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Ford, along with KISS bassist Gene Simmons and his wife, Shannon Tweed, used SEMA as a backdrop to pull the covers off Snakebit, a 1956 Ford F-100 pickup truck that's been updated with Shelby Mustang-derived styling bits and a 5.4-liter supercharged V8 engine. All 550 horsepower are funneled through a six-speed manual gearbox to the rear wheels.

Underneath the custom bodywork sits a chassis that's been stretched five inches and a bed widened and bedecked with billet machined pieces that are supposed to look like wood. The 20-inch rear and 18-inch front wheels ape those of past Shelby Mustang models. The interior is swathed in two-tone leather with a bench seat designed to look – try to act surprised – like a Shelby Mustang.

Like what you see? Bidding for the truck will take place in 2014 at an unspecified Barrett-Jackson event (we'd assume Scottsdale). Proceeds will be used to help build a children's hospital in Saskatoon, in the province of Saskatchewan, where Ms. Tweed grew up. See the high-res gallery above and the press release down below for more.

Enamored of the Dodge Challenger but wish you could get one with a shaker hood? We've got good news, because Dodge and Mopar have teamed up to bring it back.

The 2014 Dodge Challenger R/T Shaker packs the same 5.7-liter Hemi V8 as the standard Challenger R/T, but upgrades the business end with a through-the-hood exposed cold-air intake system. The retro hood scoop protrudes from the center of the hood in satin black (matching the decklid spoiler) to feed the Hemi and shakes with the engine just like the original from 1970. The Shaker model also comes with a Super Track Pak that adds a new steering rack, brake linings, shocks and 20-inch Goodyear Eagle F1 Super Car rubber. You can also shut off the stability management system completely in this car. A series of interior and exterior trim enhancements round out the look. The whole package adds $2,500 to the price of a Challenger R/T Classic for an all-in MSRP of $36,995.

In case that's not enough, Dodge is also offering a limited-edition Mopar Challenger that follows the 2010 Mopar Challenger, 2011 Mopar Charger, 2012 Mopar 300 and 2013 Mopar Dart. Limited to just 100 examples, the 2014 Mopar Challenger gets the same Shaker hood intake, unique graphics and wheels, an enhanced interior and a long list of optional extras from the Mopar parts catalog. Dodge isn't saying just yet how much the Mopar Challenger will cost, but you can bet it will command a considerable premium for the exclusivity alone.

Dodge and Mopar are presenting both of these special Challengers at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas this week, but if you're not in Vegas, you can read more about them in the press release below and scope them out in our pair of high-res image galleries.

Dodge buyers looking for that extra performance edge, take note: Mopar is bringing back the Scat Pack. Announced at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas today, the new Scat Packages will be available in three stages for the Challenger, Charger and Dart starting next spring.

Upgrades for the Charger and Challenger equipped with the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine include a
new cold-air intake and cat-back exhaust, as well as a remapped ECU. Upgrade to the Scat Package 2 and you get a new camshaft, and the Scat Package 3 tosses in ported and polished heads and hi-flow headers. Upgrades for the Dart GT with the smaller 2.4-liter, four-cylinder Tigershark engine with six-speed manual transmission start with a cold-air intake, short-throw shifter and upgraded brakes. The second stage kicks in a remapped ECU and cat-back exhaust, while the Scat Package 3 for the Dart gives you even bigger brakes, an adjustable suspension and sway bars front and rear.

The packages are being showcased in Vegas with a range of other add-ons also available from the Mopar catalog, and Katzkin has been called in to reskin the interiors in leather. Like what you see? You can delve into all the details in the lengthy press release below and scope them out in the high-resolution image gallery above.

Despite the fact that the annual SEMA show is more of an exercise in what "could be" than what "will be," it gives automakers the chance to stretch the legs of some of its most important models. Take the 2014 Mazda6, for example – it's hardly new, having gone on sale early this year – but this year's SEMA expo marks the first time Mazda has been able to show off the customization possibilities for its sleek midsize sedan. To that end, the Japanese automaker has arrived in Las Vegas with two very different takes on its sexy Six.

