Top 10 Vehicles of the 2011 SEMA Show

If there's a common theme to this year's SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, it's that there's really no common theme at all. Trucks are in huge supply, as are sedans, sports cars, lowriders, donks, rockcrawlers, hardparkers, luxobarges, restomods, drift machines, patina, bling. Many of the cars draw from multiple categories. It's a feast for the senses, and the sensibilities. There's something for everyone.

With so much to choose from, you might think it's hard to decide which is the best stuff. It's not, since we already did all the legwork for you. Below are the top 10 vehicles of the 2011 SEMA Show.

1964 Cadillac Deville Convertible: Lounging outside the Central Hall is this stretch-forever Deville that simply stopped us in our tracks. This one hits the sweet spot — it's not one of those weenie restoration cars, nor does it stray too far into the realm of overwrought silliness. Don't write it off as a simply blingy lowrider. This car's detailing is exquisite in ways beyond your typical show car, complementing the Deville's inherent elegance. It's all about restraint — nothing on the exterior or in the cabin is over the top and it's all executed to an exceedingly high standard. Under the hood and in the trunk is a different story, but the attention to detail never falters. This is an absolute stunner.

1971 Alfa Romeo Furia: Whoa, an Alfa? This one was a heck of a surprise. In part because it's an Alfa, and in part because it's a particularly obscure Alfa. Tiny, almost toylike, this Furia is one of five built by the company. It spent the majority of its life in Brazil and has skirted abandonment, neglect and near-total destruction more than once. You can tell this one's been lovingly restored but shows the patina of regular exercise, which is something we can get behind. A mid-mounted 2.0-liter four with about 180 horsepower drives the rear wheels, and?wow, those Campanolos are kind of distracting in their awesomeness. And those quad headlamps, and the gullwing doors, and clamshell clasps, and wing mirrors, and?

AMC AMX: With an LSx swap. Need I say more?

Big Oly Trophy Truck: Finding a purposeful truck at SEMA is like finding a PhD candidate among its booth professionals, but the Big Oly Trophy Truck delivers. What's more, it's more faithful to its progenitor than you might think. That's because the original Big Oly of the '70s was essentially a trophy truck in the disguise of a Ford Bronco, so that's what this one is, too. It's got bucketloads of presence, impeccable build quality and the right kind of nostalgia. This one did the rounds at SEMA a couple years ago but still commands respect.

Homebuilt Rock Crawler One-Off: It doesn't have a name. It doesn't even have a purpose. It doesn't matter. Built in a home garage by a single deranged fabrication savant, this?thing is one of the most impressive vehicles we've ever seen. It has four-wheel steering and all-wheel drive yet lacks driveshafts. Instead, a rear-mounted LSx engine powers a pump that drives the wheels hydraulically. Torque can be shuttled to any wheel in any proportion in any condition, and driveshaft angularity is clearly no longer an issue. The chassis is comprised of stainless steel held together with about 12 miles of weld bead, and nearly everything has been fabricated from scratch. It's absolutely mind-boggling. Check it out in the Optima Batteries booth if you get a chance.

Mazda MX-5 Spyder: Before you bring up the Boxster Spyder, you should know that Mazda designers really, really liked that car, and they freely welcome the association. Think of the MX-5 Spyder as something of a hat tip to the Porsche. It's amazing what 30mm will do — that's how far the stock windshield was laid back to achieve the desired raked look. The result is a whole lot more aggression and a purposeful look. Surprisingly enough, permanent changes are limited only to A-pillar mods — it still uses the stock MX-5 windshield glass, weatherstripping and cowl panel and rear latch points. The remaining bits — a reshaped grille opening, airdam, sill extensions and hard tonneau — bolt right up. Don't go thinking the MX-5 Spyder is production-ready, though. This one's strictly a show car. For now.

Rodan: Indulge us this one deviation from our usual car-centricity. Bikes are heavily outnumbered by cars at SEMA, but most of them are executed very well. This one, however, takes the cake with its spare sensibility and eye toward proportion. Rodan started life as a 1969 Honda CB750 and was brought to its full cafe racer glory by Fuller Hot Rods. It just looks right. The gloss on the paint is low, but not trendily so. Those clip-ons have a terrifically simple wrap. Its seat is retro-ish without being distractingly so. It's got the X-factor — there's something about the way all the design elements converge into a cohesive whole. Do want.

Scion FR-S: This is possibly the 37th time we've seen the Scion FR-S. Yet it remains a very significant car, and it's one of the few examples at the show that's truly a concept car. And this version looks amazing. Check out its center-lock wheels that look as though they escaped from a Cuisinart factory, or the rear diffuser that might just ingest you whole lest you get too close. It's either funny or sad that we're seeing this modified FR-S before the production example has even been released. Still, the aftermarket has a tough act to follow after seeing this FR-S. We're ready. Bring it.

Scion iQ MR: Two words: midengine conversion. That get your attention? This Scion iQ was spearheaded by Tatsu Tsuchida as part of Scion's Tuner Challenge, and it's clearly going for the throat. The stock wrong-wheel-drive powertrain was binned, and a built 1NZ-FE 1.5-liter four from a first-gen xB now drives the rear wheels, which when finalized is expected to approach 200 horsepower. An SCCA-compliant cage suggests they're serious about finishing it, too. It'll only have to push around about a 100 more pounds than a stock iQ, so it ought to hustle. In the meantime, it's a treat to look at. The aesthetic is novel — that's not paint, it's Sharkhide metal protectant. It's pretty awe-inspiring, and that's something we'd thought we'd never say about an iQ.

SoCal Streamliner: Sometimes, all it takes is the right shape. A recreation of the Dean Batchelor-driven Streamliner that hit 187.89 mph in 1949, this Streamline is painstaking in its homage. The chassis and engine are an assortment of Model T and Model A components and the body is hand-formed aluminum sheet metal. Someone spent many an hour with an English wheel on this one. It's drop-dead-freaking gorgeous, and takes us back to the very early days of automotive enthusiasm. This is a respectfully authentic tribute to a special car.