Auto Shows (Page 42)

The SEMA Show in Las Vegas is one of the world’s largest automotive industry conventions and while the hundreds of thousands of square feet of exhibition space in the Las Vegas Convention Center are technically reserved for modified vehicles and product displays – the many beautiful ladies of the SEMA Show play a major role in drawing viewers to a company’s booth so these hard working women deserve a piece of the attention as well.

While the majority of the high performance cars at the SEMA Show each year are rear wheel drive muscle cars, Ford helped to bring attention to the launch of the new Ford Focus ST with a quintet of tricked out front drive 5-doors that worked to show the aftermarket potential of this American hot hatch.

We knew that General Motors would be bringing out the new production version of the 2013 Chevrolet Camaro Hot Wheels Edition but the bigger surprise was a modified classic Camaro styled after one of the very first Hot Wheels toys from the late 1960s.

Among the massive indoor Mopar display at this week’s 2012 SEMA Show in Las Vegas was a trio of 2013 Dodge Dart sedans modified with items from the Mopar Accessories catalog that not only give current Dart owners a chance to see how much they can customize their compact sedan with company help but these sporty show cars could also give us a glimpse of what to expect from the Dart SRT.

The 2013 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Convertible is very easily one of the baddest topless American muscle cars to ever roll off of a factory assembly line but at the 2012 SEMA Show, Chevrolet Performance featured the new Camaro ZL1 Touring Convertible Concept designed with items that are already available in the Chevrolet Accessories catalog – allowing new ZL1 droptop owners to build this car themselves with some help from a paint shop.

Among the sprawling Chevrolet Performance display at this week’s SEMA Show in Las Vegas were a pair of Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 models with a coupe designed for NASCAR driver Tony Stewart and a convertible designed in the tradition of the European grand touring sports cars that appropriately wears the “Touring” trimline designation.

A couple weeks ago we brought you a preview video discussing the joint project between ventriloquist Jeff Dunham and Chrysler’s Mopar division but at this week’s SEMA Show in Las Vegas – show goers got a chance to check out the heavily modified Dodge Challenger dubbed Project UltraViolet in person.

This week’s SEMA Show in Las Vegas offered tens of thousands of people a chance to get their first glimpse of the 2013 SRT Viper including a modified unit from Mopar and the unique Launch Edition model displayed by the folks at Pirelli tires.

General Motors used the 2012 SEMA Show to unveil the final 2012 model year COPO Camaro drag car which happens to be the first convertible model while also announcing that the company will be building 69 more examples of this factory drag racing package for the 2013 model year.

Among the collection of Ford Mustang models at the 2012 SEMA Show was the gorgeous deep metallic red machine shown on the right side but unlike the rest of the Mustangs in attendance that are based on standard V6 or GT models - this is the new RTR Stage 3 Mustang designed by drift racer Vaughn Gittin Jr and modified by the folks at Mother’s.

The 2012 Global RallyCross season championship came down to a shootout between Ford drivers Tanner Foust and Brian Deegan at the 6th event of the year and when the dust cleared outside of the 2012 SEMA Show in Las Vegas - Top Gear host Tanner Foust ran away with the win and the 2012 GRC championship.

Every year, the folks from Ford Racing bring something to the SEMA Show in Las Vegas that is sure to be a showstopper and this year – that special something that will become the center of attention in the massive Ford Motor Company display is the incredible twin turbocharged 2013 Ford Racing Cobra Jet Mustang shown on the right.

Last year, General Motors brought out an outrageous Hot Wheels Concept Camaro and while the metallic green paint and unique tail lights didn’t come for the ride – GM has introduced a 2013 Chevrolet Camaro Hot Wheels Edition as a limited production model at the 2012 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

The organizers for the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show have announced that among the new model debuts at the LA show this year will be the all electric Fiat 500E – giving the Chrysler Group their first electric vehicle and helping them show some support for the EV movement even though Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne seems less than enthusiastic about the project.

The SEMA Cares charity group and well known custom car designer Chip Foose have teamed up each of the past three years to design a truly unique muscle car in a WD40 paint scheme and while the team got together again for the 2012 SEMA Show – this year the charity build features two unique Ford pickups.

While we have already seen one tightly cropped shot of a Ford Mustang headed to the 2012 SEMA Show, today Ford Motor Company offered up artwork teasing four modified Mustangs that will debut in the flesh next week in Vegas – although none of these appear to be our “mystery Mustang” that we discussed on Monday.

The Ford F Series is always among the most popular vehicles at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas and 2012 should be no different with today bringing us our first look at a trio of the pickups that will be in the massive Ford Motor Company display.

Last week, General Motors announced that the 7th generation of the fabled Chevrolet Corvette will arrive on January 13th, 2013 as a 2014 model year vehicle along with giving everyone a first look at the slightly redesigned crossed flags logo that will adorn the nose of the new American sports car and today – we have our first look at the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette via an official company video.

Ford Motor Company released the ultra close up image shown on the right earlier today, proclaiming that they had “big news” at the 2012 SEMA Show and asking fans of their Facebook page to guess what this news might be in relation to what is very likely the hood of some special Ford Mustang.

Fisker Automotive has announced that when the 2012 SEMA Show opens next Tuesday at the Las Vegas Convention Center, there will be at least two customized copies of their incredible Karma Ever electric sedan in attendance.

Another day – another teaser of a dressed up ride heading to the 2012 SEMA Show but today we get a look at a car typically ignored by those building high dollar show cars for SEMA with our first glimpse at the Chevrolet Malibu Turbo Performance Concept.

While the compact Escape SUV has been ignored for the most part in the Ford Motor Company SEMA displays, the redesigned 2013 Ford Escape will be in attendance with two modded up examples to show that the new small SUV can play host to just as much personalization as the rest of the FoMoCo lineup.

General Motors announced today that among the vehicles unveiled at the 2012 SEMA Show in Las Vegas will be the new Chevrolet Sonic B-Spec race car that will go head to head in a near-stock race class in the SCCA featuring subcompacts like the Ford Fiesta, the Fiat 500, and the Kia Rio – giving Chevrolet their first entry into this budding budget racing class.

Among the sporty compacts featured in the Chevrolet Performance display at the 2012 SEMA Show will be the new Sonic Z-Spec 1 and Sonic Z-Spec 2.5, both of which are based on the 4-door Sonic sedan equipped with varying levels of modification.

Chevrolet has just rolled out the first teaser images of what they are bringing out to the 2012 SEMA Show in Las Vegas with a special focus on the compact hatchbacks and sedans that will debut on October 30th – and we will first take a look at the tiny Chevy Spark.

SEMA is just 12 days away and today we get out second look at a car modified by the folks at ARK Performance with their take on the unique 4-door Korean hatchback in the form of the Hyundai Veloster Alpine Edition.

According to the official Lexus Facebook page, the incredible Lexus LFA Nürburgring Edition will make its formal American auto show debut in just 12 days at the 2012 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

Comedian and ventriloquist Jeff Dunham is currently working on a project with the folks from Chrysler’s Mopar division to customize a 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 with a series of YouTube videos chronicling the build – and the debut of this unique Challenger named Project Ultraviolet is set for the 2012 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

General Motors announced this morning that on Sunday, January 13th 2013, they will introduce the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette at a preview event for the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit – ushering in the C7 generation of the might Corvette.

Contrary to the reports that we discussed this past Monday, Ferrari has stated that the new Enzo successor referred to as the F70 will not make its big debut at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit next January.