First up is the Mazda6 Club Sport you see above, wearing a "motorsports-inspired" gray, black and red accent-color scheme that, as Mazda says, is "represented in not-so-subtle angular lines reminiscent of a car speeding past your line of sight." The whole car is done up in a base color of Composite Grey, and uses a Brilliant Black roof to match the similarly colored front, side and rear diffusers, as well as the rear spoiler. Mazda has fitted the Club Sport with Rays 57 Motorsport G07FXX 20-inch wheels, wrapped in Yokohama 245/35R20 tires. Powering the CS is Mazda's 2.2-liter Skyactiv-D diesel four-cylinder engine (that we'll get in the standard Six early next year), and other changes include an H&R spring kit, larger Brembo brakes and a Racing Beat exhaust.

And then there's the Ceramic 6 Concept, pictured right. The name comes from the car's Ceramic White paint, though we don't really get the Taupe Silver accent stripes. Mazda says they're meant to mimic "the linear frequency patterns found on the likes of couture dresses and flowing fabrics," but it just looks a bit overwrought to us. The Mazda6 already has so many clean lines, why add more?

Mazda has fitted the Ceramic 6 with Rays Volk Racing Original G25 20-inch wheels, also finished in that same silver color. Additional upgrades include an H&R spring kit, larger Brembo brakes and a Racing Beat exhaust (sound familiar?). Inside, there are new, premium soft leathers throughout, in a white-and-black theme, with metallic accents.

Have a look at Mazda's SEMA Sixes in the galleries above and below, and scroll down to read about the company's full Vegas smattering in the press release.

With all the commotion about the aftermarket going on at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Hyundai's timing for this announcement is just perfect - the South Korean brand will launch its first crate engine program.

Starting with the 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder and the 3.8-liter V6 from the Genesis Coupe, the program should push Hyundai even further in to the performance realm. Two versions of the 2.0-liter will be available at first - a $4,500 version, that's ready for its owner to bolt on a turbo of their choosing, or a $6,000 version, which includes the turbo and all its plumbing. Hyundai claims the cheaper version was designed with the aftermarket specifically in mind, as it allows tuners to easily fit larger turbos while spending less coin for parts that will just be tossed. The 3.8-liter V6 will cost $9,000.

"As more Genesis Coupes have entered the pre-owned enthusiast market since its 2009 launch, we've witnessed strong interest in leveraging the low cost potential of this rear-drive platform and its powertrains for the tuner market and motorsports. Now, with our new crate engine program, Hyundai is making it more affordable for these same enthusiasts to modify their Genesis Coupe, or perhaps inject some high-value horsepower into other platforms," said Hyundai's North American president and CEO, John Krafcik.

We like the idea of crate engines, as it really puts the power in the hands of the tuners and allows them to work far more independently. Hopefully, we'll see Hyundai expand this program. We want to see the crate version of the 5.0-liter V8 from the Genesis R-Spec.

The massive 57-car SEMA showcase by Ford ranges from obvious aftermarket-friendly models like the Mustang, to the not so obvious ones, like the Transit Connect and cute-as-an-explosive-button Fiesta ST. Ford plucked several Fiesta STs for SEMA duty, and we were on the show floor today to get a closer look at some of them.

First up is the striking COBB Tuning and Tanner Foust Racing Fiesta ST (above) finished in a black-and-gray digital camouflage, much like that used in the military, and is meant to raise awareness for the Pat Tillman Foundation. COBB also fitted a three-inch exhaust and a cold-air intake. A new shift knob, carbon-fiber hood and a Kicker stereo round out the mix of upgrades.

