• SEMA Preview: Wraptivo Honda CR-Z Type-F -

    Filed under: Aftermarket, SEMA Show, Hybrid, Performance, Hatchback, Honda

    Honda CR-Z Type-F
    Honda CR-Z Type-F - Click above for high-res image

    Nearly one year later, we're still digging the idea behind Meguiar's Wraptivo system. For under $2,000 you can design and have a professional installer wrap your car in vinyl, complete with custom graphics and textures. And to drum up more interest in the program after its debut at last year's SEMA show, Meguiar's has picked up a 2011 Honda CR-Z and enlisted the tuning talents of RJ De Vera and rendering artist Jon Sibal to show what it has planned for the 2010 show.

    Naturally, the CR-Z Type-F Concept is focused on the matte black and "carbon fiber" wrap, but the real party pieces are underneath the vinyl.

    A supercharger will be fitted to the anemic 1.5-liter four-pot, with a custom exhaust system and a Hondata ECU used to extract maximum power. Accessories from Honda's performance line will join a Tein suspension, HKS components and some Volk TE37 wheels, while the inside will benefit from a pair of Recaro buckets, Alcantara trim and a new shift knob. And while it might be easy to dismiss the Type-F (which apparently stands for "Fun") as a SEMA show queen, Meguiar's plans to enter it in Source Interlink's annual Super Lap Battle the week after the show. Get all the details in the press release after the jump and check out Sibal's high-res rendering above.

    [Sources: Jon Sibal, Motorworldhype]

    Continue reading SEMA Preview: Wraptivo Honda CR-Z Type-F

    SEMA Preview: Wraptivo Honda CR-Z Type-F originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • AutoTrader Classics unveils Fireball Tim's 1951 Chevy 3100 "Redster" ahead of SEMA -

    Filed under: SEMA Show, Classics, Hybrid, Performance, Truck, Marketing/Advertising, Technology, Chevrolet, Celebrities, Specialty


    The Redster by Fireball Tim Lawrence - Click above for high-res image gallery

    Any time Hollywood's current go-to car guy, Fireball Tim Lawrence, is involved in a project, you know it's going to be a rolling masterpiece. So when AutoTrader Classic invited us to see Fireball's latest creation ahead of its public debut at the SEMA show in November, we jumped at the chance. Make the jump for yourself to get up close and personal with The Redster.


    Gallery: Fireball Tim's Redster Unveiling


    Photos copyright (C)2010 Frank Filipponio / AOL

    Continue reading AutoTrader Classics unveils Fireball Tim's 1951 Chevy 3100 "Redster" ahead of SEMA

    AutoTrader Classics unveils Fireball Tim's 1951 Chevy 3100 "Redster" ahead of SEMA originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Drop Top Customs to unveil convertible Cadillac CTS at SEMA -

    Filed under: Aftermarket, SEMA Show, Convertible, Coupe, Cadillac, Luxury

    DTC Convertible Cadillac CTS - Click above for image gallery

    The shop behind the beautiful convertible Dodge Challenger that stole the spotlight at last year's SEMA show is at it again. Drop Top Customs has announced that it will set about creating a topless version of the ever-sexy Cadillac CTS Coupe for this year's aftermarket shindig. We're not entirely sold on the thought of hacking the razor-sharp roof line from the coupe and replacing it with a folding soft top, but we'll reserve judgment until after we see the final product in the flesh, er, sheetmetal.

    DTC has been cranking out convertible versions of production hardtops for around 30 years, so the company knows what it's doing when it sets to taking the plasma cutter to an otherwise unsullied vehicle. Last year, that infamous convertible Challenger actually walked away from SEMA with a design award from Chrysler itself, so chances are the new drophead CTS will have the fit and finish of a factory effort. Still, we've got to wonder just how many people are clamoring for a convertible Caddy these days. After all, there didn't seem to be much pent-up demand for the XLR...


    Gallery: DTC Convertible Cadillac CTS


    [Source: Automobile Magazine]

    Drop Top Customs to unveil convertible Cadillac CTS at SEMA originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Pick your favorite cars and eBay Motors gives you prizes -

    Filed under: SEMA Show, Auctions, Etc.



    Unless you happen to be in the business of talk radio, chances are slim you'll ever find yourself getting paid just to voice your opinion. But hey, this is the internet. Anything is possible. And the good folk at eBay have just launched a new campaign to figure out which are the most popular cars on the web by surveying regular Joes and Janes. Even better, they're handing around $50,000 in prizes as part of the deal. All you have to do is head over to the promotion site and answer questions about which brand you think is the most tunable, what's your favorite American muscle car and which is the best brand for off-roading, and you'll automatically be entered to win.

