On Day 3 of the SEMA Show things tend to get a little quieter. There’s still plenty of actual noise from the various rubber burning pursuits happening outside, engines firing up as folks show off their builds, and the odd speaker company demonstrating their product’s decibel limits. But the footfall is somewhat decreased.
This may be a bit of a blessing though. With no major announcements or unveilings left it’s a great time to walk the show floor and pick out a few hidden gems or interesting occurrences that might have otherwise flown under the radar. And with Friday being the “public” day, this brief respite isn’t going to last very long. Here’s what we spotted on Day 3 of the 2025 SEMA show.
Matchbox is hitting the road for real
True to its name, RealTruck has helped turn an upcoming toy into a “Real Truck,” or a real SUV to be more specific. A 2018 Jeep Wrangler was kitted out with a variety of the company’s products and partnered with Mattel to produce a matching “Matchbox” version of the vehicle.
The actual SUV is being auctioned for charity early next year. You’ll be able to see it at the 2026 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction, with all proceeds going to Richard Rawlings’ Gas Monkey Foundation. The little version (which is significantly cheaper with a price tag of under $2) is available for sale in the spring.
You have a chance to ride in a drift car
Optima basically has its own compound near the South Hall. The centerpiece of this is a monster truck that lots of highly skilled drivers spend all day drifting around. This is accompanied by signs pointing out the rides aren’t open to the public, but there is a way to get one.
If you scan a QR code, fill in a form, and take a spin of Optima’s “prize wheel” you can win a ridealong or some other prize. Full disclosure, you’re pretty likely to walk away with a lanyard, a poster, or a keyring instead, but it’s still a decent little distraction.
As for the ride itself, I got to hop in with Morgan Oldham who started with a donut and then completed a few laps drifting in both directions. It was a little brief, but pretty good fun. It’s also potentially the highlight of your show if you can get in there. On the way out I had a spin of the wheel and ended up winning an air freshener. So you may need a lot of luck to nab a ride.
A technically difficult wrap
Almost everywhere you go, you’ll see vehicles getting wrapped in vinyl. The SEMA Show is a key event for many in the aftermarket parts industry, and vehicle wrapping is a major part of that industry. These demos often involve something eye catching like a McLaren 720S which draws potential customers in. But deep in the West Hall I might have spotted the most technically difficult wrap of the show.
Mutoh, a company that sells the printers used to create the wraps, had a couple of staff members attempting to apply one to a ride-on toy car. The difficulty comes from the shape of the little Cadillac, and the fact it’s made of relatively thin plastic, which will soften and warp when heat is applied. All in all, it’s not perfect, but the pair did an okay job considering the circumstances.