MRT got its hands on a Fiesta ST and created a car inspired by Forza Motorsport 5 (below, left). Featuring a two-tone paint job and more performance upgrades than you can shake a stick at, this Fiesta ST is one of the cooler compacts at Ford's stand. A high-performance exhaust system, along with a complimentary COBB induction system, allows the ST to breathe better, while an H&R coil over suspension and Steeda brakes help it stop and turn better than stock.



Ice Nine opted to wrap its Fiesta ST in a wild vinyl theme (above, middle). Seventeen-inch Braid wheels and Falken tires make its role as a rally car rather obvious, while a carbon-fiber hood, spoiler and a few other bits round out the exterior upgrades.

3dCarbon tried for the love child of a Boss 302 and Fiesta ST, and got this (above, right). Bright red paint and black accents are the name of the game, with color-coded 19-inch Pinzette-M Forgiato wheels for a bit more visual flair, while the theme continues in the cabin. The remainder of the exterior upgrades are mainly aesthetic, with a body kit from 3dCarbon and Air Design, which includes a deeper front air dam, revised side skirts and a rear diffuser, along with a bigger spoiler on the hatch.

Take a look up top for our full gallery of live images of the Fiesta STs at the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

When Jaguar previewed its new sportscar two years ago with the C-X16 concept, it showed a coupe form. But when the car hit production as the F-Type, it rolled out in roadster form only. Not that we're complaining, but we all knew it wouldn't be long before Coventry revealed the production coupe, and that's just what it's doing at this month's LA Auto Show.

Jaguar hasn't given us much to go on yet – just a single shot of the vehicle from above and nothing in the way of technical details – but we all know the drill. The F-Type Coupe will essentially be the same as the existing roadster, only with a fixed roof - with a large glass panel, mind you, to let plenty of light in and keep the cabin from feeling markedly more claustrophobic than the open-top version.

That ought to make it a little lighter (though not much) and a little stiffer, but otherwise we can expect more or less the same specs as the convertible. We'll have to wait until the evening of November 19 to know for sure, though, so watch this space for more.

Every quarter, Tesla tells the world how many vehicles it has sold. While many other automakers share their details every month, Tesla remains wedded to the idea that it will only share data when the shareholders demand it. That's why, with today's third-quarter results, we learned that Tesla sold over 5,500 Model S EVs in the last three months. That's roughly 1,830 a month, and would put the Model S in the running for best-selling EV in America, except that Tesla's number is for global sales, and this last quarter is when the luxury EV became available in many new markets. In the second quarter, Tesla sold 5,150 cars, 90 percent of them with Supercharging capability.

Tesla has had to "stall" North American demand in order to keep European customers happy.

Shareholders are also rabidly interested in the future, and on a conference call with investors just now, Tesla CEO Elon Musk talked about increasing delivery to Europe, Asia and other parts of the world. In fact, Tesla has had to "stall" North American demand in order to keep European customers happy. As more and more people want a Tesla EV, Musk said, the main supply constraint will be the battery packs. The company recently signed an expanded battery supply deal with Panasonic but Musk did hint that Tesla may need to build its own battery plant at some point. Nothing official was announced, but Musk did say, when speaking about the upcoming, $35,000 Telsa (maybe called the Model E) that, "If we're to produce 500,000 vehicles a year from the former NUMMI plant, then we need cell capacity that is commensurate with that, which is maybe bigger than all the lithium ion production in the world today." He didn't say who would build it, but at some point, Musk said, "There's going to need to be some kind of giga-factory built."

"The key thing is to have the cheaper batteries in place for the third-generation vehicle" - Elon Musk

Speaking of that lower-cost EV, Musk said that it will be cheaper thanks to lower-cost batteries but there will also be other cost cutting measures implemented, hinting that the upcoming car won't be as nice inside as the Tesla's of today. "The key thing is to have the step-change [cheaper batteries] in place for the third-generation vehicle," he said, "but that would benefit the Model S and the premium line of cars as well."

