Get ready for some of the most outrageous and bodacious automotive creations
By Brian Chee
|
October 26, 2006
Introduction
2006 SEMA Preview – Photo Gallery: Attending SEMA is like drinking grain alcohol out of a Big Gulp. It’s a rush, and more than a little disorienting. Still, once a year we arrive in Vegas, Big Gulps at the ready for what has come to be known as the world’s biggest automotive carnival. Detroit? That’s about snow and pine tar. LA? Come on. It’s Vegas, baby, the strip and the lights and the glam. This year, in fact, is special, as SEMA (Specialty Equipment Manufactures Association) celebrates its 40th show. The theme is muscle, the lights are on, and the time is now. Here’s a quick peek at some of the expected stars of the custom car world.Under wraps
Not pictured here are some interesting debuts you can expect to see at the show, including a slew of custom Scions, a Charger SS and a Cherry Bomb Charger used to promote Cherry Bomb’s glass pack mufflers. Under wraps is also a Reggie Jackson Camaro, a Saturn Sky project car built by RK Sport, and more. Check back here for updates and previews as the show opens. And yes – it’s a safe bet that Leno will roll in a custom GM product, like he did in 2005 with his Olds Toronado.
Baldwin-Motion SuperSpeedster
Baldwin-Motion meets Camaro...a love story. Indeed, if there’s a group that can modify a Camaro, it’s gotta be Baldwin-Motion, and this year they’ve put together a SuperSpeedster Camaro that boasts an 8.8-liter V8 big block delivering 600 horsepower. Based on the ’69 model – well, kinda – the SuperSpeedster also gets the Baldwin-Motion interior treatment. Could it be the car of the show?
Chevrolet HHR Panel
It’s a natural, if you ask us. Put a big fat mural on the side of an HHR and go deliver laundry of printer cartridges. Already debuted, SEMA show goers can expect to see the HHR Panel truck in mighty custom glory. In addition to the side panels, changes include rear panel doors and a flat load floor. Look for it at your local Chevy store early next year.
Chevrolet Silverado 427
Fancy paint, some nice chrome and a 427-cubic inch engine under the hood. That’s 7.0 liters, just in case you’re a bit lost without your metrics.
Chevrolet Silverado Earnhardt
Except for the occasional donut on the grass at a NASCAR event – and we haven’t seen him do that for awhile – Dale Earnhardt Jr. is not known for off-road racing. That didn’t stop Chevrolet from developing an off-roader with a little help from Dale, Jr.
Chevrolet Silverado OCC
The OCC stands for Orange County Choppers, so expect it to be low, makes lots of noise and sport some awesome chrome. All told, 27 vehicles will be on display at the GM SEMA booth, including a super-secret performance car – to go along with the 40th anniversary muscle car theme.
Chrysler Sebring Limited
The Sebring Limited boasts a 4.0-liter engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Dropped about 1-inch, the Sebring sports 20-inch custom Alcoa wheels. The exterior and interior design is, of course, custom, with SRT seats and custom metallic gauge faces.
Dodge Nitro “Nitro Hemi”
As if the Nitro needs more attitude, here comes the Nitro “Nitro Hemi”, with 22-inch wheels, a carbon fiber hood, modified grille and more. Yep, that’s the 5.7-liter under the hood, too...
Ford Edge by 3dCarbon
In case the Edge isn’t edgy enough, this custom exterior is an eight-piece 3dCarbon body kit, including front air dam, side skirts, door caps, a rear lower skirt and front fender vents. The interior is trimmed in Katzkin leather and accented by the medium smoke window tint from Sundial Window Tinting. An Eibach Springs Pro Kit drops the Edge by 2 inches over a set of NC Forged NC 5 three-piece, 22-inch wheels with floating center caps wrapped in Pirelli Scorpion Zero Asimmetrico tires.
Ford Edge by H&R Special Springs
Built by H&R Special Springs, this Edge is dropped 2 inches and wears Pirelli Scorpion Zero Asimmetrico 305/35WR22 tires. The custom Tangerine Orange paint with Pearl Ghost world graphics is accented by a blacked-out race-look hood, Camtec custom composite front-bumper light pod and Hella Celis lamps with light-emitting-diode halo effect. The 3.5-liter V-6’s special purr comes courtesy of a MagnaFlow cat-back exhaust. The interior wears Wiamea Cliffstone leather seats, door panels and headrests.
Ford Fusion T5 by MRT
The MRT Fusion T5 integrates a turbocharged all-wheel-drive powertrain and a 3dCarbon body kit, MRT T5 hood and MRT T5 Black Chrome trim kit. The 3M protective paint film is courtesy of CGM in Detroit. The 3.0-liter V-6 sports a Garrett turbocharger, packaged and tuned by MRT/Precision Turbo and custom calibrated by SCT and Calibrated Success. MRT Aero turbine exhaust completes the powertrain package. Ride and handling have been modified by H&R coil-over springs, struts and shocks. Boss Motorsports 328 Series 20-by-8.5-inch Black Chrome wheels wear Nitto 255/35/20 performance tires.
