[Saturday
July 26th 2003]
The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA)
show held each fall in Las Vegas is arguably the
most highly anticipated automotive aftermarket
event in North America.
The Specialty Equipment
Market Association (SEMA) show held each fall
in Las Vegas is arguably the most highly anticipated
automotive aftermarket event in North America.
Open only to industry professionals, SEMA gives
those in the aftermarket industry an opportunity
to sneak a peak at what lies ahead for the coming
year and provides a fitting end to the previous
season.
Las Vegas provides the perfect
setting for a show of this splendor, as onlookers
are bombarded from all four corners by the latest
in aftermarket performance and technology. When
Bob Mull’s Chevy Cavalier, the most dominant
show-winning vehicle this year could only find
a spot outside, you know you are amongst the automotive
elite. Last year’s SEMA show hinted at the
greatness of the Hummer H2 and Nissan 350Z.
This year served to re-enforce
the impact that these two vehicles have had on
the aftermarket while suggesting what the “Next
Big Thing” might be. All signs point to the
Toyota/Scion twins, the xA and xB. With sport
compact legend LJ Garcia handling the marketing
of the Scion the aftermarket opportunities are
looking extremely promising. Although the market
was slow to embrace the Honda Civic Si (Si-R in
Canada), it looks like Honda’s hot hatch
is finally drawing the attention it was originally
built to grab. The Subaru WRX was also in full
effect at SEMA as major companies such as Cusco
and Prodrive had their interpretations of the
WRX in their booths. |
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Another
prevalent trend in the industry is the immense
popularity of the Drift Phenomenon. The
brute force of drag racing has given way
to the controlled chaos of drifting, and
this theme was evident in countless displays,
from two of the Signal Auto drift machines
at BFGoodrich to import-scene legend Ken
Miyoshi’s personal Silvia in the Ractive/Evotion
display. A peek into the crystal ball shows
that the JDM craze will continue for 2004,
along with matte-like paint and bodywork.
Anything that could be molded or wrapped
in carbon fiber was, as doors, hoods, trunks,
dashboards and even hood-props were given
the carbon fiber treatment. GTP/C-Wings
brought a trio of wide-bodied, carbon-fiber-bodied
Supras, one a yellow carbon-kevlar bodied
right-hand drive model. Ractive took the
carbon-fiber craze one step further by debuting
a full carbon fiber Mazda 6.
SEMA has always been the
measuring-stick by which the entire aftermarket
industry is measured and this year’s
edition was no different. With the latest
trends revealed at the Las Vegas Convention
Centre, we look forward to the coming season
after just a taste of what the future has
in store. |
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