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Canwest News Service
Comprehending the size of the Specialty Equipment Market Association show isn't easy.
It occupies two million square feet of exhibit space at the Las Vegas Convention Centre and there are more displays in nearby parking lots.
If SEMA weren't big enough, the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX), held at the same time in early November, adds another 200,000 square feet to amble through at the Sands Hotel convention centre.
If there's an automotive product made anywhere in the world, chances are it will be at one show or the other. The shows attract more than 100,000 industry leaders from around the world — some to exhibit new products while others are there looking for hot items to sell.
Products on display range from the Trasharoo, a durable trash bag for off-roaders, to computer chips to complete vehicles. This year, the 2010 Camaro was the most common vehicle with more than 20 on display. There were also sizable numbers of new Ford Mustangs and Dodge Challengers.
Despite the impressive size of the show and the large number of visitors, the show is not open to the public. That's not unusual since many trade shows have the same restriction. If you're not registered for the show as an exhibitor, buyer or member of the news media, you won't be admitted. Security guards at every entrance watch to ensure that no one without credentials enters the show.
Not that the show needs the public to boost attendance. The show floor tends to be crowded enough with registered guests.
Media personnel attending SEMA and AAPEX range from one-person operations to large magazines. Some media personalities will have autograph sessions, or you may see them wandering through the show. For example, you might see Dennis Gage of My Classic Car, Kevin Byrd of Two Guys Garage or Matt Steele and Bruno Massel of Truck U.
During SEMA, the crew from Galpin Auto Sports (GAS), which built many of the vehicles on the Pimp My Ride TV show, assembled a 1969 Ford Mustang from new parts available from Ford. Galpin staff including Beau Boeckman and Mad Mike were on hand for the build.
In addition, you can expect to see race car drivers such as funny car champion John Force or other celebrities such as designer Chip Foose.
Although the bulk of the exhibitors are from the United States, some Canadian firms set up at SEMA and AAPEX.
Johnston Research and Performance (JRP) of Mississauga, Ont., won the SEMA award for best new performance for street vehicles with its Sprint Booster. This product is designed to overcome one of the chief complaints with cars and truck that utilize a drive-by-wire throttle.
JRP president Kevin Johnston explained that the Sprint booster, which installs in the wiring near the accelerator pedal, boosts the signal, thereby improving throttle response. The product JRP brought to SEMA features a selectable input so that the driver can choose between the stock setting or two enhanced levels of throttle response.
So far, 90,000 units of the Sprint Booster, developed in Greece, have been sold worldwide. The Sprint Booster is currently available for more than 200 applications, including a number of North American-built vehicles.
The device "does not change factory settings or vehicle emissions," Johnston said.
Two Canadian distributors of automotive parts and supplies were part of the AAPEX show — Transit Warehouse Distribution of Levis, Que., and Cliplight Manufacturing Company of Toronto. Cliplight supplies parts to wholesalers and a few items that are sold in retail stores.
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HIGHLIGHTS
The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro dominated the exhibit floor at the 2009 Specialty Equipment Market Association show, but that's just the beginning. Customizers also had a heyday with Ford Mustangs. Several new motors were also unveiled. Here are some highlights:
– General Motors alone showed off more than 10 of the new Camaros prepared by a variety of companies and painted in a range of colour schemes. The Camaros at the show offered performance ranging from a little more than stock to cars that had received a significant horsepower boost.
– The Mustangs on display showed there's still plenty of interest in Blue Oval performance. Ford exhibited the 2010 Mustang Cobra Jet, which will be equipped with a strong 5.4-litre V-8. In addition, Ford offered a glimpse of the performance it offers in other vehicles such as the F-150 Raptor, which comes equipped with a 6.2-litre V-8. Ford brought in the crew from Galpin Auto Sports – famous for turning out customized vehicles on the Pimp My Ride television show – to assemble a 1969 Mustang fastback that can be built with parts available in the Ford parts book.
– Toyota brought three radical customs to SEMA — a Tundra crew cab set up for tailgate parties, a Venza crossover ready for trips to the beach or the mountains and a Tacoma inspired by the Xbox game system.
– Hyundai displayed several customized versions of its Genesis Coupe, while Honda showed off Mugen accessories for vehicles such as the Accord and Element and described the engines available from its performance development division.
