SEMA
Droptop Customs to Debut Cadillac CTS Convertible at SEMA
Based out of High Springs, Florida, Droptop Customs is a specialist in converting coupes to convertibles. The newest creation to their line of products is Cadillac‘s CTS Coupe and we have to say there’s a sort of sporty elegance to the final product. We’ll have to wait for this year’s SEMA show to see it…
Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s ’69 Ford Mustang RTR-X Update
Back towards the end of May, we were teased with renders of a 1969 Ford Mustang that Vaughn Gittin Jr. would be building for SEMA 2010. Now the RTR-X is taking clear form and Speedhunters.com has revealed even more photos of the build. We have to say we’re quite impressed and can’t wait to see…
Tjin Edition and UTI to Build, Then Give Away Ford Fiesta SEMA Car
The Universal Technical Institute (UTI) has teamed up with Tjin Edition to design a one-of-a-kind 2011 Ford Fiesta that will debut at SEMA 2010. Best of all, the Ford Fiesta will be built as a giveaway in a sweepstakes that opens up on November 2nd, 2010, the first day of SEMA. Not many details have…
SEMA 2010 Preview: aLL STaR Performance Chevrolet Camaro
Design-house Gurnade has just teased us with another of its 2010 SEMA projects. This time it’s a Chevrolet Camaro built by Gene Marcel on behalf of aLL STaR Performance. This won’t be Gene’s first stab at building a SEMA project, having done successful ones in the past including a Volvo S40 that we saw ourselves…
Fortune Motorsports and Tjin Edition Honda CR-Z Teased Ahead of SEMA
Hybrid tuning is about to take on a whole new face now that Honda‘s CR-Z has hit the market. Tjin Edition has been building plenty of SEMA showpieces including their most recent Chevrolet Camaro, and this year they have teamed up with Fortune Motorsports out of Miami, Florida and American Honda Motor Corporation for this…
SEMA’s Racers Against Street Racing Campaign Is Awesome
We at Autoguide strongly condemn street racing in principle, but even beyond that, driving on the track is like swallowing the blue pill from The Matrix. Once you’ve gotten a taste of what pushing your vehicle to the limit in a controlled environment is like, swerving through lanes and doing highway runs against your buddy…
Vaughn Gittin Jr. Building ’69 Ford Mustang RTR-X for SEMA
It’s no surprise that Gittin Jr. has really helped push the Ford Mustang brand with younger enthusiasts. From drifting to his Mustang RTR, to the awesome and RTR-C (that debuted at SEMA 2009), he has captured the attention of many using modern designs and modern Mustangs. Now he’s taking a step back, way back to…
U.S. Senate Declares July 9th Collector Car Appreciation Day
Auto enthusiasts and the government have a tenuous relationship at best. Whether its anti-speeding laws, legislation restricting vehicle mods or mandating the dreaded “smog tests” that usually take beloved older vehicles off the road. Fortunately, the government sometimes lends a hand to enthusiasts of older cars, by giving them protection under the “Historic Vehicle” category,…
Classic Recreations 1967 Shelby GT500CR Meshes Classic Styling with Modern Performance
Every G.T.500CR comes with an official Shelby serial number and will be listed on the Shelby World Registry. Three different versions of the car will be offered.
