Don’t worry, we’ll have more on this too…Įlectric-swapped classic 911s and wide-body conversions for Telsas? Yes people, electric power isn’t the future, it’s very much the present. A Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing? What? Those proportions, they’re so right, could this really be a custom version of the real deal? Purists, you can breathe now – it’s based on an SLK32 AMG and sports a FRP recreation body of the real thing, all designed by our good friend Jon Sibal. Here is something that caught everyone by surprise. Needless to say, we’ll need to spend more time looking at and talking about this. It’s as if he took one of his iconic Japan-themed renders and hit the Shift+P to 3D print it into the real world. It also signifies the launch for a new venture for Khyzyl, which will see the carbon fiber wide-body conversion become available for purchase. Trevor has a spotlight coming up on this thing, so check back to find out more.Īnd speaking of character, there’s this: Khyzyl Saleem‘s BMW E30 was conceptualized in the virtual world and then turned into reality. It oozes character from any angle you care to look at it from. You know how you leave a show with memories of just a few special cars, well this gray Ferrari 328 slammed on Rotiform wheels is one of those for me. Tesla-powered RWB 1977 911? StreetFighter LA granted us special access to this impressive build before it ever got to SEMA, so for more on this beauty click here to read Trevor’s full feature. We’ve also hunted out another red example which combines these wild looks with plenty of substance in the engine bay – just how we like it. This year’s show-stopper was the Pandem widebody conversion for the FC3S Mazda RX-7, seen here fitted to the GReddy demo car. Having some of SEMA’s hottest cars grouped together, the ‘Treadpass’ is always one of the first places I visit. The idea here was to create something that would be easier to clean and maintain as the old school bronze was prone to oxidation.Īs always, Toyo Tires has created the nicest section of the show. So if you’re in Japan, you are out of luck! Curiously, the bronze matte finish is actually a color rather than a chemical treatment as it was done before on wheels like the TE37 and CE28N. RAYS has chosen SEMA to launch the bronze version of the Volk Racing TE037, a model that will only be sold to markets outside of Japan. How about a post on turbos, would that be fun? We’ll certainly be doing some parts hunting for you guys, maybe concentrating on something relevant to the scenes we like to cover. It never fails to amaze me how alive and flourishing the aftermarket industry is in the US there is so much available for pretty much every platform out there, so it’s no wonder it’s all evolved how it has. More performance-oriented builds are, however, something one can’t help but indulge in. While the 8ft high ‘Bro Trucks’ that pepper most halls here at SEMA are fun to look – especially for an Italian guy who’s lived in Japan for the past quarter of a century – all they do is make me wonder how weird and alien they would be to drive. There are trucks and then the are trucks. The rows and rows of cars are still there, but it’s noticeably less packed than previous years. It’s where we spotted this CAtuned BMW E30 with a quad headlight conversion. I’ve also noticed a substantial decline of cars on display outside of the halls, the first place most people walk through on their way into the venue. Obviously the bigger (and taller) the better. This is the good ol’ USA after all, and if there’s one type of vehicle that always goes down well at SEMA it’s trucks of every type and size. What I will tell you is that I’ve noticed a visible rise in the popularity of trucks. Trevor, Keiron, Dave and myself have been making our way through the Las Vegas Convention Center halls and the outside displays, and have already started selecting the cars and themes we want to take a closer look at. This year the Speedhunters are on full attack with four of us here you will be treated to a well-timed and constant selection of hand-selected goodness. Wow, yeah, there’s a lot of cheese in that statement, but it’s actually the best way to tackle what is without a doubt the biggest automotive show on the planet. You can’t really plan, so you just have to go with the flow, walk the halls, look at what’s around and what people are doing, and for how cheesy this will sound – let the show speak to you. Yes, that’s a lot of questions, but the best approach I’ve found is not to overthink things. Where do you start? What are the themes that are standing out? What do we show? What do we spotlight? Day one at the SEMA Show is always a scramble.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |