Toyo Tires SEMA 2019 Preview

Loyalty to a tire brand runs deep for most of us. Finding the perfect blend of grip and treadwear can be trial and error if you haven’t experienced the perfect tire. It took me a decade to discover what many already knew, so here is the Toyo Tires SEMA 2019 preview.

It took Nitto drag radials to get my Camaro moving at the track, and I am thankful that Nitto is a Toyo brand. Boulevard Customs is a subsidiary of duPont REGISTRY, and our shop proudly sells more Toyo products than any other brand. Their rubber is simply superior on Florida’s crumbling infrastructure.

Being so popular has allowed them to expand their Toyo Tires Treadpass around the South Hall entrance to the SEMA show. Taking place November 5-8, you will encounter 30 incredible cars & trucks rolling on the world’s best tires. Here are six that will leave you speechless.

First up is the Baja 911. It began as a ’91 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet before being transformed by Russell Built Fabrication. TJ Russell was the lead fabricator for Singer Vehicle Design before opening his own shop, so this one will undoubtedly take your breath away.

Chris Ashton lives in Orange County, California, and he built the Ruffian Mustang in his two-car garage. This 1970 Ford Mustang Fastback is inspired by the Boss 302 that dominated the Trans-Am series, and the handmade steel fenders keep the massive tires tucked inside the body. The fronts are 18×11 and the rears are 19×12.5, mounted on Signature ONE wheels.

The “Button Built BB355” was styled by Mitch Button. Last year his BB328 was the most-photographed car at SEMA, so this is a brilliant encore. This classic Ferrari F355 sports a body inspired by the Japanese Super GT series. The twin-turbo kit resembles the setup of the legendary 288 GTO, and it is just as powerful.

Jonny Grunwald is known as TRMNL in the custom car world, and this 2020 Toyota Supra Widebody is a collaboration with Daniel Song. Pandem supplied the 17-piece body kit, and everything was painted in factory Turbulence Gray.

Flexing your survival skills starts with proper transportation. That’s why DEFCONBRIX built this ’71 Ford Bronco. It was a 6-month build incorporating Detroit Steel Wheels, Bell Auto Upholstery, and Kreative Image in Phoenix. Also in Phoenix, TommyGun Fab built a 3-link front and 4-link rear suspension. It has a 5.0L Coyote V8, six-speed manual transmission and Atlas transfer case.

The Mitsubishi Lancer Evo has always been popular with those who must finance their car modifications, so this 1998 model has a “rare” Varis widebody kit and the 4G63 engine tuned to 450 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque. To give you a proper preview, below is their booth from last year. We will have live coverage on Facebook this year, so stay with us for all your SEMA news.