    So what are these prizes, you ask? For starters, there are around 200 prizes of various worth up for grab, the largest of which is a trip to the 2010 SEMA show plus $10,000 wired directly to your PayPal account. Sounds pretty good to us. You can head over to eBay for the full skinny on the official rules.

    [Source: eBay Motors]

    Pick your favorite cars and eBay Motors gives you prizes originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • First of Many: Fortune Motorsports Honda CR-Z coming to SEMA -

    Filed under: Aftermarket, SEMA Show, Coupe, Hybrid, Hatchback, Honda



    We're bracing ourselves for the onslaught of tuned Honda CR-Z hybrids coming to this year's SEMA show. Honda has been hawking the hatch as a legitimate successor to the fabled CRX - a car that helped to push a whole generation of wrenches toward Japanese sheetmetal - and shops the world over have been champing at the bit to wring a little more power out of the seemingly anemic newcomer. The kids at Fortune Motorsports have been the first out of the gate with an up-skirt teaser for their take on Honda's hybrid hatch.

    Not surprisingly, the crew hasn't released any details on their creation. We do know that the build will work in parts from the likes of ADV.1 Wheels, Falken Tires, Status Racing, Magnaflow and the neon fiends at StreetGlow. You can head over to the Fortune Motorsports site for a full list of the car's sponsors, or you can click over to Warren Shim-Quee's site to keep track of the build up.

    [Source: Warren Shim-Quee]

    First of Many: Fortune Motorsports Honda CR-Z coming to SEMA originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • SEMA Preview: CGS prepping custom 2011 Chevy Camaro -

    Filed under: Aftermarket, SEMA Show, Coupe, Performance, Chevrolet

    GCS Camaro
    CGS Camaro for SEMA 2010 - Click above for high-res image

    CGS is a lock to bring something unique to the annual SEMA show, and after the ReFlex and FlatBack Mustang of the last two years, the tuner has left the Ford family for GM. This year, a 2011 Chevy Camaro will step into the modification chamber, getting a body kit that includes a ZR1-style hood. Under the window you might get a glimpse of the Whipple twin-screw blower that helps boost output to 500 horsepower. 22-inch wheels wrapped in Pirelli rubber bands help complete the look. Follow the jump to read the press release, and check out the high-res image below.


    Gallery: CGS Camaro at SEMA 2010


    [Source: CGS Motorsports]

    Continue reading SEMA Preview: CGS prepping custom 2011 Chevy Camaro

    SEMA Preview: CGS prepping custom 2011 Chevy Camaro originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 17 Jul 2010 12:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Vaughn Gittin Jr. planning RTR-X Mustang for 2010 SEMA debut -

    Filed under: Aftermarket, SEMA Show, Classics, Ford

    Team Need for Speed RTR-X Mustang - Click above for high-res image gallery

    Vaughn Gittin Jr. is mostly known for his ability to pilot Ford Mustangs in a sideways - he currently leads the points race in the 2010 Formula Drift season - but over the last year the Maryland native has also been busy launching his own car brand, RTR, beginning with last year's show at SEMA with the debut of the RTR-C Mustang.

    Not one to rest on his laurels, Gittin will be following up the RTR-C with perhaps something even more impressive. In a collaboration with Team Need for Speed, the drifter/car builder will unveil another Mustang at the 2010 SEMA show dubbed the RTR-X. Based on a 1969 Mustang using a Dynacorn replacement body shell, the RTR-X will feature the 5.0-liter V8 from the 2011 Mustang GT and a one-off sub-frame from Art Morrison. You can follow the progress of the build until its debut at SEMA in November and even vote on the car's livery over at SpeedHunters. Hit up the gallery below to see Gittin's upcoming creation in more detail.


    Gallery: SEMA Preview: RTR-X Mustang


    [Source: SpeedHunters.com]

    Vaughn Gittin Jr. planning RTR-X Mustang for 2010 SEMA debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 May 2010 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Spy Shots: 2011 Ford Fiesta EcoBoost -

    Filed under: SEMA Show, Spy Photos, Hatchback, Ford

    2011 Ford Fiesta Ecoboost - Click above for high-res image gallery

    The EcoBoost 3.5-liter V6 found in the Ford Flex and Taurus SHO has quickly become one of our favorite mills on the market. But what we've really been hankering for from FoMoCo is its smaller displacement offerings, specifically the 1.6- and 2.0-liter turbocharged engines slated to arrive next year.

