These Were (Definitely) the Coolest Cars at SEMA 2025

• The 2025 edition of the annual SEMA show started this week.
• Thousands of cars were on display, from OEM-sanctioned builds to 1-of-1 masterpieces.
• Here are the coolest vehicle builds we saw at SEMA 2025.

— Las Vegas

Stephen Hawking goes to great lengths to explain just how infinitesimally small the Earth is compared to the rest of the universe in A Brief History of Time. Frankly, it's terrifying, and it's kind of how you feel while walking through the 2025 SEMA show — just, without the existential dread.

The Las Vegas Convention Center is one of the largest in the world, and its four halls, two satellite halls and pretty much every on-site parking lot feature countless rows of automotive accessories and parts, with booths staffed by representatives from suppliers and original equipment manufacturers — and many feature awe-inspiring vehicle builds. 

The builds range from the mundane (that mint 240Z has wheels from an OEM you've never heard of) to the exceptional (a certain Honda Odyssey you'll see later in this article). Here are the coolest builds I saw at SEMA 2025.

Once again, Toyota brings some heat

Toyota's stand once again occupied the space that used to house Ford's booth in SEMAs past.  But "booth" is an understatement — it overlooks the majority of the LVCC's gargantuan Central Hall and is clearly visible from the opposite side. Toyota debuted six new concepts this year, which joined more than a dozen race cars and previously revealed builds from the brand. 

The thread linking the new concepts together was showcasing Toyota's arsenal of powertrains. Internal combustion was highlighted by the Turbo Trail Cruiser, a sleek silver 1985 Land Cruiser driven by the modern 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6 found in the Tundra. Despite featuring a front lift and a custom exhaust, this concept is designed to resemble a stock FJ60 as closely as possible.

On the hybrid side, Toyota showed the Camry GT-S and Corolla Cross Nasu Edition. The former is a blazing Inferno Flare orange sedan with all manner of performance upgrades. It gets revised steering tuning, adjustable coilovers, chonky brakes (with eight-piston calipers at the front and six-piston calipers at the rear), and a styling package produced by Toyota's CALTY design studio. 

The Corolla Cross Nasu is an off-road-inspired build that features a suspension lift, custom-machined and 3D-printed styling bits, and all-terrain tires. Toyota also unveiled the bZ Time Attack hill climb racer — built on the bones of the automaker's all-electric SUV — and the H2-Overlander, an overland-inspired Tacoma build with a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain. 

We also got the first look at the Scion 01, a new side-by-side ATV driven by the turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder hybrid that serves as the top engine for the Tacoma and Grand Highlander. 

Customization is king

While Toyota and other OEM-affiliated groups like Nissan's Nismo division and Stellantis' Mopar arm were well represented, SEMA belongs to the builders. The first one that really caught my eye was the Honda Odyssey Sport Type R Tribute by Bisimoto Engineering and Jordan Distributors. 

As the name suggests, this is an Odyssey minivan that swaps out the capable but uninspiring 3.5-liter V6 with the turbocharged four-cylinder from the Civic Type R. A Stage 2 Mitsubishi turbocharger increases horsepower to 550, and the Odyssey's 10-speed auto is replaced by a six-speed manual. Aside from the lowered stance, tons of stickers and a Type R-like three-pipe exhaust, the Odyssey Sport Type R flies respectably under the radar.

I was also blown away by the International Scout II on display from Velocity Restorations, a firm that stretches the definition of "restomod" by adding safety features and modern tech to its vehicles. The overland-inspired "Founders Series" model that the company showed at its booth included Recaro sport seats, a 6.2-liter General Motors V8 and a slick retro graphics package.

There is plenty more to be said about what SEMA had on offer this year, but I'll let the photos speak for themselves from here on out. Check out the gallery below.