On Tesla's deal with Daimler, the company says that the "development program" will be done in early 2014, after which the company will work on "start of production to support market launch by Daimler in 2014." Musk did say the B-Class EV would be a "great car" and called it the "most compelling affordable electric car on the market." On the topic of the two recent Model S fires, the shareholder letter doesn't address it direcatly, but it does speak about safety and say that, the "Model S has the lowest probability of injury of any car ever tested."

In the hours before the 3Q results were announced, TSLA stock was bouncing up and down from a high of $181.43 to a low of $171.36. In after-hours trading, the stock dropped like a rock, losing almost 11 percent as of this writing. By the time you read this, it'll certainly change again, as this is one volatile stock. As you go check that out, you can get the PDF here or look at the letter in our gallery and see the results of the last two quarters here and here.

Compared to the stock Chevrolet SS sports sedan, Jeff Gordon's version looks much meaner (in a good way). Somehow it comes off as more butch than the upgrades would suggest, almost as if it has a wide-body kit (compare the Chevrolet Jeff Gordon SS Performance Sedan Concept to the near-production car). But Chevy says that the exterior upgrades are limited to a satin-red exterior, a more aggressive custom front grille, a carbon-fiber rear spoiler and custom-finished 20-inch wheels. Of course, it's been lowered, which not only enhances the handling, but also its stance.

This SS is equipped with high-performance brakes, Chevy says, and a Borla performance exhaust system helps the engine exhale more freely. Perforated suede seat inserts, embroidered head rests, a flat-bottom steering wheel and a Chevrolet Accessories pedal kit round out the package. Everything else remains unchanged, including the LS3 6.2-liter V8, which pumps out 415 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque through a six-speed automatic transmission with TAPShift manual control. This leads us to one question: where's the full-manual transmission?

Check out the Jeff Gordon SS Performance Sedan concept in the photo gallery.

Car culture on each coast of the US has historically been markedly different, and Chevrolet aims to show some of the differences with a pair of Corvette concepts at SEMA. Representing the East Coast is the Corvette Stingray Convertible Atlantic concept, while the Corvette Stingray Coupe Pacific concept has the West Coast flair.

The Corvette Pacific concept (shown above) starts with the performance-oriented Z51 package and shows off the more custom look of West Coast car designs with its Torch Red paint contrasted with black rocker extensions and a front splitter. Perhaps the coolest part of this car's visual tweaks are its black aluminum wheels with red accent stripes.

For the Corvette Atlantic concept, Chevy gave this droptop the same rocker extensions and front splitter as the Pacific concept but managed to keep a more reserved appearance (at least as much as possible for the C7) with a silver paint scheme, grey hood graphics and five-spoke chrome wheels. Our favorite part of this concept might be the Stingray logo embroidered on the center console armrest.

Mini is well underway testing the third-generation of its four-place Cooper Convertible, as evidenced by these photos, showing the new droptop riding along on a flatbed.

Codenamed the F57 - as opposed to the "F56" designation for the Hardtop - the Convertible will ride on the same UKL front-drive architecture that will underpin its hardtop brother, not to mention its German cousins, the BMW 1 Series GT and X1. According to our spies, it'll share more than a few of the BMW i's lightweight technologies and will include such advanced features as electronically adjustable dampers. That seems like some high-dollar tech for a droptop Mini, but we'd be quite happy to see it arrive all the same.

From the beltline down, we can expect the Convertible to feature almost identical styling to the Hardtop. Based on the spy photos, there's not a lot to see above the belt line, either. The roof carries roughly the same shape, and will probably fold in a similar Z-pattern to the current canvas top.

Underhood, the Convertible should share its powertrains with the Hatchback, meaning the top-flight mill will be a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder with 189 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque. A turbocharged, 1.5-liter three-pot will be the standard engine, but should still come to play with 134 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. While the F56 Mini will debut in a few weeks time, we'll be waiting much longer to see the F57 Convertible, with our spy claiming an on-sale date in 2015. Based on that, a Geneva debut seems like a long-shot, although the 2014 Paris or Los Angeles shows seem like possibilities.