    Along with the Fusion, the all-new Fiesta is set to get a boosted mill sometime in 2011, and these newest spy shots reveal that a high-performance version of Ford's diminutive hatch is in the works.

    Tucked behind a modified version of the Euro-market Fiesta's Titanium Trim front fascia is a slim intercooler matched with blacked-out trim, a subtle body kit and a prototype rear diffuser modified to fit the European-spec rear bumper and dual exhausts. A set of 17-inch anthracite Speedline wheels complete the package, which poses two questions.

    One, is this a prototype of a production vehicle or something that's planned for this November's SEMA Show? Either way, Ford's got big plans for its new three-door and showing off its aftermarket potential is sure to be high on the priority list.

    Two, which EcoBoosted engine is powering the mule? The smart money's on Ford's new 1.6-liter inline four, which should be good for around 170 horsepower and a similar amount of torque in turbo'd form. The less-than-plausible, yet far more compelling, option is the Fusion's forthcoming turbocharged 2.0-liter four-pot, which is good for between 230 and 250 hp and 240 pound-feet of twist. Obviously, we're hoping for the latter, but we'd be just as content with the 1.6-liter option and the possibility of future models turning up the wick even further.


    Gallery: Spy Shots: 2011 Ford Fiesta Ecoboost

    Spy Shots: 2011 Ford Fiesta EcoBoost originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Video: Leaping SEMA truck proves the meek and well engineered shall inherit the earth -

    Filed under: Aftermarket, SEMA Show, Truck, Videos, Chevrolet, Humor, Off-Road

    This doesn't end well - click above to watch the video

    Oh dear. See that big bad truck up above? It's about to jump over some dirt. The landing is not going to go well. How not well? According to our sources you are looking at $350,000 worth of truck. We're not modified truck experts, but we'd be willing to guess that the truck is worth substantially less than $350,000 after said jump. Speaking of jumps, you should make our jump to watch the video and then read the world's quickest technical break down of exactly what went wrong. Tip of the desert flap hat to Brad!

    Continue reading Video: Leaping SEMA truck proves the meek and well engineered shall inherit the earth

    Video: Leaping SEMA truck proves the meek and well engineered shall inherit the earth originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Chevrolet debuts Synergy Green Camaro -

    Filed under: SEMA Show, Coupe, Performance, Chevrolet, Design/Style

    2010 Chevrolet Camaro Synergy Special Edition - Click above for high-res image gallery

    The history of the Chevrolet Camaro is littered with bold styling options and even bolder colors. "Bold" doesn't always equal "good," but there have been a lot of both since the 1967 introduction of Chevrolet's original pony car. At SEMA this year, we saw more custom Camaros than we thought possible, a few of them done up by General Motors itself. The General even promised that we'd see some of those Camaro option packs on the regular production models in the future. One special Camaro that really caught our eye was the Synergy, mainly because of its eye-popping green paint.

    Today, Chevy has made good on its promise to offer those SEMA-special touches to the masses by officially announcing the release of the Camaro Synergy Special Edition. We have no idea why GM's announcement wasn't part of media days at the Detroit Auto Show, but regardless, the Synergy will be available from February to May with a starting price of $26,790. It's based on the 1LT, with its 304-horsepower, 3.6-liter, direct-injection V6. You can get it with the six-speed stick or an automatic, but the bespoke, specially-stitched shift knob will assuredly feel better when shifting for yourself.

    The Synergy Green exterior color will be unique to this limited run and comes with Cyber Grey Rally Stripes, a rear spoiler, 19-inch painted wheels, Synergy Green instrument panel, door inserts and stitching. Synergy buyers will also pocket the Camaro Convenience and Connectivity Package, which add Bluetooth, USB port and remote vehicle start on slushbox models. By our estimation, that's a lot of content and a lot of green for not a lot of green.Gallery below and press release after the jump.


