Fifty Fifty Racing

SEMA Show Flaunts What Auto Industry Got by Joe Thompson

Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show, the annually held premier automotive specialty products trade, flaunted the hottest and the most striking cars in the auto industry. This year's show started on October 31 and ended on the third day of November at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

SEMA show reflects the sense of environmental concern of the automakers as well as their craving for vehicle customization to make their lineup more appealing to car enthusiasts. One striking concept car was the EcoJet made through the efforts of General Motors in collaboration with Jay Leno. The car is powered by a 650-hp turbine engine that generates 585 pound-feet of torque. It runs on biodiesel, a clean-burning fuel from renewable resources.

"We live in an era where liking cars and the environment don't seem to mix but we wanted to show that not every environmentally friendly vehicle has to drive like a Prius," said Leno during the EcoJet's unveiling at the SEMA show.

SEMA also unleashed a new hybrid category for its vehicle design awards. In the standard awards the winners were the Ford Shelby GT500, Toyota Tundra and Jeep Wrangler. Chevrolet Silverado Classic Hybrid emerged as the winner in the new hybrid category. The brawny vehicle uses powerful Chevrolet Silverado pickup parts that includes the electric motor assisting its Vortec 5.3-liter V8 engine to create a striking performance.

"The Silverado did come out of the blue, in that a lot of other hybrids were getting a lot more press. Yet the Silverado has more accessories available for it than any other vehicle." So while green is good, customization is still king at SEMA," said Peter MacGillivray, SEMA vice president. However, Silverado cannot drive on electric alone unlike Prius and Civic. Honda Civic auto parts and those of Toyota Prius are designed to function well even when only the electric is running.

Consequently, Shelby and Tundra proved its worth while parts for Jeep Wrangler displayed their groundbreaking potentials.

In said show, a prototype version of limited-edition Mugen Civic Si sedan was displayed. Further, the show will never be completed without unveiling auto surprises including the most expensive and powerful vehicles. In fact, the show displayed a car with a prize tag of $2 million. Said car has a set of diamond-encrusted rims.

About the Author
Joe Thompson is the owner of a successful auto body shop in Ferndale, California. This 38 year old is also a prolific writer, contributing automotive related articles to various publications.