Lexus goes large at SEMA

It's that SEMA show time again. Every year in early November sees the aftermarket world takeover the Las Vegas Convention Centre, in, err, Las Vegas, for a huge show devoted to everything neat, groovy and far-out to customise your car, truck or motorbike.

The SEMA (Special Equipment Manufacturers Association) show is true marathon of modifications with vast halls packed with classic and modern hot rods, crazy custom cars, big-bhp street racers, sky-high monster trucks, space-age body kits, wild rims and pulsing paintjobs - everything a modifier dare dream of.

I've been over to the show (and the after parties!) a few times, and once you get over the sheer size of it all and how so-darn-cool the show cars are, it soon becomes clear why all this glitz and glamour attracts in excess of 100,000 industry people from more than 100 countries. The only problem is that it's only open to the 'trade', so 'normal' car fans can't go.

While this does sound like, and indeed is, a crime against car-loving-humanity, if you do find yourself in Vegas at this time of year, you can still check out the outside vehicle display area, which is also vast and awesome.

Now, you can't show a factory-standard car at the SEMA show; it'd stand out like a distinctly non-sore thumb, mixed-up with all the heavily modified metal, and Lexus knows this. Step up their selection of professionally modified and tuned hybrid cars from some of America's top custom car specialists.

Aftermarket modifiers have long been using luxurious Lexus rides as bases for cool custom creations, many of them going for the 'VIP' style - a style that originated from Japan and basically involves much lowering of the suspension over huge and expensive wheels, heavily tinted windows and even more leather and luxury gadgets than the already packed factory-standard Lexus cars.

Any road, here's a TotallyMotor round-up of the Lexus beauties presently basking in the show-goer's adoration on the show floor, in Vegas, from VIP-style to street-racer...

Not wanting to be left out, the Lexus engineers have reworked one of their own creations, the CT 200h, creating an F Sport Concept version of their soon-to-be-launched full hybrid luxury hatchback - decked-out with 18inch alloy rims, adjustable suspension and a high-performance Big Brake Kit. It's still show car concept right now, but it shows just what an F Sport version of CT 200h might look like

0-60 Magazine has tuned the GS 450h saloon for extra track performance. The Custom Carbon five-piece body kit is pure track-spec with downforce-enhancing frontal canards and rear diffuser; complete with monster GT rear wing. Japanese tuning legends GReddy bring extra power to the party with their free-flowing titanium exhaust, while another proven performance brand, TEIN, have worked their point-and-shoot magic with the GS's suspension. Brembo do what they do best; stop the car sharp, and my personal wheels-to-die-for from Rays Engineering offer serious weight-saving and motorsport style over standard

The LS 600h L 'limousine' from Fox Marketing rolls in understated style on Rotiform 20inch BLQ wheels with a 'candy copper' finish between the polished lips, all tucked-up under a full Artisan Spirit body kit that's been lovingly drenched in a Glacier Green and satin black paintjob

My personal favourite for its pure pimpin' style is this LS from VIP Auto Saloon. Low, lean and mean; it's got the VIP look down, all the way from the ground up. Super-expensive 21inch WALD Mahora M11c machined billet wheels are truly arch-bound thanks to slammed air suspension, and there's plenty of sun-bouncing icing to finish off this entirely tasty VIP cake with the perfect metallic bronze hue from PPG paint

See what I mean about killer show cars? SEMA is definitely where it's at every November if you like your rides to walk on the wild side. I'll see you there next year for sure.