THE RIDES OF SEMA 2017
a 500 cubic-inch diesel loosely based on Duramax technology. Everything from the block to the heads to the oiling system was custom however, and instead of turbos the engine was topped off with a massive PSI screw blower. Wagler hinted that 70-plus pounds of boost along with multiple stages of nitrous should propel the 2,900-pound ride deep into the 6-second zone.
What We Learned from SEMA
There were a few good takeaways from SEMA this year, the most important of which is the horsepower trend. We’ve seen a lot of factory engines in the past, but this year saw modified Cummins engines of all sorts, and even the newer Fords were running 150- to 200-horsepower tuning. Lift kits are getting more and more complex for these trucks, but we did notice the “wheels-out” trend that started in Central California now seems mostly confined to the Midwest. A huge number of gasoline engines are based on aftermarket blocks, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see more custom engines in the future that are Power Stroke or Cummins based. One thing that sort of stumped us was the lack of Jeep and Cummins/nissan diesels, as it seems that full-size trucks are still the only option for most enthusiasts. Finally, most of the vehicles here had wild paint, body, interior, and engine modifications, which thankfully shows a more wellrounded approach than ever to build a SEMA vehicle. See you guys in 2018!