The world's largest aftermarket car show offered a peephole into American tuning. Shane O'Donoghuereports from Las Vegas
This year has already seen major international motor shows in Detroit, Geneva, Frankfurt and Tokyo, but vying for attention with them all is the annual Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA). Using the glitzy Las Vegas Convention Centre as its base, SEMA now attracts about 100,000 visitors each year, yet it isn't even open to the public.
So what is it that draws such a vast number of industry people? The organiser represents aftermarket equipment companies, yet the major players in the US car market all attend, many using the forum to unveil new cars or concepts.
Here in Ireland, aftermarket accessories are usually associated with boy racers and their souped-up Honda Civics; the distributors understandably want nothing to do with it. But in America, it's a multi-billion dollar industry that the car makers can't ignore.
Taking place in the city of glamour, it was no surprise to witness the attendance at the show of several celebrities, from NBA basketball stars to rapper 50 Cent and even Jay Leno (presenter of the famous Tonight Show) and the legend himself, Carroll Shelby. These public idols were present for more than just a photo-call too, with each revealing "their" show car. 50 Cent's Pontiac G8 GT fitted in with the old-school idea of aftermarket tuning, incorporating a 500bhp V8 and an almost as powerful stereo system.
However, Jay Leno's exhibit indicated a significant change in the industry.
Leno is an acknowledged car fanatic, and though his customised Corvette Z06 boasts a 600bhp V8 and a ground-hugging body kit, it also runs solely on E85 bio-ethanol. Chevrolet also revealed a powerful coupé using the same bio-fuel for propulsion, though it was a real mix of old and new, using as its basis a 1934 Chevy coupé body.
It wasn't only bio-ethanol that the tuners were taking to heart. More revolutionary, perhaps, was the adoption of diesel power for several exhibits. Admittedly, the various tuned diesel exhibits from Chevrolet were all trucks in the American sense of the word, but the fact that they were displayed at a show long dedicated to the petrol engine is very significant.
Volkswagen, however, was more daring, revealing an eye-catching Jetta SportWagen (called the Golf Estate on our shores). The obligatory body addenda included large alloys and a sports chassis, but the most notable feature of the concept was the inclusion of VW's 140bhp 2-litre TDI engine. It's only a matter of time before the US market adopts diesel power in small cars, and VW wants to ensure that it's seen to be a large part of the market.
Although it's acknowledged that change is afoot, the SEMA show hall was also crammed with stereotypical American custom cars. They don't come much more American than the Major League Baseball Chevrolet Silverado pick-up. Not only is it finished in a garish paintjob, the rear deck features a massive built-in flat-screen television to watch the game on.
PLAYING UP TO THE STEREOTYPESfurther was the Country Music Chevrolet Silverado, and naturally that was joined on the show floor by a vast array of SUVs and trucks with more bling than an average hip-hop video.
In among the 24-inch chromed wheels and tarmac scraping body kits, it was faintly bizarre to find Volvo, usually the last bastion of family car sensibility and safety. In fact, this year's show marks Volvo's fifth attendance, and it celebrated the fact with no fewer than five concept cars. High performance versions of the C30, S80 and C70 all featured, alongside a jacked-up XC70 Surf Rescue that wouldn't look out of place on the set of Baywatch.
The star of the stand, though, was undoubtedly the Caresto Hot Rod, which actually began its career at last year's show. Not that you'll spot any Volvo badges on the retro-styled Hot Rod, but it is powered by the S80's V8 petrol engine. But don't rush down to your local Volvo showroom, as you'll not find anything like it for sale anytime soon.
Although that can be said for most exhibits in SEMA, the car makers have increasingly used the show to launch new production cars, albeit usually ones that appeal to the enthusiast.
Toyota, for instance, gave its new Matrix and Corolla (North American market models) their first outing, while Hyundai previewed a new five-door hatchback in customised form. Hyundai also flashed up a designer sketch of its new Genesis coupé, which we hope to see on this side of the Atlantic at some stage.
Thankfully, most of the extreme customisation displayed at the SEMA show will never make its way to Ireland. However, as a peephole into the American tuning and aftermarket industry, it's still an interesting event and one that is gaining credibility every year.