SEMA
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Comedian and ventriloquist Jeff Dunham probably wouldn’t have been the first guy to pop into our minds when the task of designing a SEMA concept reared its ugly head. Nonetheless, Dunham is a car guy with a penchant for Mopar muscle cars, and we’ve already seen evidence that he can execute a proper burnout. To announce its new 515-horsepower Mopar 426 crate engine, SRT and Mopar staff worked with Dunham to create the ultimate modern day hot rod. Starting with a 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 as a blank canvas, Project UltraViolet (the car’s code name) changed virtually...
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Ford Mustang Voted Hottest Car At SEMA
The Ford Mustang has charged to the top of the popularity stakes at the 2012 SEMA show, taking out for the first time the event’s award for the “Hottest Car” to customize. The Mustang held back some strong competition, particularly from the Chevrolet Camaro, which has won the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Lingenfelter's production Pontiac Trans Am-inspired LTA Camaro debuts
After first previewing it as a concept three years ago, tuning firm Lingenfelter has now finally unveiled the production version of its LTA Camaro, which muscle car fans will recognize as being a modern interpretation of the Camaro-based Pontiac Trans Ams of the 1970s. The car made its debut in...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Hyundai Veloster RE:MIX Production Model Debuts At SEMA
Neither Hyundai, nor the Veloster, are strangers to SEMA. But there is something new that includes all three: the RE:MIX. Revealed today in Las Vegas at the 2012 SEMA show, the Veloster RE:MIX is a production model built with the aid of the RE:MIX philosophy of "individual creativity, passion, and...
Nelson Ireson -
Mazda MX-5 Super25 Concept Endurance Racer At SEMA
While we're huge fans of adding forced induction to Miatas and MX-5s, extra power isn't the only thing that can make a sports car faster. The SEMA special this year from Mazda is the Super25, built with an eye toward endurance racing speed and durability. An incremental evolution from the Super20...
Nelson Ireson -
Acura Shows Its 'Street Build' ILX At SEMA
Acura bills its gateway-to-the-brand ILX sedan as the ideal blend of sport and luxury, but our experience with the car tells us it’s lacking in the sport department. Even with the 201-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine (the largest available), the car lacks the kind of thrust we...
Kurt Ernst -
Announced in 2011, the B-Spec series (sanctioned by both the SCCA and Grand Am) is arguably the cheapest way to go racing on a professional level. Up to now, the series has starred the Honda Fit, the Ford Fiesta, the Kia Rio, the Fiat 500, the MINI Cooper, the Toyota Yaris and the Mazda2. Now Chevrolet has decided to throw its hat into the ring, announcing a B-Spec competition package for its Sonic subcompact. Demonstrated in concept form at SEMA, B-Spec Sonics will get coilover suspensions with new mounts, adjustable front stabilizer bar links, a rear axle shim kit, an inlet air restrictor...
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2013 Subaru WRX And STI Special Editions Put On Halloween Colors For SEMA
If you're a fan of all things modified and tuned up, then you're probably really enjoying the first day of SEMA's exploits. Add to the list these special-edition 2013 Subaru WRX and STI sedans, decked out in orange and black for Halloween--and going on sale in limited quantities soon. Just 200 of...
Nelson Ireson -
Final 2012 Chevy COPO Camaro Is An Auction-Bound Convertible
At last year’s SEMA show, Chevy announced that it would build 69 COPO Camaros for the 2012 model year. The number was in honor of the original COPO (short for Central Office Production Order) Camaro, which hit the drag strip in 1969 as a factory-built race car. Like the originals, the new...
Kurt Ernst -
2015 Audi R8, Jaguar F-Type V-6 Vs. V-8, Chevy At SEMA: Car News Headlines
The 2015 Audi R8 may not share its platform with Porsche, despite years of previous rumors and reports that it would. What this means for the Lamborghini Gallardo isn't yet clear, but it looks like it could share its underpinnings with the Audi. Jaguar has kindly gifted us a video comparing the...
