Ford Explorer, Escape Custom SUVs for SEMA Range From Mild to Wild

This time of year, the days may be getting shorter, but we can already feel the SEMA lines getting longer. The well-established custom-car, accessories, and tuner show in Las Vegas, Nevada, is just around the corner, and while we’ve already seen what Ford has in store for some Ranger and F-150 pickups at its booth, now we get to learn about its plans for the 2020 Escape, Explorer, and Expedition SUVs. Read on to learn about the transformations, which range from street machines to off-road beasties.

This Ford Expedition Stealth by MAD Industries looks rad and is made for weekend warriors—check out that Yakima SkyRise rooftop tent, all you campers in the crowd. The all black and stealthy SUV features red highlights on its grille and sides, and there’s a 50-inch Rigid lightbar up top to help lead the way. It also has a Whipple air-induction system, Icon Dynamics Stage 2 coil-over suspension, Powerstop Z36 high-performance brake rotors, and ceramic-compound brake pads. The bad boy rolls on 22-inch Fuel Forged FF-45 monoblock wheels shod with Nitto Ridge Grappler tires, and it certainly looks ready to hit the trail.

This custom 2019 Ford Expedition by Good Boy Daisy plays big for rappers or rock stars, as it offers the ability to livestream an in-car musical performance. Inside, Q8 cameras, Sennheiser mics, and a QSC TouchMix 8 digital mixer allow you to record tracks as you lay down the miles to your next show. Outside, the flashy rig sports custom blue paint by Relic Works, a Rigid bumper-mounted lightbar, and 24-inch Forgiato wheels. It also features a Whipple Stage 1 induction kit and a Borla touring exhaust that undoubtedly makes sweet music of its own.

Blood Type Racing shows how subtle customization can be done right with this mostly white Ford Explorer Limited Hybrid. Matching BTR Edition Blank Snowboards are on a Yakima carrier up top, while the hybrid also receives a black chrome grille and rear bumper with Lacks Trim Systems accents on the door handles and lower door moldings. A dark glass tint is fitted all the way around. There’s a half-inch suspension leveling kit, a Ford Performance skid plate, and 20-inch Ace Alloy AFF09 black chrome wheels paired with Toyo Open Country A/T II tires. Under the hood, the 3.3-liter hybrid V-6 exhales through a Borla cat-back exhaust with black chrome tips.

The 2020 Explorer ST receives steel-gray paint by Sikkens, and we dig the red accents on the side skirts and roofline. It sits on massive 24-inch Savini wheels and Pirelli P Zero tires, while a Borla cat-back exhaust is fitted here, too, with carbon-fiber tips. The cabin, says Ford, features a lavish custom treatment by Alea Leather.

This tasty-looking black and white cookie of an Escape will look right at home at SEMA. Aside from the Sherwin-Williams two-tone paint, the hybrid Ford SUV features Air Design black fender flares and rockers, a big black grille, and silver skid plates. It all rolls on gloss black 20-inch Forgiato Flow 001 wheels hugging Pirelli Scorpion Verde rubber. The interior is outfitted with a Ford Accessories cargo organizer, mat, and floor liners, plus an Indel B portable fridge to keep things cool.

LGE-CTS Motorsports, an automotive parts store and custom shop based in San Dimas, California, is responsible for this take on the 2020 Ford Escape. It added a Borla cat-back exhaust and a Power Commander throttle-control system to the small SUV’s 2.0-liter EcoBoost four for a little extra growl in the drive-thru. It also wears Eibach lowering springs and rolls on gold 20-inch TWS Petrol P6A wheels. A roof rack with Yakima mounts and a gold and black swoop across the side windows finish the look. It’s not as outlandish as most SEMA builds, but looks perfect for cruising around the city.

Unlike the Ford Expedition Stealth above, this MAD Industries project somehow manages to be even less scintillating than the LGE-CTS Motorsports entry. The bicycle-friendly ride showcases Eibach lowering springs and has a Yakima bike carrier up top. Twenty-one-inch Rotiform OZR rims wear Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires, while the interior receives a microsuede headliner, matte-gray trim, and a Rockford Fosgate audio system.