Updated November 10, 2026: With SEMA 2026 just wrapping up, I decided to remaster my coverage from SEMA 2004, including some of the awful photos I took while I was still learning how to shoot. It’s really interesting to look back 22 years and see what has and hasn’t changed at SEMA. The original article is below.
SEMA Show 2004. For those who have never gone, it’s an experience beyond anything you can imagine. Up until then, I had attended other events, including SEMA IAS East in Atlantic City and your typical Hot Import Nights. Everyone told me to expect a huge show with plenty of walking, but it’s hard to understand what that really means until you experience it yourself.
Let me tell you, this show was massive. I couldn’t even put it into words. There were more than a million square feet of exhibits, and it seemed like it would never end. Add in the industry parties and the (cough cough) extracurricular activities, and you were in for one hell of a week.
Starting off on Tuesday, I mostly walked around to take in the entire show and figure out which halls I wanted to shoot. I ended up running into a lot of people, and between conversations and meetings, that took up most of my time. Once I finally got the ball rolling and started shooting, I somehow kept circling the same areas and getting lost within the same hall. It was crazy how big the place was.
Mackin made a huge impression with its latest Volk Racing wheels, including the GT-V displayed on its 350Z. Speaking of 350Zs, they were definitely one of the more popular cars at the show. G35s were everywhere too, along with plenty of Mitsubishi Evolution VIIIs and Subaru WRXs. Long gone was the once-dominant Honda scene—AWD and RWD cars were taking over the show floor.
The newly introduced Scion tC was also a huge hit, along with the xB. The tuner hall was packed with new products and builds. GReddy made waves with its turbocharged tC and a prototype turbo system that looked really promising. Tanabe and APEXi brought out some strong builds, while TEIN showed off its widebody xB on Racing Hart wheels. AEM was also there with its newly acquired DC Sports brand and plenty of new parts to show off.
By the end of Tuesday, I was exhausted—and the night’s parties were just getting started.
Wednesday came around, and I shot like mad. I made my way through the wheel and tire hall, which was so full of bling it was almost overwhelming. There was even a 32-inch wire wheel on display. Between that and all the quarter-million-dollar cars, I was in awe.
Falken had an impressive setup, as did BFGoodrich. The major tire manufacturers showed up strong, and drifting was clearly becoming a much bigger part of the industry. D1 held an exhibition with eight cars putting on a show outside, with S13s, S14s, S15s, Soarers, and four-door Skylines all going sideways. You just couldn’t beat that. The only downside was trying to shoot it in the cold, dark evening—definitely an experience.
Thursday was more of a recovery day. I spent a few hours meeting with people and promoting tunerZine.com, which already had nearly 700 photos from the show online.
When Friday rolled around, I hit the final hall to grab some last-minute photos and checked out more of the new products on display. I probably could have gotten even more coverage that day, but I was called away to photograph a car at the Speedway.
Still, we came away with close to—if not more than—1,000 photos from our first major event feature.
Hopefully you enjoy looking back at SEMA 2004 with us. If you’ve never been to SEMA, take my 2004 advice: schedule a week off in November. It’s more than worth it.
GalleryPhotos by Jason Siu