    Gallery: Detroit 2010: Chevrolet Camaro Synergy


    Gallery: Synergy Green Camaro


    [Source: Chevrolet]

    Continue reading Chevrolet debuts Synergy Green Camaro

    Chevrolet debuts Synergy Green Camaro originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • VIDEO: Twin-turbo Viper-powered LMC Super Cuda shatters 200 mph against Ferrari Enzo -

    Filed under: Aftermarket, SEMA Show, Classics, Coupe, Performance, Videos

    LMC Super 'Cuda vs. Ferrari Enzo - Click above to watch video

    Legendary Motorcar Company built a Super 'Cuda for SEMA - no, not with a modern Dodge Challenger, with an actual Barricuda - and then decided to find out what it could do. The car is stuffed with engine and rubber: A twin-turbo Viper V10 with at least 1,000 horsepower, along with 345-series, 19-inch tires in back. So about the only place they could test it properly was Chrysler's Chelsea, Michigan proving grounds. For good measure, the folks at LMC brought a Ferrari Enzo along as well.

    Needless to say, in a straight line drag, the Super 'Cuda owns the Enzo. The green monster and its turbine howls raced through the air so quickly that the windshield molding came off and the hood lifted by three inches. When it came to top speed, however - and in all likelihood, real-life cornering- the Enzo took the round, going 218 mph to the 'Cuda's 208 mph. The 'Cuda probably could have gone faster, but vintage aerodynamics and driver heebie-jeebies put paid to that. Get all the action in the video after the jump. Thanks for the tips, everyone!

    [Source: Car Chat]

    Continue reading VIDEO: Twin-turbo Viper-powered LMC Super Cuda shatters 200 mph against Ferrari Enzo

    VIDEO: Twin-turbo Viper-powered LMC Super Cuda shatters 200 mph against Ferrari Enzo originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • The backstory behind HPP's showstopping Daytona conversion... is a Chevy Camaro next? -

    Filed under: Aftermarket, SEMA Show, Classics, Coupe, Performance, Dodge

    HPP Daytona - Click above for high-res image gallery

    When we saw the HPP Daytona at this year's SEMA show, two things became very apparent. One, we'd really like to drive it. Two, we need better pictures of it. See, the poor thing got itself shoved into a tight booth at SEMA and we just couldn't get too many decent shots. So, being the enterprising lads that we are, we wrote HPP and asked if they had some better pictures. Guess what? You're looking at 'em.

    One thing we really dig about these studio shots is the detailing. Just check out the custom exhaust tips - the square suckers sticking out of the Daytona's side behind the rear wheel. Nifty, no? Great hood latches, great front splitter, good looking (and apparently functional) hood scoops and really nice hood pins. And just look at that wing - fabulous. Really, the more we look, the more we like this 600-horsepower supercharged bad boy. Which leaves us with one big question: who is HPP?

    Well now, included with the purty pictures was a very interesting explanation to that very question. Gordon M. Heidacker is the president of Heide Performance Products (HPP). He's been in the car business for 23 years, working for AMC and Chrysler while getting his hands dirty with cars like Plymouth Prowler and Dodge Viper. After the Cerberus debacle, Heidacker decided to go it on his own, and set up HPP to fill, "a general hole in the market for accessories and upscale vehicles that could be converted into passionate expressions of metal, glass, plastic to become rolling art." Sounds good by us.

    As far as this here Daytona goes, Heidacker had a conversation with Chrysler explaining what he and his team wanted to do. And if Chrysler liked it, they'd fund it. But, as Heidacker points out, they "Delivered that proposal to Mopar exactly 1.5 hours before they declared bankruptcy. So we decided to internally fund the project." Timing, as it's said, is everything. What's next for HPP? Next up is another Challenger, but for next year's SEMA show, they'll be bringing a Chevrolet Camaro. We, for one, will be there. For a partial list of the 50 individual changes HPP made to the Challenger when turning it into the Daytona, make the jump.


    Gallery: HPP Daytona Studio Shots


    Gallery: SEMA 2009: HPP Daytona Challenger


    [Source: hppcars.com]

    Continue reading The backstory behind HPP's showstopping Daytona conversion... is a Chevy Camaro next?

    The backstory behind HPP's showstopping Daytona conversion... is a Chevy Camaro next? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • SEMA Scraps: 15-series tire from Nexen barely holds air -

    Filed under: SEMA Show, Etc.


    Nexen 365/15-24 tire - Click above for image gallery

    While in Vegas for SEMA this year, we did our best to concentrate on the cars... and occasionally their hostesses. We deliberately stayed away from the thousands of individual products being introduced in order to spend more time on the cars, trucks, bikes and Snowbarus. Well, maybe we should have looked a little more closely at the products, or at the very least the wheels and tires. If we had spent more time in the lower level of the South Hall, we might have noticed a rather large crowd around the Nexen booth.

