Some SEMA booths make their point before you read a single spec sheet. Backdraft Racing’s display was one of them.
Walking through Central Hall on November 4, I stopped at a red roadster with its hood open. A dark green car sat to one side, with a blue roadster behind it. Together, the three made a much stronger impression than any one car would have on its own.
Backdraft Racing is at booth #23547, and its official SEMA build descriptions explain what separates the trio. Under those similar open-top shapes are three quite different engine and transmission choices.
The Red One: 7.3 Liters and 580 Horsepower
The fluorescent red car is the one that first caught my eye. Black stripes and silver outlines give it a sharp contrast under the hall lights, especially with the hood raised.
Backdraft lists its paint combination as Fluorescent Red with Volcano Black stripes and silver outlines. The engine is a 7.3L Godzilla in Stage 1 configuration with a BTR intake, rated by the company at 580 hp.
That large-displacement engine gives the red build a clear identity. The attraction here is seeing how much hardware is packed beneath such a compact, familiar roadster silhouette.
A Modern Coyote With a 10-Speed
The green car takes a different route. According to Backdraft, the Oak Green Metallic Neo build uses a Gen 4 Coyote 5.0 with twin throttle bodies and a 10-speed automatic, with a stated 480 hp.
That is an interesting pairing: a traditional open-top shape with a thoroughly contemporary engine and transmission package. Even standing still, the specifications suggest a different brief from the big Godzilla-powered car beside it.
Backdraft’s First 25th Anniversary Edition
Backdraft Racing calls the blue car its first 25th Anniversary Edition. The Guardsman Blue finish carries Wimbledon White stripes, a Race Red center and silver outlines. That combination matches the blue roadster in the company’s official SEMA announcement and the car I photographed at the booth.
For this build, Backdraft lists a Roush 427IR at 560 hp, paired with a Tremec TKX five-speed manual. All three horsepower figures in this story are manufacturer-stated; Best Vegas Events did not drive or independently test these cars.
The blue car rewards a closer look. With its hood open, the stripe treatment continues from the body onto the raised panel, while the exposed engine and bright side exhausts keep the mechanical side of the display in view.
Three Different Answers to the Same Question
The contrast is what made the Backdraft booth worth stopping at: a large-displacement Godzilla, a modern Coyote with an automatic, and a Roush-powered anniversary build with a manual.
From a distance, the cars share the same basic silhouette. Get closer, and they tell three very different stories. That was the detail I took away from the display, beyond the paint and the open hoods.
Best Vegas Events is continuing its SEMA 2026 coverage from the Las Vegas Convention Center.