstopper. It’s a purpose-built track weapon that shows what’s possible when old-school muscle meets cutting-edge race technology.

For more, follow @horizon_motorsports_llc on Instagram.

SEMA 2024: 1993 Chevrolet Corvette C4 Mercedes Turbo Diesel Swap – Kustom by Keck

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The Malaise Era of 1975 to 1985 was a dark time for automotive enthusiasts. With new emissions and safety regulations from the Federal government, cars quickly got slower, heavier, and uglier.

The 1972 Corvette was rated at a dismal 200 horsepower, while the full-size 1977 Monte Carlo was available with a 140 horsepower 305 V8 or a 170 horsepower 350 V8. The era of the muscle car had come to an end, and a new era had begun that was focused on efficiency, not performance.In an effort to increase the average fuel economy of its fleet, General Motors experimented with smaller engines, turbochargers, and other tricks and technologies to get more MPGs.

With so much attention on smog pumps and secondary air injectors, there was one thing General Motors never built: a diesel-engine Corvette. To do so would be unthinkable; it would be a sacrilege of the highest degree. While there were many prototype and experimental vehicles throughout Corvette’s history, no customer cars ever left the production line with a diesel engine from the factory.

However, Tennessee-based Kustom by Keck has transformed his 1993 Chevrolet Corvette C4 Greenwood Edition into a diesel-powered sports car. I saw his custom Corvette at the 2024 SEMA Show, at the Air Lift Performance booth in the Central Hall.The Corvette’s original powerplant has been swapped with a 1999 Mercedes-Benz 3.0L OM606 turbo diesel engine. It is paired to a 700R4 transmission from Transmission Mafia in Gainesville, Georgia.

This is the kind of weird engine swap I would have loved reading about in Grassroots Motorsports or Car Craft magazine back in the day (after reading about V8 S10 swaps, of course).

The Corvette rides on Air Lift Performance suspension, allowing for adjustable ride height at the touch of a button to achieve the perfect stance.The exterior of the car is a visual blast from the late ’80s and early ’90s, and it’s over the top in the best way possible. The car gives serious Miami Vice vibes with its white wheels and teal and purple custom pinstripe graphics.

Kustom by Keck didn’t stop with the visuals, either. This car is filled with unique custom touches, including a standout set of custom infinity mirror taillights from RetroVette, which provide a high-tech, futuristic flair to set it apart from every other Corvette. Every corner of this C4 has been considered, detailed, and reimagined.

In a world full of LS swaps and carbon-fiber everything, this diesel-powered, 90’s throwback C4 show car breaks the mold and refuses to fit in. It’s more Radwood than SEMA, and I enjoy highlighting custom car builders that do their own thing.

This one-of-a-kind car was recently advertised for sale on social media in June 2025, with an asking price of $15,000.

For more, follow @kustom_by_keck on Instagram.

SEMA 2024: 1993 Honda Civic EG Hatch Tesla Swapped by RyWire

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The 1990s Honda Civic hatchback is one of those cars where you either had one, knew someone who had one, or wanted one. Cheap to own and endlessly modifiable, the Civic EG hatch was a favorite among tuners.

I remember high school classmates rolling up in Civics with neon underglow, painted interior bits, and the ever-present “fart can” exhaust. This was an era of questionable taste and boundless creativity. Keep in mind, this was only a few years after the original Fast and the Furious movie came out.

Fast forward to 2024, and the Civic is still a staple in the tuning world, but the game has changed. At the 2024 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, the Toyo Tires Treadpass area featured a remarkable build that represents just how far this 30+ year-old platform can be pushed. Enter RyWire Motorsports’ fully electric 1993 Honda Civic EG hatchback, which combines JDM style with cutting-edge EV tech.The car was built by Ryan Basseri of RyWire Motorsports of Santa Ana, California. Basseri is no stranger to high-end vehicle builds and custom wiring. He previously did a full EV conversion on a Honda S2000, which is documented on the RyWire YouTube channel. But this Civic? It’s next-level.

Gone is the original gas-powered Honda engine, replaced with a Tesla-sourced electric powertrain. He salvaged a Tesla motor, inverter, and charge controller and adapted them to fit the EG chassis.

Under the hood, the exceptionally clean installation shows off Basseri’s attention to detail. The electric motor delivers an estimated 300 horsepower, which is triple the car’s original 90 horsepower. In the trunk is a 16 kWh battery pack, which was salvaged from a Chrysler Pacifica hybrid. The pack runs through an AEM battery management system and offers roughly 70 miles of range, which is more than enough for short trips around the neighborhood or silently rolling up to the local cars and coffee.

And yes, it even has air conditioning! A stock Tesla compressor has been adapted to work in this setup, ensuring the essential passenger comfort of cooled air on a Southern California day.