    While the name might not be a household word, Nexen is a company with more than 50 years of tire-making experience under its steel belt. As impressive as that might be, it's not the reason everyone was standing around, mouths agape. The focus of their attention was a new tire by Nexen, one with an impressive 365 mm width and 24 inch diameter. As ridiculous as those numbers might be, they pale in comparison to the middle number in the equation.

    You see, Nexen was showing off the very first 15-series tire. That's right, the world's first and only 365/15R24 tire. If you thought 35s looked like rubber bands wrapped around 19- and 20-inch wheels, this thing looks like a smear of black paint on that two-footer. We shudder to think of what the ride quality might be like, but we seriously doubt there will be any sidewall flex, mainly because there's no sidewall.


    Gallery: Nexen 365/15R24 tire


    [Source: Nexen via Consumer Reports]

    SEMA Scraps: 15-series tire from Nexen barely holds air originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • First Petty's Garage Challenger heading to Barrett-Jackson -

    Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, SEMA Show, Coupe, Performance, Auctions, Dodge, Celebrities, Specialty


    2009 Petty's Garage Dodge Challenger - Click above for high-res image gallery

    And with this official decree, let it be known that one custom 2009 Dodge Challenger, painted in a very familiar and regal blue shall be offered for sale to the highest bidder in Arizona in the year of our lord, 2010. The vehicle in question shall serve as a rolling tribute to Richard the 43rd. Long live the King!

    Richard Petty was one of the winningest drivers in stock car history. With a record seven Daytona 500 trophies, 127 poles, 200 overall wins (including a record 27 -- and ten-in-a-row -- races in 1967), and seven championships in his 34-year, 1,185-race career, it's no wonder he's called The King. His legendary Chryslers, Fords and Plymouths bearing the number 43 were mostly built at his race shop in Level Cross, NC. Now all the king's men are working to build on his legacy under the newly formed banner of Petty's Garage.

    The company plans to work on "museum-quality" restorations of vintage race cars, custom cars and high performance street machines. To kick off the new business, Petty's Garage has built a 2009 Challenger that will be sold in a Petty Family Foundation charity auction at B-J in January.

    Painted in the trademark Petty Blue, it features a 585-hp Hemi 426, Pedders suspension upgrades, Brembo Gran Turismo brakes, a new center exit Corsa exhaust system, plus a Petty's Garage body kit consisting of custom front fascia, rear bumper cover, custom rocker panels and a rear spoiler. The inside gets the royal touch as well, with Petty's Garage branded seats and door panels. We saw the car at SEMA and it's a looker. You can read more details in the press release we've pasted in after the jump and check out the gallery from SEMA as well.


    Gallery: Petty's Garage Dodge Challenger


    Gallery: SEMA 2009: Petty's Garage Dodge Challenger

    Continue reading First Petty's Garage Challenger heading to Barrett-Jackson

    First Petty's Garage Challenger heading to Barrett-Jackson originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • SEMA 2009 Worst of Show: This car stinks... -

    Filed under: Aftermarket, SEMA Show, Sedan, Dodge, Specialty

    Worst of Show - Click above image for hi-res gallery

    Stinks. You might think that we're talking about the overall design of this shockingly orange scissor-door/scissor-trunk Dodge Charger R/T. Or the build quality, what with panel gaps that you can insert your index finger into, wheels so large the tie-rods can't hold them and the world's saddest piece of vinyl covering the trunk's goofy hinge. You might even be under the impression that we're referring to the poor Charger's taillights, which set a new SEMA low. But you'd be mistaken. While this poor, 26-inch dubbed Charger has no doubt been beaten to death with the SEMA stick, we're actually talking about its odor. Quite literally, it smells like synthetic cat urine.

    The why and the how of this particular example of aftermarket hubris and wretched, mindless - and let's not forget pointless - excess don't really matter now, as the poor thing will spend the next 15 years quietly rotting in the side yard of some shop in Joliet, Illinois waiting to either shrug off this mortal coil or get turned into a fine LeMons car right around 2025 - whichever comes first. Despite the poor design and execution, the pointy end of our query-arrow is pointed straight at the heart of where the offending aroma came from. Did they finish off the interior with a nice shellacking of formaldehyde? Or, is this rough, slouching-towards-Bethlehem beast already sleeping outside, doors scissored up with cats as tenants? Who knows. But it's easily the Worst of Show; a sad, unfortunate offering at an otherwise entertaining and action-packed event.


    Gallery: SEMA 2009: Stinking Scissor Trunk Charger

    SEMA 2009 Worst of Show: This car stinks... originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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