Nelson Ireson -
Chevy Adds Three More Cars To Its SEMA Fleet
Automakers seem to be pulling out all the stops for this year’s SEMA show, indicating that the automotive aftermarket is chugging along just fine. Both Ford and Chrysler have announced double-digit SEMA show cars, and even Chevrolet seems to be closing in on that number with the late addition...
Kurt Ernst -
Fiat Shows Off The Magneti Marelli Fiat 500 Abarth At SEMA: Video
Like all cars with a passionate fan base, Fiat’s 500 revival makes a great blank canvas for customization. Even from the show room floor, there are 500 models to satisfy the needs of most buyers, from those concerned primarily with fuel economy (the base 500) to those who spend weekends on an...
Kurt Ernst -
The 2012 SEMA show kicks off today and a number of tuned cars are making their presence known. The latest is a bunch of Beetles that Volkswagen has organized with a number of its suppliers and chosen customizers, with the modifications ranging from subtle upgrades to some over-the-top items. The blue Beetle in our gallery above is the real highlight. It was developed together with performance specialist APR and is based on the 2013 Beetle Turbo. Under the hood, the vehicle features a long list of enhancements including a custom turbocharging system that boosts output from 200 to more than 500...
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Scion FR-S Tuner Challenge Cars Revealed: Video
Last week we told you about Scion’s FR-S Tuner Car Challenge, which would pit three customizers from around the country in a head-to-head-to-head build of Scion’s FR-S coupe. Each was given a Scion FR-S, $15,000 and ninety days to build a car that will impresses an independent judging...
Kurt Ernst -
Lexus Bringing Supercharged GS 350 F Sport To SEMA Show
In 2011 the new GS 350 F Sport debuted at SEMA, and now Lexus is using the show to display a supercharged version.
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Chevrolet Camaro Hot Wheels Edition Can Be Yours: Video
This is the first Hot Wheels car that will be sold as both a toy and a real car.
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Toyota Calls On DUB And TRD For 2012 SEMA Fleet
We’ve already seen the challengers from Toyota’s Dream Build Challenge as well as its Scion FR-S Tuner Challenge, but now the Japanese automaker is giving a preview of its own concepts and tuned vehicles that it plans to display next week at the 2012 SEMA show. The highlight of...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
1940 Ford Coupe Joins List Of Ford-Licensed Products: Video
The popularity of the reproduction Mustang body shells, including one for the 1965 Mustang Convertible and another for the ’67 model, has prompted Ford to approve yet another reproduction of one of its most cherished models, this time a 1940 Ford Coupe hot rod. Like the previous Mustang...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Three tuned Scion FR-S coupes will be headed to SEMA to see which tuner deserves the $10,000 prize.
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Lamborghini Murcielago Heads Toyo Tires' 2012 SEMA Lineup
Tire manufacturer Toyo will be back at the SEMA show in 2012 with four new concept vehicles developed with some top tuners, including Japan’s Wald International. One of the concepts is based on the Lamborghini Murcielago supercar, though what’s most impressive about the lineup is its...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Ford Rolls Out 2012 SEMA Mustang Fleet
Ford teamed up with almost a dozen tuners to help develop its range of custom Mustangs for the 2012 SEMA show.
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2013 Lexus LS 460 F Sport By Five Axis Heads To SEMA Show
With less than a week to go until the 2012 SEMA show, news of all the modified cars to be showcased in the halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center is coming hot and fast. The latest announcement comes from Lexus, which once again has called on its tuning partner Five Axis to help build its SEMA...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Production Chevrolet Sonic Dusk Set For 2012 SEMA Show
Remember the Sonic Dusk concept car that Chevrolet presented at last year’s SEMA show? Well, the concept has since been confirmed for production and will be appearing in its final form at this year’s SEMA show, which takes place next week in Las Vegas. The idea behind the original...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Jay Leno And The World's Strangest 1968 Camaro: Video
When it comes to restored or modified cars, an insurance agent can either be your best friend or your biggest nightmare. Few things are worse that finding out your cherished ride wasn’t insured for replacement value, adding insult to the injury of theft or accident damage. State Farm...
Kurt Ernst