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited “50 JK”
Four inch lift, 35 inch tires highlight this ultimate rock crawler. Add to that a carbon fiber hood, SEMA exterior bling and a 4.2-liter diesel engine, and you’re ready to climb the Venetian, never mind the Rubicon.
Lincoln MKX by 3dCarbon
Lincoln’s all-wheel-drive MKX wears a new front air dam, side skirts, door caps and rear lower skirt, bathed in custom DuPont paint. MagnaFlow stainless steel exhaust tips, light chrome window tint from Sundial and 3dCarbon front fender vents add the extra touches of class. The Katzkin interior features Invision Revolution DVD headrest monitors. An H&R Special Sport Springs kit drops the MKX over NC Forged seven-spoke, three-piece, 22-inch wheels with floating center caps wrapped in Pirelli Scorpion Zero Asimmetrico 265/35/22 tires.
Lincoln MKZ by 3dCarbon
The MKZ above gets a front air dam, side skirts, a rear lower skirt, an upper deck spoiler and a rear deck spoiler. 3dCarbon also supplies the stainless steel chrome grille. A brushed stainless roof overlay by Quality Metalcraft, side chrome moldings and MagnaFlow stainless steel exhaust tips accent the custom DuPont paint. A light chrome tinted windshield from Sundial Window Tinting adds a soft touch to the Katzkin leather interior, featuring Invision Revolution DVD headrest monitors. The chassis receives new H&R springs and coil-over suspension. Twenty-inch HRE 947R three-piece wheels wear Pirelli P Zero 245/30/20 fronts and 255/30/20 rear tires, accented by Brembo black calipers with drilled rotors.
Roush Reactor
Few custom shops do Mustangs like Roush, and this year’s model continues the Roush legacy of high performance ponies. A 1967 fastback, the Reactor took more than 2,000 hours to build and gets a Roush 427 IR crate engine that makes 552 horsepower and 535 lb.-ft. of torque.
Volvo C30 ipd
Boost the C30’s 220-horsepower turbocharged powertrain to 400, add a special Alpine stereo with i-Tunes technology, slap on big brakes, cool alloys and paint it like the Swedish flag. Yeah.
Volvo C30 Heico SportIV
Built for all seasons, the Heico Sport IV has all-wheel-drive and a number of cool functions to help sporting enthusiasts get to the snow, or the waves, or the couch – to watch the big game on television.
Volvo C30 Evolve
Volvo won’t say what Evolve is doing to their C30, but they did mutter something about high performance, motorsports and Formula One. Interested? Check back here once the show start for the latest SEMA updates.
Not pictured here are some interesting debuts you can expect to see at the show, including a slew of custom Scions, a Charger SS and a Cherry Bomb Charger used to promote Cherry Bomb’s glass pack mufflers. Under wraps is also a Reggie Jackson Camaro, a Saturn Sky project car built by RK Sport, and more. Check back here for updates and previews as the show opens. And yes – it’s a safe bet that Leno will roll in a custom GM product, like he did in 2005 with his Olds Toronado.
Baldwin-Motion SuperSpeedster
Baldwin-Motion meets Camaro...a love story. Indeed, if there’s a group that can modify a Camaro, it’s gotta be Baldwin-Motion, and this year they’ve put together a SuperSpeedster Camaro that boasts an 8.8-liter V8 big block delivering 600 horsepower. Based on the ’69 model – well, kinda – the SuperSpeedster also gets the Baldwin-Motion interior treatment. Could it be the car of the show?
Chevrolet HHR Panel
It’s a natural, if you ask us. Put a big fat mural on the side of an HHR and go deliver laundry of printer cartridges. Already debuted, SEMA show goers can expect to see the HHR Panel truck in mighty custom glory. In addition to the side panels, changes include rear panel doors and a flat load floor. Look for it at your local Chevy store early next year.
Chevrolet Silverado 427
Fancy paint, some nice chrome and a 427-cubic inch engine under the hood. That’s 7.0 liters, just in case you’re a bit lost without your metrics.
Chevrolet Silverado Earnhardt
Except for the occasional donut on the grass at a NASCAR event – and we haven’t seen him do that for awhile – Dale Earnhardt Jr. is not known for off-road racing. That didn’t stop Chevrolet from developing an off-roader with a little help from Dale, Jr.
Chevrolet Silverado OCC
The OCC stands for Orange County Choppers, so expect it to be low, makes lots of noise and sport some awesome chrome. All told, 27 vehicles will be on display at the GM SEMA booth, including a super-secret performance car – to go along with the 40th anniversary muscle car theme.