A couple of weeks ago we highlighted four Focus STs that Ford said it would be bringing to SEMA, and three out of the four cars have made it thus far (sorry, no Lotus-themed Focus ST yet). We were really looking forward to the Gulf-themed Focus ST built by Universal Technical Institute (below, left), so we're glad it's on display with its oddly shaped fender flares, side-exit cat-back exhaust system and, most importantly (for this writer, at least), a Vortech supercharger in place of the stock turbocharger.

The Focus ST DRAGG (Drag Racing Against Gangs and Graffiti) police vehicle (below, middle) is also on the show floor displaying its light bar and police decals. Peel back the skin and you'll find a rifle rack mounted to the interior, a Borla exhaust system, Motegi wheels, Eibach springs and Wilwood brakes.



The third car is a project by PM Lifestyle that adheres to SoCal car culture (above, right), and while it may have the most understated styling of the three STs on display, it's sure to be one of the better performers. The turbocharged four-cylinder engine has been tuned with help from Banks Power, COBB Tuning and Ford Racing; the suspension was upgraded to a coil-over setup; and 19-inch Rotiform wheels cover Wilwood brakes. Lastly, Sparco Chrono seats will keep occupants in place when driving the twisty canyon roads that snake through Southern California.

We weren't quite sure it was possible, but NASCAR driver Parker Kligerman and the other folks behind this Toyota Dream Build Challenge vehicle (check out the other cars in the challenge) have made the Camry, a versatile but vanilla family sedan, into a performance car to be reckoned with. And by stripping it (literally) of its versatility and injecting some spice into it, this rally-spec Camry does indeed appeal to the enthusiast crowd.

The appeal starts with the CamRally's vintage Toyota racing colors of red, orange and yellow painted on a widened body. Those wide fender flares and rocker panels, paired with the revised front and rear fascias (and massive rear spoiler), lend the car an aggressive look without being tacky, and enhance the aerodynamics. But peel back the skin and you'll find plenty of performance upgrades to back up the looks.

While Toyota doesn't say how much horsepower it makes, the CamRally's V6 is turbocharged, and we assume the car's brake upgrade is indicative of the engine's increased output. The stripped interior only contains what's needed for rally racing, including bucket seats, a motorsport steering wheel covered in Alcantara, a carbon-fiber dashboard and a roll cage.

At 10:00 AM PST, the winner of the Toyota Dream Build Challenge was announced, and while the CamRally didn't take top honor (the Let's Go Moto Tundra received the most votes), it's still a winner in our book.

Head on over to the photo gallery to see the coolest Camry around.

If there is any car on the road you might consider essentially a four-wheeled motorcycle, surely it's the Caterham Seven. So it hardly seems much of a stretch that the British automaker that forged its reputation building Lotus continuation cars would branch into motorcycles. And that's precisely what it has announced today.

Revealed at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan are three new prototypes that herald the launch of the new Caterham Bikes division. Baddest of the trio is the Brutus 750, an off-road motorbike joined by a pair of electric bicycles: the Classic E-Bike with retro styling and the Carbon E-Bike inspired by the company's F1 team. The news, incidentally, follows the July announcement that Lotus was getting into motorcycles as well.

Caterham revealed little in the way of details behind the concepts, focusing instead on the new division's place within the expanding Caterham group. What was once a business built strictly around the Seven has since expanded into F1 and GP2 racing, engineering consultancy and composites, with the SP/300.R launched with Lola, the new AeroSeven concept launched at the Singapore Grand Prix, and the new Alpine sportscar under development with Renault. Which all points to the inescapable conclusion that, since being taken over by Malaysian businessman and AirAsia chief Tony Fernandes, Caterham is showing no signs of slowing down.