Toyo’s Treadpass is a Vegas-sized buffet featuring SEMA highlights

Wheel and tire brands tend to have the largest presence at the annual SEMA event due to the fact that everything on display needs to have both. However, few bring the kind of star power that Toyo Tires delivers every year with its always-anticipated Treadpass.

Located in a very busy section connecting multiple halls, the Treadpass is actually outdoors, but covered by a tent and equipped with a string of lights. This, coupled with the lush carpets and careful placement of their display vehicles gives the aura of an interior display in itself. It is not uncommon for visitors to enter the tent and spend an hour or more admiring the variety of buildings on offer.

In and out of the tent, you’ll find a mix of Japanese, American, European and exotic cars lining both sides of the layout. Everything wears Toyo tires, of course, and no two cars are truly alike as the brand does an excellent job of shaking things up with first designs from the US and abroad.

This Mk6GTI is Steven Nadasky’s first car. This is also what gave rise to his brand Alkoto Concepts. The widebody conversion was built from scratch in his driveway and has since been turned into an actual product that Mk6 owners can purchase for their own builds. The kit allows 18×12-25 Rotiform KPR wheels to be installed without issue.

Under the hood is the 07K 2.5-liter 5-cylinder engine, which is half of Lamborghini’s 5.0-liter engine. In fact, the Gallardo exhaust manifold was bolted up and converted to a turbo manifold for this custom setup with an integral geometry intake manifold and billet valve cover above it. Besides the wild exterior and stunning engine setup, we really liked the custom clear section that integrates with the roll cage and seals off the front of the cabin from the fuel cell in the hatch area.

Back in 2020, we wrote a feature on the 540-hp Josh Freeman FD RX-7 Touring Edition. He’s back and brought his latest project based on the JZX Toyota Chaser. Painted in a gorgeous Midnight Purple III with a Ghost Lace roof treatment and topped with four coats of clear, it stands out.

The 2JZ-GTE has been swapped in the shaved and tucked bay and, like the rest of the car, is fitted with custom touches. The immaculate engine compartment is surrounded by the outer border of the factory hood which has been cut away to form a frame of sorts.

Remember Gooichi Motors for its pistachio-colored RX-7 FD that we showed off a few years ago with its LS turbo swap, and which we later looked at during last year’s SEMA show with a Mercedes M120. This time it is the customer’s car on display. This BMW Z4 is equipped with another M120 V12 engine complete with custom equal-length headers and a Procharger housed in the main bumper opening.

GT3 trim is applied to the exterior and includes center-lock wheels with Proxes RR slicks under the extended arches, GT-style mirrors, Lexan windows, roof and rear quarter ducts, and a massive rear spoiler to complete the look.

We spotted and reported on this beautifully designed, retro-styled LS-powered 1973 Celica at SEMA in 2019, built by JH Restorations of Canada. The group landed at Treadpass this year with a 1987 Merkur XR4Ti dubbed “RS4Ti” that was covered in BASF’s Ford Area 51 Blue over a custom widebody kit.

Powered by a Ford Performance 2.3L EcoBeast engine mated to a Tremec TKX 5-speed, it uses a QA1 suspension based on a Corvette C6 axle and Wilwood brakes. As the Celica did before, the interior may be the best part. The 1980s blue interior received a complete overhaul with Recaro seats and matching cloth used on the door panels and rear seats, as well as an MPI steering wheel in colors that continue to flow.

Not only did we love the design, but we also got the judges’ approval and were awarded the Battle of the Builders Top Sport Compact title as well as a Peoples Choice award from BASF.

John Lau has a wide range of cars including an R32, R33, R34 Vspec, Vspec II Nur, a few RX-7 FDs, an Aventador, and more. For Treadpass, he decided to bring in a Moonstone Pearl MkIV Supra RZ that he imported with only about 45,000 miles. It wears a full Varis Supreme body kit and vented dry carbon hood, except for the duckbill rear wing which was replaced with a Varis GT wing. Although slim, the fenders aren’t as bulging as most other kits on the market today, but they’re more than enough to fit an 18-inch Volk Racing 21A with a 295 Toyo Proxes R888R in the back and 275s in the front.

The goal is to eventually achieve upwards of 1,200 horsepower which will be transmitted through the car’s HGT six-speed sequential drivetrain and take a stab at half-mile racing.