Top 5 new cars from SEMA 2017

Iain Kelly

Contributing Journalist

2 min read

Here are my top picks for cars debuted at SEMA 2017.

Ringbrothers AMC Javelin

This thing is seriously off the chain. (image credit: Iain Kelly)
This thing is seriously off the chain. (image credit: Iain Kelly)

The Ring boys took an unloved Javelin and stretched it, threw in a 1000hp Dodge Hellcat engine with a gigantic Whipple blower, and lathered it with their signature design touches. Astounding doesn't do it justice.

C30 Camper

Anyone else wanna take this around a tour of the States. (image credit: Iain Kelly)
Anyone else wanna take this around a tour of the States. (image credit: Iain Kelly)

This giant machine is a Chevy C30 camper and it has been one of the smash hits of SEMA 2017. Built by River City Rods of Davenport, Iowa, it features airbag suspension to lift it off the ground, while the back is decked out with fishing rods, and even cold beer in a cooler!

Mariani Model A

Drop it like it's hot. (image credit: Iain Kelly)
Drop it like it's hot. (image credit: Iain Kelly)

Troy Trepanier is a legendary builder of hot rods, race cars, and muscle cars. His design and style have influenced generations of car enthusiasts and the Mariani Model A is his latest build, for land speed racers Dennis and Mark Mariani. While it looks like a traditional hot rod built off a 1929 Ford it hides all the modern technology superbly.

Hennessy Venom F5

Koeniggsegg hit 457km/h... The Venom F5 is assured to go a whole 25km/h faster. (image credit: Iain Kelly)
Koeniggsegg hit 457km/h... The Venom F5 is assured to go a whole 25km/h faster. (image credit: Iain Kelly)

Texan tuner John Hennessy blew the world away in 2013 with his Venom supercar based on a stretched Lotus Exige. His new F5 Venom promises to top everything else with 1600hp and a top speed of 300mph, but will cost $1.6mil!

COPO Camaro

Shame how Chevy will sell performance parts for racing, but Holden won't. (image credit: Iain Kelly)
Shame how Chevy will sell performance parts for racing, but Holden won't. (image credit: Iain Kelly)

In the USA Chevy will sell you all the hot up bits you need to drag or circuit race your brand new Camaro or Corvette. The ultimate incarnation is the COPO, which is an all-out drag car capable of 8 second quarter miles. Only 69 are built and you have to enter a lottery to be selected to buy one.

Iain Kelly is a 3-SEMA veteran from The Creators Online.

What do you think of the metal at the SEMA show? What's your pick of the bunch? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

Iain Kelly

Contributing Journalist

A love of classic American and European cars drove Iain Kelly to motoring journalism straight out of high school, via the ownership of a tired 1975 HJ Holden Monaro.  For nearly 20 years he has worked on magazines and websites catering to modified late model high-performance Japanese and European tuner cars, as well as traditional hot rods, muscle cars and street machines. Some of these titles include Auto Salon, LSX Tuner, MOTOR, Forged, Freestyle Rides, Roadkill, SPEED, and Street Machine. He counts his trip to the USA to help build Mighty Car Mods’ “Subarute” along with co-authoring their recent book, The Cars of Mighty Car Mods, among his career highlights.  Iain lends his expertise to CarsGuide for a variety of advice projects, along with legitimising his automotive obsession with regular OverSteer contributions. Although his practical skills working on cars is nearly all self-taught, he still loves nothing more than spending quality time in the shed working on his project car, a 1964 Pontiac. He also admits to also having an addiction to E30 BMWs and Subaru Liberty RS Turbos, both of which he has had multiple examples of. With car choices like that, at least his mum thinks he is cool.
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