Hottest makeovers at SEMA 2012

America's sweetheart pony car, the Mustang is fun, fast and affordable. It's also amazingly adaptable, with entertaining yet economical V6 power or a 5.0-liter 420-horsepower V8. Coupe and convertible bodies call for adventure while continuing the Mustang's classic look of a long hood and a short deck.

View Pictures:  Ford at the 2012 SEMA Show

It looks like a '68 or '69 Mustang, but the Reversion is actually a 2010 Mustang GT transformed by Johnny Sparks in a yearlong thrash. Hand-fabricated completely in steel, the Reversion bucks the SEMA norm of bolt-on superchargers and garish paint jobs, proving there's art among the flash at SEMA for those taking the time to look.

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Like the Mustang that originally prompted its development, Chevrolet's Camaro has a long history of mild-to-wild performance offered in a package that regular people can afford. Today's version doesn't shy from anything; its massive V8 engine and aggressive styling make it a presence wherever it goes.

View Pictures:  Chevrolet Muscle at SEMA

Attention-getting Camaros in SEMA show booths flaunt near-nuclear powerplants and equally over-the-top paint schemes, but subtlety works when the intent is a real-world car. Mickey Thompson's Street Comp package typifies the breed, with its invisible light-duty power mods and visible but not shouting grilles, splitters, wheels and lowering.

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The Wrangler isn't really happy until its tires are dirty, but it makes passable street transportation for the outdoor crowd and those who wish they were. But when Jeep tagged an extra set of doors onto its icon, it opened a new level of capability for the unique off-road sportster.

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Of course there were hot-pink Wranglers — some with pink LED headlights — at SEMA 2012, all part of breast-cancer awareness month. More typically, SEMA Jeeps bend toward the practical, such as this ARB-modified example with pull-out storage trays, winch, lights, fording kit, bigger tires and air compressor.

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The new Scion FR-S has reset expectations for small, sporty cars. Certainly the rear-wheel drive is a draw, along with its low center of gravity, flat-4 engine and traditional 6-speed manual transmission. Compact coupe styling, fuel economy in the mid-30s and pricing in the mid-20s complete the stylish package.

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SEMA declared the new Scion the "Hottest Sport Compact" of the show, and it was an easy choice. Scion coupes were everywhere, touting everything. Predictably, most customizers went boy-racer with stickers, paint and track-styling mods, but Toyo lightly and tastefully dolled up its Scion with a set of Proxes T1 tires, Volk Racing wheels and Wald body-kit parts.

Watch Video:  Scion FR-S & BRZ

A conservative Korean car, the Hyundai Elantra coupe offers the world a clean, wind-sculpted face and a stylish, comfort-oriented interior for the driver. It offers enough power to get around, yet it can get an impressive 40 mpg under good conditions. Usable rear seating and meaningful trunk space make it mainstream, while tight lines help it avoid being boring.

Read:  Hyundai Rolls Out the Fun at SEMA

So, enough with practical SEMA show cars. Do you want to see some over-the-top show-car gore? The inexplicable Hyundai Undead lurking by the show's main entrance should satisfy any such blood lust. This is what you get when the SEMA cultural pilgrimage to Las Vegas occurs over Halloween.

Watch Video:  2012 Hyundai Elantra

Everybody loves cute, and short of a basket of kittens there's nothing cuter than a Fiat 500. Starting at just $15,500, the subcompact 500 is simple, direct and bursting with a refreshing visual energy. Urban agility is a highlight of this 2-seater-plus-kids commuter, a trait enhanced by the spunky, turbocharged Abarth model.

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Who better to spice up the Fiat 500's sauce than an Italian tuning house? Boldly displayed in a clean, expansive booth was one of several Romeo Ferraris iterations of the little Fiat. Like many other 500s at SEMA, the Romeo Ferraris demonstrator trafficks mainly in exuberant paint, since the hot-rod parts are still in development.

Read Blog:  Fiat Sells Out the 500 Abarth

Extensively updated for 2013 in its mainstream 1500 trim, the Dodge Ram is arguably the most modern of pickups. A smooth-riding, coil-spring rear suspension and fuel-efficient yet powerful V6 engine are its most notable characteristics, but moving up to the 3500 series gains drivers a gigantic cab and locomotive power.

View Pictures:  Mopar Alley

For the SEMA show, "attention getting" and "big" are the operative words for trucks, and the Kelderman air-suspension Ram 3500 Crew Cab dual-axle fits the bill like a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier run aground in your driveway. Glitzed beyond any possible use with 24-inch tires, a 10-inch air lift and copper plating highlights, this started as a Laramie Long Horn edition.

Read:  Comedian-Designed Challenger at SEMA

Lightened, stiffened and given twin turbochargers for 2013, Mercedes' outstanding 2-seat grand tourer boasts it all: luxury, exclusivity, power and sportiness. A power retractable hardtop turns it into a convertible at the push of a button; pressing on its accelerator changes the scenery to the tune of 557 horsepower.

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Simply parking a new SL63 AMG in your SEMA booth will build traffic — a fact not lost on numerous wheel and tire makers that cater to all sorts of high-end European brands. The trick is amping up the lust without losing the European respectability, as CEC managed here with pearl paint, blacked-out trim and a set of its wheels.

View Slideshow:  Is That Car Worth the Money?

Regular BMWs offer an exceptional driving experience, but for those willing to pay for it, the M-Series BMWs deliver more power, more precision and more haughtiness. Packing eye-watering zip from a 560-horsepower twin-turbo V8 engine, BMW's M5 sedan bests any sedan in performance, and gets fronted by valets everywhere.

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For the rarified GTHaus client list, it's not enough to get fronted by valets, it's necessary to stand out from your buddy's M5 parked next door. Thus the $10,000 wheels, the $10,000 exhaust and $3,000 window tinting. At least the Nexen tires aren't quite so pricey, and the asymmetric paint and a dyno chart graphic get the attention.

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No pickup is more versatile than the Ford F-150. An extensive offering of cab styles, bed lengths and innovative powertrains keeps the Ford hauler firmly atop the sales charts, especially with the innovative 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine. Its combination of weight-lifter power and marathon-runner fuel economy is unique.

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Hitches and winches are Westin's thing, so the lifted 4x4 F-150 in its booth obviously carried a full load of its products. But the oversized, sinister, black wheels, knobby tires and cargo rack signify the SEMA fans' love of combining work and play in their pickups. Inside, the stock Lariat interior provides all necessary luxury.

View Slideshow:  Get the Most Truck for Your Money

Longtime Road & Track contributor Tom Wilson's credits include local racing championships, three technical engine books and hundreds of freelance articles.