Pimped up paradise: A SEMA feature

SEMA stands for Specialty Equipment Market Association, which means the show is where aftermarket suppliers and car customisers get together.

There are two big differences between SEMA and traditional motor shows.

First, SEMA isn’t open to the public. It is a trade only show designed to allow industry buyers to check out the latest aftermarket options.

The second is, because it is for aftermarket buyers, exhibitors are encouraged to get as creative and attention-grabbing as possible.

That has made it a big deal to vehicle manufacturers and they spend up big, building huge displays and creating a variety of wild concept cars just for the show.

This year’s event was no different, with displays from more than 16 brands, including Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, Toyota and Hyundai. It’s an opportunity for designers to let their imaginations run wild or tie up with custom car builders to create outrageous concepts.

Ford used this year’s show to push its Fiesta in the US. No fewer than eight modified examples of the hatch took prominence at Ford’s stand, plus the Fiesta that starred in Ken Block’s Gymkhana Three YouTube hit.

Ford’s Racing Performance Parts division created a 260kW version of the little Fiesta to demonstrate the potential of the EcoBoost engine.

But  that was only one part of Ford’s presence at the show. All up, the company had 32 concept cars on display, including nine Mustangs, seven F-Series pick-up trucks, three Explorer SUVs, two Tauruses and one example each of a Fusion, Edge and Lincoln MKX.

Not to be outdone, General Motors unveiled concepts based on the Chevrolet Corvettes, Camaros, Cruze, Spark and even the Volt electric car.

The highlight was the Camaro Red Flash, a bright-red version of the Australian-engineered coupe designed to demonstrate just how standout the car can look.

Chevrolet also displayed racetrack-ready versions of both the Camaro and Corvette. Underneath the understated white paintwork was carbon-fibre body work covering a stripped out interior and upgrade performance package.

Chrysler Group not only showed off high-performance versions of its Dodge Challenger and Charger models but used SEMA to introduce the Fiat 500 to the US. In keeping with the spirit of the show, the baby Italian car was sporting performance additions including flared wheel arches filled with 18-inch alloy wheels.

For some brands, SEMA is the perfect place to shake up the public’s perception.

Take the RK Collections Toyota Camry, for example: it features a custom made two-door body but the real treat is under the bonnet. The standard 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine is replaced by a 6.0-litre V8 Nascar racing engine producing 507kW and driving the rear wheels through a six speed manual gearbox.

Hyundai is another brand that uses SEMA to give its image a tweak. This year the South Korean company has teamed up with a variety of car tuners, including ‘‘urban style’’ magazine Dub.

The Dub Edition Equus luxury sedan is blacked out, lowered and looks like an attempt to lure Snoop Dogg or P-Diddy to the Hyundai fold.

Hyundai also got its drifter/rally driver, Rhys Millen, to give the Equus a performance makeover and had tuner Rides do the same to its turbocharged i45 (Sonata in the US).

Toyota’s youth brand, Scion,  usually produces some standout performers for SEMA and 2010 was no different. There was a stretch limo version of the xB (Rukus in Australia), rally-style xD and rat rod-inspired xC.

Scion also pitted the US armed forces against each other in a battle to produce the best xB concept. The marines turned the car into a rugged off-roader, the navy added wild graphics and port holes and the army produced a two-door convertible.

But that is just a snapshot of what’s produced for SEMA. It may not be open to the public but if you ever have the chance, go!