The annual SEMA Show is all about the automotive aftermarket, and I’ve been covering the show for over a decade now. For 2024, I scoured the 2,400 vendors spread out over 1.2 million square feet of exhibit space to find the truly new and cool products that you might want on your next vehicle-based adventure.
With around 160,000 people from 140 countries in attendance, I pushed through shoulder-to-shoulder crowds every day at the show to find the goods. Being one of the largest trade shows in the world and the largest car show, with about 1,400 vehicles on display this year, I walked many, many miles this week.
5 Top Products: SEMA 2024 Best in Show
Here are my top five best in show product picks from The SEMA Show 2024.
(You can also check out my best in show product picks for: SEMA 2023, SEMA 2022, SEMA 2021, and SEMA 2019.)
Kuat DEK Roof Rack
Kuat continues to make good-looking, strong, and innovative vehicle rack systems. It just debuted the DEK roof rack system at SEMA 2024.
The DEK is a platform rack system that can be used on crossbars or through direct mounts — with Tacoma and 4Runner fitments first and more soon. What makes it stand out from the competition is its custom sleek and stylish extrusions with T-channels. This construction should offer maximum strength, versatile accessory mounting, and reduce wind noise.
What caught most people’s attention about the racks is the optional built-in off-road lighting system. Kuat worked with Diode Dynamics to integrate lights and wiring into the front of the DEK rack. The setup features five Diode Dynamics C2 Pro LED Pods delivering over 10,000 lumens in a sleek package. The lights are also switchable from amber to white, so you can adjust them to your driving conditions on the fly.
The DEK rack from Kuat will hit the market in the second quarter of 2025. Pricing will range from about $900 for a base unlit rack, to over $2,000 for a lit, large, and direct-mounted rack.
Cache Basecamp Pad 3.0
Cache has been around since 2018 making truck tailgate pads for bike transport. At The SEMA Show 2024, it released the next generation of its system, the Cache Basecamp Pad 3.0.
What makes the Cache Basecamp Pad really stand out is its patented lock. It locks the pad to the tailgate and provides an anchor point to lock your bikes or other gear to. Then there are the accessories, like cushioned seats and a cooler that turns the tailgate into a comfy seat and storage system. Oh, and it’s made of burly materials that should hold up well and also offer the most protection to both the vehicle and the bike.
The Basecamp Pad 3.0 will come in two sizes and be available in the spring 2025. Cache will offer a presale this December if you want to get in early, and likely get a bit of a discount.
MSRP on the XL size is $270 and it’s $240 on the S size. The system, which includes the pad, two seats, and a cooler bag, will run you $370 for the XL and $340 for the S.
Warn ZEON XP 14-S Winch
Warn continues to innovate and bring us top quality winches for our off-road adventure vehicles. It just debuted the new XP line of ZEON winches at SEMA 2024, which will replace its ZEON Platinum lineup. The ZEON XP line is now the top off-road performance line of winches at Warn.
ZEON XP now features both wired and wireless control, both an electric and a manual clutch, and LED lighting. It is offered in synthetic line only and is built in Oregon.
I’m giving this award specifically to the 14-S version of this winch, as it’s an all-new capacity in the lineup, and a perfect complement to many of today’s full-size American trucks.
The Warn ZEON XP 14-S will retail for $2,720 and be available December 12, 2024, along with the rest of the XP lineup.
ARB Brushless Compressors
The ARB Twin Onboard Compressor has been the go-to air system for off-road and overland travelers for a very long time now. While its a quality system, which will be staying in the lineup, ARB has just released a new, even better compressor line.
The new ARB Brushless Air Compressor lineup offers 50% more airflow. That makes airing up huge off-road tires much faster, and even more convenient when using two- and four-way tire inflation systems.
ARB says its new brushless motor and associated technologies in these compressors offer more control over all the parameters of operation, which allows for much more airflow and longevity of the compressor.
The ARB Brushless Air Compressor Twin Onboard unit also includes a very slick cam-lock-style, quick-release mount, as well as all the wiring needed for install.
This new ARB Brushless Air Compressor lineup will be available very early in 2025. Pricing in the U.S. will come it at $849 for the Twin Onboard and $469 for Single Onboard. The portable untis will come in at $1,289 for the Twin and $799 for the Single.
Mopar ILLUMINAT3 Pivoting Lightbar Prototype
Stellantis, the parent company of Jeep, Ram, Mopar, etc., pushes innovation from within. One way it does that is the Starup Innovation Design Program that has its employees pitch new design ideas, with the winners getting a full year to develop the product, business case, etc. Cole Schaenzer was a North American winner of the competition this year for his ILLUMINAT3 Pivoting Lightbar concept.
The design now has two patents and is likely coming to market soon. It is a lighting accessory for Jeep Gladiator and Wrangler that goes over the front of the windscreen frame and offers three adjustable TYRE LED lights. The center light can be adjusted on one axis, but the two lights on the sides can be swiveled 360 degrees on two axis.
The idea is that you can have an off-road driving light, ditch light, area light, etc. all in one setup. Just reach out the window of the vehicle, and you can adjust the side lights to where you need them at that moment.
A secondary benefit of this system is that it protects the A-pillars from tree branch hits, and likely helps keep the limbs off the windscreen a bit as well.
If you’re interested in joining the waitlist for this Jeep Performance Parts product, you can add your email here. Currently, the MSRP is projected to be $2,195.
