Larry Edsall
This 2007 Mustang GT convertible stands out with its California Special body kit, 18-inch wheels and Shelby rear spoiler. See full image
About the SEMA show
What it is: The Specialty Equipment Market Association's annual trade show for custom and performance parts makers
Where: Las Vegas
When: Today through Friday
Information: Check out SEMA at www.sema.org. The show's Web site is www.semashow.com.
SEMA highlights
Throughout the Specialty Equipment Manufacturing Association trade show this week Detroit's automakers will gladly discuss the history of American Muscle, this year's theme to the show.
While reveling in the past, they won't overlook the future, here are a few of their contributions for the upcoming show.
DaimlierChrysler AG
Will debut its Challenger SS concept Tuesday.
5. 7-liter Hemi powered Dodge Nitro: This "blackberry" colored Nitro packs 360 horses and 360-foot-pounds of torque, 22-inch wheels and second row bucket seats straight from a Dodge Viper.
Chrysler Sebring: Ralph Gilles personal favorite, this Sebring has a custom body kit, new grill, custom hood and 4-liter V6 and an all black interior with aluminum trimmed gauges.
Dodge Nitro Panel Truck: Back to the drag strip for this retro looking panel truck - loosely based on the old Chevy Nomad.
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited: A souped up four-door Wrangler adds a diesel engine and even more rugged exterior.
Ford Motor Co.
Will announce the return of its BOSS engine.
Ford Mustang: Expect lots of Mustangs at SEMA and this customized GT convertible will certainly stand out in its California Special body kit, 18-inch wheels, Shelby rear spoiler. Inside and under the hood, its is even better, with its Lycoming supercharger, Hurst shifter and custom leather interior.
Lincoln MKZ: A six-piece body kit by 3dCarbon gives the MKZ a longer, lower look. A similar kit will be shown on the MKX. The MKZ, as well as number of other Ford vehicles, will feature headrest mounted DVD players.
Ford F-150 FX2: Straight from Ford's accessory and parts catalogue, anyone could order the pieces necessary to build this beast, which uses an inter-cooled supercharger to create 450-horsepower. The roughly $13,000 price tag for parts doesn't include labor.
Ford Edge by H&R Special Strings: Dropped two inches, this low rider includes a Camtec custom composite front-bumper light pod and Hella Celis lamps.
Flexing American automotive muscle may have lost its appeal to some when gas prices soared, but not to true power aficionados. And they'll get a supercharged dose of it this week in Las Vegas.
The Specialty Equipment Market Association's annual trade show, opening today at the Las Vegas Convention Center, will cater to America's first customizers, who raced Mustangs, Camaros and Challengers long before tuners was a noun.
"Power is universal," said Jamie Allison, program manager for Ford Motor Co.'s racing technology performance group, "and people always want more."
They'll have plenty to see at this year's show, jointly sponsored for the first time by General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler AG, which includes Chrysler. All three Detroit automakers have managed to cram big V-8s into some surprising sheet metal that will be on display at the show.
SEMA will not overlook the rest of the $34 billion custom and performance parts market, of course. The four-day event, which is not open to the public, will offer a 1-million-square-foot venue for 14 automakers and 2,000 custom and performance parts makers to show their wares and seek potential business partners.
Hundreds of refitted, decked out, totally made-over cars and trucks will be on display and about 120,000 people are expected to attend, said SEMA spokesman Peter MacGillivray. Think of it as "Pimp My Ride" meets "American Chopper" meets Steve Saleen.
The theme will be American muscle.
Back in the mid-1960s, the original muscle cars were family-style, midsize, hard-topped and two-door sedans into which some creative product planners and enterprising engineers planted huge and powerful V-8 engines. Thus was born the Pontiac GTO and Olds 4-4-2, Hemi-powered Dodge Chargers and Plymouth 'Cudas.
"In some ways, the original muscle car drivers were a lot like the tuners of today," MacGillivray said.
"They were working on improving the performance and looks of their vehicles."
For a modern look at muscle, Chrysler will have more than 60 vehicles at SEMA this year, including a 5.7-liter Hemi-powered Dodge Nitro, producing 360-horses, at the stand for its Mopar parts and accessories unit. Mopar will also unveil a Dodge Challenger SS concept car.
There will be eight vehicles from Chrysler's in-house Skunkworks team, a group of designers, engineers and others who work after-hours on projects coordinated by Ralph Gilles. Gilles designed the popular Chrysler 300 and now heads up truck design.
"These are like our children," Gilles said Friday while looking at the vehicles, which were still at Chrysler headquarters in Auburn Hills.
Concepts could see road
Gilles said while all of the vehicles are concepts, most are built with an eye toward eventually making it to the streets, either as a production model or through Mopar.
"These are the kinds of things we'd build in our garage if we had the chance," said product stylist Vince Galante. Galante designed the interior of a brawny 2007 Chrysler Sebring for display at SEMA that comes with a complete body kit, 20-inch tires and a Boston Acoustics stereo system that could make your ears bleed.
Not to be outdone, Ford will display a group of specially prepared Shelby GT500 Mustangs, as well as a supercharged Mustang GT in a California Special body kit.
Ford shows off kit
Ford will also showcase 3dCarbon body kits for the Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ sedans and the Lincoln MKX crossover, as well as a highly modified version of the Ford Edge crossover.
For a more complete power package, Ford will display a customized F-150 FX2 Sport Extreme pickup, which boasts a 450-horsepower 5.4-liter V-8 with an inter-cooled supercharger. The only thing more powerful than the engine on this truck is its high performance brakes.
GM's spin on American Muscle will focus on trucks, including a Chevrolet Silverado off-road concept designed with NASCAR racer Dale Earnhardt Jr., and a low-riding hauler concept done with the Teutul family, known for designing motorcycles on "American Chopper" TV show.
Yet another muscular pickup on the Chevy stand will be the Silverado 427. The historic 427 designation comes from the 427-cubic-inch, LS7 small-block V-8 engine under the hood that was borrowed from the Corvette Z06.
Some aftermarket designs for GM vehicles, such as a Cadillac Escalade EXT designed by DUB magazine, don't come from the automaker.
But Bob Walczyk, marketing and product manager for Chevrolet, said that isn't always a bad thing because the aftermarket can bring new life to production vehicles. "SEMA is where the aftermarket takes our product and extends our product. The vehicle is a canvas from an artist's perspective."
Automakers join show
Automakers have become big players at SEMA, essentially turning it into another auto show, because they see profit potential. A typical consumer spends up to $1,000 personalizing and customizing a car, said Christine Feuell, director of vehicle personalization and accessories at Ford. Truck buyers typically spend $1,500.
Detroit News Staff Writer Scott Burgess contributed to this report. Larry Edsall is a Phoenix-based freelance writer.
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