Premier aftermarket exhibition SEMA was the venue for several exciting models’ debuts and presentations

The Specialty Equipment Market Association, or Sema, is the world’s premiere auto show focusing on aftermarket products and customization. Held annually in Las Vegas, the 2013 edition was on track to attract more than 140,000 visitors over its four days. Sema was the venue for more than a few debuts, many by car manufacturers.

 

First off, Sema president Cristopher J. Kersting announced during the show’s opening breakfast the Sema award winners, denoting the year’s hottest vehicles. Hot, meaning ripe for customization. Sema exhibitors deem these cars as the best for accessorizing and showcasing new products.

 

In the truck category, the Ford F-Series took the prize. Ford also took home the award for the hottest car for the Mustang. The Jeep Wrangler was awarded the hottest 4×4/SUV. As for the much-coveted sport compact category, it went to the undisputed darling of the modification crowd this year, the Scion FR-S. This is the American name of the Toyota 86. All the vehicles are already icons and best-sellers in their respective categories.

 

New Civic Coupé

 

Honda recently scrambled to redesign its Civic Coupé, and the results were unveiled at Sema. Featuring a notably more aggressive exterior, the Civic Coupé features a modified grille, hood, front fenders and headlamps. The performance Si version adds a lower front bumper garnish, larger rear spoiler, front spoiler and rear air diffuser. The Si Coupé and Si Sedan both ride on 18-inch wheels and tires. A returned sport exhaust boosts power to 205 horsepower (+4 HP) and a healthy 236 Newton-meters (+5 Nm).

 

Honda also announced plans to sell street-oriented performance parts developed by Honda Performance Development (HPD), its US-based race engineering company. These will include a supercharger for the CR-Z, available in 2014.

 

Also on display at Honda’s Sema booth were an HPD Civic Si Coupé Race Car; HPD Civic Street Performance Concept, featuring many HPD racing parts currently available only for race cars; a Bisimito Engineering Odyssey, MAD Industries Accord Sedan, the Gold Wing F6B, and the 375-kilometer-per-hour grass cutter dubbed the “Mean Mower.”

 

Car crazy

 

The painstaking restoration of a 1965 Mercedes-230 SL with the W113 body has been the passion of Dr. Ramon Raymundo, and this year, that project has brought him and his car restorer Andrew Arago of A-Plus shop to Sema. Doctor Raymundo was awarded as the Philippine winner of the Car Crazy Contest.

 

Meguiar’s Philippines had invited all the car show competition category winners who are registered Meguiar’s users and have won in the year’s major cars show. The SL had gathered the most online votes.  Raymundo was interviewed on the Car Crazy Sema stage by none other than Barry Meguiar.

 

Barry Meguiar recalls with fondness his photo shoots in the country two years ago, and discussed that with Meguiar’s Philippines president Alec Santos. Santos recounted the passion and craftsmanship that is inherent in Philippine restoration and modification.

 

Chevrolet displayed a full selection of vehicles, all modified according to different themes. From its Silverado, designed to be a fire engine, the Chevrolet booth was full of surprises. All its cars received attention, from the Spark EV, which was modified for a faster sprint from standstill, to a beefed-up Cruze diesel and several new-generation Camaros. What will inevitably catch your eye is the seventh-generation Corvette and its several special concept editions at Sema. The white Atlantic open-top version is just made for cruising, strangely enough, on the Pacific Coast highway. The purple Gran Turismo edition will bring out the inner gamer in all car enthusiasts.

 

For star power, Chevrolet brought out its gaggle of stars, including Nascar superstars Danica Patrick, Juan Pablo Montoya and Ricky Carmichael. Carmichael, also an X-Games gold medalist, presented his specially modified Sonic hatchback. The lowered car features 18-inch wheels and a modified exhaust and brake system.

 

Toyota pumps up FR-S

 

At the Scion booth, it was all about the FR-S, aka the 86. DJ and producer Steve Aoki had a music-themed version on display. A wild-looking 86 was displayed by tuner house Bulletproof. Called the Concept One, this 86 packs more than 500 HP and reportedly has a better power-to-weight ratio than a Lexus LFA supercar.

 

Toyota also displayed a racing Camry, a RAV4 modified specially for triathletes, a water-bogged Spongebob-themed Highlander SUV and a Tundra pickup converted to double as an RV of sorts.

 

Tuner-ready engines

 

With its pretty little zombie girls guarding the zombie machine Tucson outside the main hall, Hyundai was concentrating on getting into the tuner brain in its main display. With the Genesis Coupé already a favorite among customizers, Hyundai announced that the 2- and 3.8-liter V6 engines will be available as factory crate engines. By offering the brand-new engines to aftermarket tuners at “significantly lower cost than an equivalent replacement engine,” Hyundai aims to keep the Genesis Coupé in the limelight. The turbo-ready 2-liter will sell for $4,500, the turbo-equipped 2.0 at $6,000, and the direct-injection V6 will sell for $9,000.

 

Meanwhile, sister company Kia showed off five new Soul SUVs each with a different musical theme, and it also unveiled the face-lifted Optima sedan.

 

Ford’s hot wheels

 

Ford occupied an enormous 2,500-square-meter space inside Central Hall, with another large outdoor space. The indoor area featured the signature blue Ford wall, familiar to attendees of the Manila International Auto Show as well. Ford showed off its record-breaking Daytona race car powered by an EcoBoost turbo engine. Also on hand were 10 versions of its Transit van. Some were modified to be rolling offices and restaurants, while one was decked out as a full-sized Hot Wheels vehicle.

 

Ford also showed off racing versions of the Fiesta and Mustang, and highlighted the Mustang’s role in the upcoming “Need for Speed” movie.

 

Indeed, there was never a dull moment or a predictable corner at Sema. And this year more than ever, automakers embraced the possibilities of tuning and aftermarket modification.