Braking has also received a high-tech overhaul. The factory vacuum-assisted system has been swapped for a Bosch iBooster unit from a Honda CR-V, complete with a custom reservoir. The fully electric iBooster provides consistent and reliable brake pressure, which is essential when dealing with instant torque.

Inside, the car is just as impressive. Instead of the rattle-can-painted dash, the RyWire EG features Recaro DC2 JDM Type-R front seats, with the rear seat reupholstered to match in black suede with red stitching. The cockpit is rounded out with a fully digital AEM dash and a Spoon steering wheel.

The stance is proper, sitting on custom Nitron springs and a set of 15-inch Volk Racing TE37 wheels in dark silver. These one-piece forged wheels are a favorite among JDM enthusiasts and lend a timeless motorsport look to the modernized hatch.

The RyWire Civic wasn’t alone at SEMA this year. Sharing the spotlight was a second Civic in the CSF Radiators booth. That car was a red 1999 EK hatch with a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive swap and a larger 85 kWh battery pack built into a custom-fabricated floor. But while that car was technically more impressive, the 1993 EG in the Toyo Tires pavilion was the one that caught my eye for its super clean setup.

This build is more than just a show car, it is pushing the boundaries of the Honda tuning scene into the EV era. While many see electric conversions as soulless, RyWire has shown that with craftsmanship, creativity, and respect for the platform, even the humble Civic hatch can be reborn as something truly electrifying.

For more, follow @rywire_motorsport on Instagram.

Celebrate the Art of Engineering at the 2025 Arizona Concours d’Elegance

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Car enthusiasts and lovers of fine craftsmanship, mark your calendars! The 2025 Arizona Concours d’Elegance is set to return on Sunday, January 19, 2025, promising a spectacular celebration of automotive beauty and innovation. Hosted at the Scottsdale Civic Center, this highly anticipated event will run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., offering an unforgettable day of automotive excellence and artistry.

Celebrating The Art of Engineering

The Arizona Concours d’Elegance is more than just a car show; it is a celebration of the Art of Engineering. This year’s theme highlights the balance between design and technology that makes these classic and exotic cars a work of art. Whether it’s the graceful lines of a vintage automobile or the cutting-edge precision of modern engineering, the event honors the craftsmanship and creativity that define automotive history.

A Showcase of Over 100 Remarkable Vehicles

This year’s event promises to be bigger and better than ever, featuring more than 100 distinct vehicles presented in 16 unique classes. Attendees will have the rare opportunity to see some of the world’s most stunning automobiles up close, including:

  • Timeless pre-war classics that capture the essence of a bygone era
  • Impeccably restored mid-century marvels that shaped automotive design
  • Cutting-edge modern exotics showcasing innovation and performance

Each car on display tells its own story, offering visitors a glimpse into the evolution of automotive engineering and style over the decades.

The Perfect Setting: Scottsdale Civic Center

The Scottsdale Civic Center serves as the ideal backdrop for this annual event. Located in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale, the beautifully landscaped grounds provide an elegant and inviting atmosphere for showcasing these iconic vehicles. Stroll through lush gardens, take in the beauty of the meticulously restored automobiles, and enjoy a day immersed in automotive culture and history.

Why You Should Attend

The Arizona Concours d’Elegance is a must-attend event for car enthusiasts of all ages. Here’s what makes this show stand out:

  • Unparalleled Variety: From classic icons to modern masterpieces, the diverse lineup ensures there is something for everyone to admire.
  • A Celebration of Innovation: Explore how automotive engineering has evolved over the years, blending art and function.
  • Stunning Venue: Enjoy a day in Scottsdale’s Civic Center, surrounded by elegant cars, beautiful scenery, and like-minded enthusiasts.
  • Community & Culture: The event brings together passionate collectors, industry experts, and fans to celebrate a shared love of automobiles.

Event Information

  • Date: Sunday, January 19, 2025
  • Time: 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
  • Location: Scottsdale Civic Center, Scottsdale, Arizona

Mark your calendars now and don’t miss this extraordinary event. Whether you’re a lifelong car enthusiast or simply appreciate the beauty of world-class design and engineering, the 2025 Arizona Concours d’Elegance offers an unforgettable experience that celebrates the artistry of the automobile.

Final Thoughts

The Arizona Concours d’Elegance isn’t just an event; it’s a journey through history, innovation, and craftsmanship. Join fellow enthusiasts in celebrating The Art of Engineering at this premier automotive showcase. Be ready to marvel at more than 100 remarkable vehicles, enjoy Scottsdale’s vibrant setting, and create memories that will last a lifetime.

See you at the 2025 Arizona Concours d’Elegance!