SEMA 2010: Chevrolet Corvette Z06X Concept

Chevrolet was kind enough to give us a sneak sampling of what the company has planned for SEMA 2010, and the star of the show looks to be the car you see above. Called the Corvette Z06X, the bruiser is effectively a race-ready behemoth with a host of suspension tweaks and a slew of weight-reducing materials on board. Built by the Corvette legends at Pratt and Miller, this Satin White machine started its life as a Z06 with the CFZ carbon-fiber package. Throw in an adjustable rear wing borrowed straight from the C6R along with a full SCCA roll cage and you've got the bones for go-fast trackday goodness.

Under the hood, the standard LS7 V8 benefits from a new low-restriction intake and a more robust coolant system. The suspension wizards at PFADT were so kind as to supply a set of mono-ball control arm bushings, adjustable stabilizer bars and a complete coilover suspension, too.

Chevrolet has also bolted on a new raised carbon-fiber hood along with carbon headlight housings to shave a few pounds. The biggest weight savings, however, has to come from the polycarbonate rear window which is also lifted straight from the C6R.

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SEMA 2010: Dodge Challenger SRT8 392

One of the 1,492 Challenger SRT8 392s that Dodge says it's going to build next year is menacing the corner of the Mopar booth at this year's SEMA show. With a new 6.4-liter V8 offering 470 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque under the hood, this muscle machine appears ready to tame the road.

The SRT8 392 should prove to perform significantly better than previous Challengers thanks to quicker steering, revised suspension settings, beefier shocks and added downforce. The wheels are also a treat. Plus, you'll get better gas mileage than in the 2010 Challenger – that is, if you manage to scoop one up before everyone else.

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SEMA 2010: Chevrolet unveils custom 2011 Camaros

The Red Flash Show Camaro is a look-at-me V8-powered coupe that will certainly grab your attention out on the road thanks to its modified intake and exhaust system. On the other end of the spectrum is the XM/Accessory Appearance Package V6 Camaro that goes for a more subtle, not-so-flashy styling upgrade. The Synergy Series Camaro is the second version of a once-per-year limited-edition, and it features interior and exterior colors not available on any other model in the Camaro range. Finally, the SSX Track Car Concept rumbles on to the SEMA floor to tease us with the idea of a purpose-built track-day machine

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SEMA 2010: 1955 Chevrolet E-Rod LS3 Pickup

While the wicked E-Rod LSA found its way into a Superformance Grand Sport Coupe at this year's SEMA show, General Motors decided to plop the company's new E-Rod LS3 into something a little more traditional. GM yanked the sheets off of an expertly-crafted 1955 Chevrolet pickup street rod. The project started by mating a minty-fresh Dynacorn body with the chassis of a Trailblazer SS. Throw in a 315-horsepower, 335-pound-feet of torque E-Rod LS3 and you've got the basic ingredients for one very lust-worthy pickup.

GM says that the new E-Rod LS3 will command a price tag of $7,150 when it arrives in 2011.

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SEMA 2010: LSA E-Rod powered Superformance Grand Sport Coupe

General Motors has grown its E-Rod family by two, adding a 505-horsepower 7.0-liter LS7 and a 556-horsepower 6.2-liter LSA to its line of emissions-friendly V8s. The General chose to show off the new forced-induction engine by plopping the mill in a Superformance Grand Sport replica. With a feathery light curb weight of just 2,500 pounds and a potent 551 pound-feet of torque on tap, this machine should be an absolute tarmac terror. Behind that supercharged small block sits a Tremec six-speed manual transmission and a four-wheel disc brake system designed to bring the whole party to a stop in a hurry.

GM says that it is currently working closely with the California Air Resources Board to ensure that the E-Rod LSA can be used in pre-OBD-II vehicles, allowing specially constructed cars like the Superformance Grand Sport to receive CARB certification.

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SEMA 2010: Bisimoto Honda CR-Z is a 533-horsepower madhouse

The team from Bisimoto has taken to curing the Honda CR-Z hybrid of its anemia by prescribing massive doses of forced induction. The stock 1.5-liter four-cylinder was extracted and rebuilt using Arias pistons and a Bisimoto valvetrain, but the star of the show is that massive billet Turbonetics turbo. It shoves ample amounts of air through a 70-millimeter custom throttle body at a rate that has to rival most jet engines. The whole kit and caboodle is good for a staggering 533 horsepower, which helps explain why a car that started life with a 0-60 mph time of 10 seconds now requires a parachute to reduce its inertia.

Is this proof positive that the CR-Z has the kind of tunability that made the CRX legendary, or simply an example of cash conquering all handicaps?

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SEMA 2010: Stasis holds its own with Signature Series S4 and S5

This may be Audi's first year at SEMA, but that doesn't mean other tuning houses haven't worked up some four-ringed hotness just for the Vegas show. Stasis, for example, shows off its Signature Series S4 and S5 which get by with 'just' 410 horsepower and 370 pound-feet of torque from their supercharged V6s, otherwise normally rated at 333 hp and 344 lb-ft.

Stasis says the 25 percent boost in power comes from nothing more than an ECU tune and its own free-flow exhaust that uses "cross flow pulse scavenging technology." The wheels are pulled from the Stasis well, either 20-inches of lightweight, cast spokes or the same diameter in ultra-lightweight forged spokes. Together with the power and the Yokohama rubber, both cars are said to be capable of achieving 1.0 gs in the corners. Suspension and brakes get some love as well.

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