Well, NASCAR’s Nationwide Series might not be getting a Camaro, but Formula Drift sure is! Check out Grunewald Racing’s new drift Camaro, which will be competing in the 2010 season. It’s running a GM LS-A crate motor with internal mods by Hennessey Performance. Carbon fiber front clip, decklid, and spoilers are by Seibon, and the carbon fiber driveshaft is by PST. Aeromotive handles the fuel delivery, AEM the engine management system. It’s also running Eibach MultiPro R-2 coilovers and front and rear sways. Rubber (you guessed it) by Hankook, and the beast will be piloted next year by Conrad Grunewald. Do you think it’ll have anything for the now-veteran drift Mustangs?

There was a pretty cool off-road course set up at SEMA, and I paused to watch some baja trucks ripping it up as I was scuttling between exhibit halls. I loved how a low concrete divider was the only thing separating these monsters from the spectators–too bad that’ll only be the case until the first crowd-flattening episode forces SEMA to put up more lawsuit-proof barriers. Hit the jump for video of the off-road action!

I have been waiting and waiting and waiting for the owner of this rig to show up since I landed in Vegas on Monday. This morning I took the proverbial bull-by-the-horns, and left a note inside the cab, and finally made contact. Introducing the 1947 Diamond T (Soon to be named “Mater”), along with an amazing 1928 Dodge “Diesel Rod”. Read more after the jump!

I have to admit, I never understood the whole “Rat Rod” movement. If you are going to create a ride, why not paint and finish it? However, there has been a growing movement within the whole car building community, and this pair illustrates this movement perfectly. I call it the “build a car with what you find that interest you”.

Steve was originally from the Las Vegas area, and after a couple of questions from his sons about some questionable advertisement that is prevalent in sin city, he decided to move to the wide open spaces in Billings, Montana. He is quite a character, who really enjoys what he’s doing, and is a genuine gear-head. It was a pleasure to talk with him, especially when he describes how he has taken found objects and created works of everyman art that is both breathtaking and functional. He is very proud of what he has done with these vehicles, and as a true craftsman, he’s itchin’ to create more.

But why take my word for it? Here is the man himself, in his own words.

Take a look at some of Steve’s other rides on his site, including a custom bike trailer made from a Manure Spreader!

HoK has always been known for their eye-searing paint schemes, and for their SEMA booth this year, they chose a pretty awesome canvas. The late-70’s Monte Carlo is one of my favorite overlooked classics, and I’m glad we can count on the lowrider and high-riser cultures to make something incredible out of cars that would probably otherwise just be run into the ground as beaters. I loved the classic lowrider metal-flake treatment on this Monte, but there was so much sparkle that it confused the heck out of my camera, which didn’t know whether to barf or go blind–see pics in a variety of different flash modes below the jump!

It seems like Scion’s booth gets better with each successive SEMA. This time around, it seemed to be scaled down a little from last year, but that made for a more efficient delivery–Scion’s offerings really were all fun, no filler. Every single vehicle present had undergone extreme modifications, like the roofless Cartell Customs tC below the jump, or was being used to showcase some visionary over-the-top concept, like the “mobile kitchen” xB, the wood-bed pickup conversion with the moped in the back, or the “DJ 2.0″ by Five Axis–complete with lights and disco balls, a monster Pioneer sound system, and a mini dance floor. A trio of rides from Scion’s xB Tuner Challenge rounded out the fleet, including this turbocharged xB by Peter Colello. The theme for the booth was “Become One Of Us By Becoming None Of Us,” in keeping with the brand’s emphasis on individualism and transformation. Follow the jump for more pics and a video tour.

Video of DJ 2.0 xB:

Walkaround of Scion booth:

It’s a 1976 912 packing 85 3.3v lithium ion batteries. They power a NetGain Warp11 DC motor, which puts go to the wheels via an original Porsche 5-speed transmission. Built by Sunshine State Restorations in consultation with the Tallahassee Area Electric Vehicle Association. The overall effect? An ultra-clean classic EV. See more…

There’s been a slew of 2010 Camaro pace cars in the last year at high-profile motorsports events like Indy and the Daytona 500. The Sprint Cup series ran the ultra-hot Cyber Grey Camaro in a number of the races this season, and it’s become a welcome part of race-day scenery. However, I haven’t seen a pace car at the as hot as this retro-styled SS, made over by KAO Auto Styling as an update of the 1969 Camaro SS that served as the Indy 500 pace car that year. While this one obviously isn’t a convertible, the tribute was pitch-perfect: I love the louvered rear window and the nostalgic fender badging. The graphics indicate it’s going to be the official pace car for next year’s 500 on May 31, but the “For Sale” sticker suggests it’s probably just a concept.

In the central hall, buried among the many forgetful vendors at this years SEMA, I found this curious little number at the Sure Shifter display, a mid 70’s Datsun 620 Pickup. This truck is set up as a little Drag Truck, with the usual Matte Black finish that seems to be THE paint job at this show. Read more after the jump!

It is owned by Jeremy Gradney, who works for TVK Industries, the makers of a new product called the Surematic Shift Indicator. This little trucklet was just completed within the last two weeks, specifically for the SEMA show. It’s equipped with a 383 Chevy Small Block, backed up by a manually shifted four speed automatic. It also comes equipped with four wheel disc brakes, and a 4 link rear suspension setup.

I was interviewing Scott Wright, who was manning the TVK Industries Booth at the time I came around, and he stated that they were hoping for a mid 11’s quarter mile time. Of course, that will be with full slicks, since the only cargo the bed will have is the fuel cell. Speaking of the bed, take a look at how it’s beed modified to fit the shortened rearend, and wide rubber.

So the reports about the death of SEMA had been greatly exaggerated. We hope y’all enjoyed our coverage, because we had one hell of a time posting it. Personally, it was awesome to be back in a little room typing, swearing, and laughing with my Seattle crew, and getting to watch them sing along with the with the balloon artist/guitar player/one-man-band at Terrible’s was just brilliant. SEMA is a wonderful reminder of why we bust our knuckles covering cars and car culture, and I love, love, love it. Rob and Jen are in the air right now, and I hope that Jim—who I apparently offended with the unprintable way I express myself—is asleep on a plane headed back to the Great Northeast. I am ready to fall down and sleep off this whole week, which might happen soon, because soldier Michelle—who could pilot a semi truck through the eye of a needle—has been charged with the unfortunate assignment of driving my drunken ass back to California. After Rob, Jen, and I sober up, we’ll be posting all of our SEMA cleanup coverage, so stay tuned, and thanks for reading! Viva SEMA!

Did you know the General brought back the Camaro for 2010? There’s no way I’d have known,except for the fact that you can’t walk six inches at SEMA without bumping into one. I’m kidding, obviously, and I don’t mean to sound like I’m begrudging my favorite domestic automaker all the fanfare surrounding the return of its legendary muscle car. I think the boys and girls at GM did a great job with the Camaro, and the silver one in the pic below is so hot it makes me want to use expletives. To be honest, I’m a little pissed that we aren’t going to see a NASCAR version, but the Hancoock/Seibon car that’s going to run in Formula D—which is posted after the jump—is wicked, and the ZR1 was a close second for the car I wanted to shoplift from SEMA. Oh, and from the looks of the booth, you’d never know Lutz’s overlords were trying to pawn Hummer off on the Chinese. Tons of pics after the jump.