Report: 2010 Saleen S281 Official Details Announced
Revealed ahead of the 2009 SEMA Show and then officially debuting at the aftermarket expo, it seems as though with all the hundreds of modified Camaros to cover, Saleen’s latest project flew under the radar. To remedy that, we thought we’d look back and give an update now that the new Saleen (Saleen Performance Vehicles)…
SEMA 2009: The Trucks of the SEMA Show
A big part of the SEMA Show each year (both in terms of quantity and, well, size) is the truck and off-road industry. Some trucks get lowered suspensions and some lifted, some run on supercharged 4-cylinders, while others rely on massive turbocharged diesel units. Yet despite all that divides some truck lovers from others, they…
SEMA 2009: H&R Springs Golf TDI Makes Diesel Look Cool
With all the Camaros at the 2009 SEMA Show, the number of Japanese cars were few and the number of European cars almost non-existent. H&R Springs was one of the few booths with a strong Euro presence with this 2010 Golf TDI being one of our favorites. With a Volkswagen Accessories complete aero kit, it…
SEMA 2009: Turbo Mazda3 and Tuned MazdaSpeed3 Defy SEMA Norm By Going Clean and Less Extreme
Mazda doesn’t officially have a presence at the 2009 SEMA Show, but the Japanese automaker did decide to bring two custom cars to Las Vegas. Using in-house parts (many from the Mazda RX-8) and calling upon the automaker’s World Challenge motorsports partner, Tri-Point, Mazda has come up with two fresh and clean examples of the…
SEMA 2009: Trio of Tuned Kia Souls Debut in Vegas
Kia’s big news at the 2009 SEMA Show was the announcement of the brands foray into motorsports, but the track-ready Forte Koup wasn’t the only car on display at the Kia Motors booth. In fact, three more traditional SEMA vehicles were on display. Competing in the youth-oriented box-car segment, the Soul is a hit with…
SEMA 2009: GOTO Racing Shows Its Time Attack Nissan GT-R
Modified Nissan GT-Rs are surprisingly few at the 2009 SEMA Show, but the ones that are in attendance are impressive machines. With the GT-R’s impressive Nürburgring lap time it was only time before tuners and race shops got started on tuning the GT-R to fulfill its motorsports calling. The car features modifications including shocks by…
SEMA 2009: Robby Gordon to Compete in 2010 Dakar Rally in New Full Carbon H3
As a brand, Hummer’s time in the spotlight is pretty much over, although if there is something that can save the brand it might be a core group of enthusiasts and a strong motorsports background. While Hummers are best known for being excessive street machines, unlike a lot of SUVs, they are actually incredibly capable…
SEMA 2009: Modified Honda Insight Makes Sure Prius Isn’t the Only Tuned Hybrid at SEMA
Situated right across the isle from Honda’s official SEMA Show booth we found a modified Honda Insight at the ENEOS Oil booth. Owned by Insightcentral.net member Xtremeview, the car features a custom aero kit and a lowered suspension. Other modifications include a set of Rays wheels with Yokohama Parada tires, a Tanabe exhaust and some…
SEMA 2009: SMS Supercars Announces Superparts Division to Sell Parts Individually
Over the past year or so Steve Saleen’s new project, SMS Supercars has released high performance versions of the Camaro, Mustang and Challenger. This week at the Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) Show, SMS announces the introduction of SMS Superparts, a division of the company that will sell the parts individually through a distribution network….
SEMA 2009: Hennessey HPE700 is a Camaro, ZR1 Love Child
One of just two vehicles worthy to flank the Mobil 1 booth at the 2009 SEMA Show is the Hennessey HPE700 LS9 Camaro. As the name suggests, under the hood there’s a supercharged LS9 motor lifted from a Corvete ZR1. The easy-to-remember HPE700 name isn’t entirely accurate, however, as the engine has been tuned somewhat…
SEMA 2009: Underground Racing Twin-Turbo Lamborghini Gallardo Gets Respect
The Underground Racing Lamborghini Gallardo has it all. On display at the Mobil 1 booth, the Italian exotic not only sports a matte-black paint job, but it’s what’s under the glass engine cover out back that will really get your attention. There you will find what Underground Racing has become famous for, a twin-turbo kit….
SEMA 2009: Is the Focus RS Here to Tease Us, or Gauge Interest?
No, this isn’t a modified show car built specifically for the SEMA Show. It’s a factory stock Ford. Called the Focus RS, Ford offers this scalding hot hatch in Europe but has continually denied plans to offer the car in the U.S. But then why would Ford display the car at its booth at the…
SEMA 2009: 2010 Cobra Jet Mustang Debuts at Aftermarket Expo in Las Vegas
After the success of Ford’s 2008 Mustang Cobra Jet, Ford announced at the 2009 Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) Show the return of the car for 2010. In a “SEMA Special” silver with a charcoal Cobra Jet graphics package, the new turnkey race car is ready for NHRA competition. “The 2008 Cobra Jet was a…
SEMA 2009: Ford’s Massive Mustang Presence at SEMA in Detail
There was no doubt that the focus of Ford’s SEMA Show booth was the all-new 2010 Mustang, with a total of nine modified Stangs, plus the all-new Cobra Jet model. Ford originally scheduled eight cars, but it looks like Galpin Auto Sports snuck in a second entry. The cars were built by tuner shops, race…
SEMA 2009: Hankook Tire Formula Drift Camaro SS Debuts in Vegas
One of the many Camaros on display at the 2009 SEMA Show is the Formula Drift Camaro SS. Sponsored by Hankook Tire and displayed prominently at the General Motors booth, the car was built by BR Racing, Luke Lonberger and Conrad Grunewald Racing and will compete in next year’s Formula D drift championship piloted by…