Chrysler Sebring Limited
The Sebring Limited boasts a 4.0-liter engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Dropped about 1-inch, the Sebring sports 20-inch custom Alcoa wheels. The exterior and interior design is, of course, custom, with SRT seats and custom metallic gauge faces.
Dodge Nitro “Nitro Hemi”
As if the Nitro needs more attitude, here comes the Nitro “Nitro Hemi”, with 22-inch wheels, a carbon fiber hood, modified grille and more. Yep, that’s the 5.7-liter under the hood, too...
Ford Edge by 3dCarbon
In case the Edge isn’t edgy enough, this custom exterior is an eight-piece 3dCarbon body kit, including front air dam, side skirts, door caps, a rear lower skirt and front fender vents. The interior is trimmed in Katzkin leather and accented by the medium smoke window tint from Sundial Window Tinting. An Eibach Springs Pro Kit drops the Edge by 2 inches over a set of NC Forged NC 5 three-piece, 22-inch wheels with floating center caps wrapped in Pirelli Scorpion Zero Asimmetrico tires.
Ford Edge by H&R Special Springs
Built by H&R Special Springs, this Edge is dropped 2 inches and wears Pirelli Scorpion Zero Asimmetrico 305/35WR22 tires. The custom Tangerine Orange paint with Pearl Ghost world graphics is accented by a blacked-out race-look hood, Camtec custom composite front-bumper light pod and Hella Celis lamps with light-emitting-diode halo effect. The 3.5-liter V-6’s special purr comes courtesy of a MagnaFlow cat-back exhaust. The interior wears Wiamea Cliffstone leather seats, door panels and headrests.
Ford Fusion T5 by MRT
The MRT Fusion T5 integrates a turbocharged all-wheel-drive powertrain and a 3dCarbon body kit, MRT T5 hood and MRT T5 Black Chrome trim kit. The 3M protective paint film is courtesy of CGM in Detroit. The 3.0-liter V-6 sports a Garrett turbocharger, packaged and tuned by MRT/Precision Turbo and custom calibrated by SCT and Calibrated Success. MRT Aero turbine exhaust completes the powertrain package. Ride and handling have been modified by H&R coil-over springs, struts and shocks. Boss Motorsports 328 Series 20-by-8.5-inch Black Chrome wheels wear Nitto 255/35/20 performance tires.
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited “50 JK”
Four inch lift, 35 inch tires highlight this ultimate rock crawler. Add to that a carbon fiber hood, SEMA exterior bling and a 4.2-liter diesel engine, and you’re ready to climb the Venetian, never mind the Rubicon.
Lincoln MKX by 3dCarbon
Lincoln’s all-wheel-drive MKX wears a new front air dam, side skirts, door caps and rear lower skirt, bathed in custom DuPont paint. MagnaFlow stainless steel exhaust tips, light chrome window tint from Sundial and 3dCarbon front fender vents add the extra touches of class. The Katzkin interior features Invision Revolution DVD headrest monitors. An H&R Special Sport Springs kit drops the MKX over NC Forged seven-spoke, three-piece, 22-inch wheels with floating center caps wrapped in Pirelli Scorpion Zero Asimmetrico 265/35/22 tires.
Lincoln MKZ by 3dCarbon
The MKZ above gets a front air dam, side skirts, a rear lower skirt, an upper deck spoiler and a rear deck spoiler. 3dCarbon also supplies the stainless steel chrome grille. A brushed stainless roof overlay by Quality Metalcraft, side chrome moldings and MagnaFlow stainless steel exhaust tips accent the custom DuPont paint. A light chrome tinted windshield from Sundial Window Tinting adds a soft touch to the Katzkin leather interior, featuring Invision Revolution DVD headrest monitors. The chassis receives new H&R springs and coil-over suspension. Twenty-inch HRE 947R three-piece wheels wear Pirelli P Zero 245/30/20 fronts and 255/30/20 rear tires, accented by Brembo black calipers with drilled rotors.
Roush Reactor
Few custom shops do Mustangs like Roush, and this year’s model continues the Roush legacy of high performance ponies. A 1967 fastback, the Reactor took more than 2,000 hours to build and gets a Roush 427 IR crate engine that makes 552 horsepower and 535 lb.-ft. of torque.
Volvo C30 ipd
Boost the C30’s 220-horsepower turbocharged powertrain to 400, add a special Alpine stereo with i-Tunes technology, slap on big brakes, cool alloys and paint it like the Swedish flag. Yeah.
Volvo C30 Heico SportIV
Built for all seasons, the Heico Sport IV has all-wheel-drive and a number of cool functions to help sporting enthusiasts get to the snow, or the waves, or the couch – to watch the big game on television.
Volvo C30 Evolve
Volvo won’t say what Evolve is doing to their C30, but they did mutter something about high performance, motorsports and Formula One. Interested? Check back here once the show start for the latest SEMA updates.
Photos courtesy of the automakers