SEMA 2004 - the Home of the Custom Car

By Feann Torr - 04/11/2004

For those readers who are scratching their heads wondering what this SEMA thing is all about, allow me:

The SEMA or Specialty Equipment Market Association trade show is held at the Las Vegas Convention Center and is all about modifications and customisations - automotive eye candy and go-fast engine goodies, if you will.

It is an automotive event catering solely for the enthusiast, of which there's a little bit in every driver, according to many of the events exhibitors.

Sure, some of the products released at the SEMA show can also make you wince, but it's one of America's biggest aftermarket trade shows, and the involvement of many big name automakers shows just how serious the big players take it.

In 2004, even the Aussie-cum-American muscle car, the Monaro, gets a guernsey in the form of a tarted-up Pontiac GTO, and even the Scandinavians are packing mountains of prefabricated polymers in '04.

In addition to bodykit and chassis mods, the SEMA trade show also champions big horsepower, and you'll see people like car-mad talk show host Jay Leno showing off his latest wares.

For big name automakers it's a great place to inject new character into any given brand, and Saab and Volvo in particular have gone to great lengths to attract a younger audience with a range of eye-catching modifications.

Volvo

To kick off proceedings, Volvo offered a number of modified vehicles based on its current range, which included the Volvo XC90 PUV.

The XC90 PUV, or power utility vehicle, gets the mandatory lowered suspension, plus an exaggerated bodykit with flared wheel arches, a wider track and a rather large tyre and wheel package.

Volvo was quick to clarify that the V8-powered 4WD XC90 PUV is a 'work in progress', but has been tuned to output a very un-Volvo 650 horsepower, or about 480 kilowatts.

Fuel exhaust escapes via four tough-looking exhaust pipes integrated into the rear apron, and to better put things in perspective, the 480 kilowatts that the 4.4-litre V8 generates is about 50kW more than the Lamborghini V12 Mucielago.

If you look closely at the front-on photo, the scarlet XC90 PUV also appears to have an intercooler - which would explain the lofty power output.

Volvo building a turbo/supercharged 4.4-litre V8? People would have scoffed at the though but a half-a-decade ago...

This huge amount of power is transferred to all four wheels via a 6-speed automatic "Geartronic" transmission, but make no mistake, there's still plenty of old-school Volvo in the PUV.

Take, for instance, the Roll Stability Control (RSC), and other features of the impressive safety package include head curtain airbags for all three rows of seats. An "incredible" Dolby Pro Logic surround sound stereo system also makes the PUV cut.

Another eye-catching Ovlov was the Evolve Volvo S40, obviously based on the marque's S40 small sedan. Powered by a turbocharged 5-cylinder engine, the Evolve S40's engine has been "extensively modified" according to Volvo, with a larger turbo that has been repositioned away from the intake manifold (where it normally resides in the stock car).

Together with other powertrain tweaks, the shiny silver Euro-thrasher churns out roughly 310kW of power to all four wheels, or about 425 horsepower. It'd take one very mean Subaru WRX to take on this Scandinavian.

The Evolve S40 also gets a more extroverted look to combine with its stronger performance, including a custom Silver and Titanium metallic paint treatment and a "tastefully crafted" bodykit. It sits on massive 19-inch lightweight wheel rims that openly display 15-inch disc brakes clamped by high-performance 8-piston aluminium brake calipers.

General Motors

The General doesn't mess around when SEMA rolls around every year, and in 2004 it exhibited nearly 40 production, concept and brand-directed vehicles targeted at enthusiasts in every segment, plus many more singular parts and accessories.

The world's largest car maker is also keen on helping vehicle customisers to develop their own aftermarket components specifically for General Motors vehicles.

Our Australian readers will instantly recognise General Motor's Pontiac GTO (pictured absolute top, right), shown with a big tyre and wheel package as well as a number of cosmetic body upgrades to give it more street appeal.

Nicknamed the Ram Air 6, it is finished in lurid orange paint job, sure to please those drivers who want a striking V8 coupe that stands out in the crowd.

Other tricked up vehicles, engines and accessories from the massive GM stable include:

The Buick Terraza crossover sport van with up market features such as 17-inch Chrome-tech wheels and a Harman-Kardon audio system.

Chevrolet explores new potential for its hallowed SS badge with a small-block V8 powered Colorado SS (king-cab ute/pickup truck) along with stylised special editions of the Cobalt SS Sedan and Cobalt SS Supercharged Coupe.

Two versions of the new sixth-generation C6 Corvette add high-performance components and styling features to the already pleasing package.

High-performance versions of the Silverado include one with cues derived from the Silverados that race in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and a Performance Diesel powered by the Duramax 6.6-liter V8. 20-inch chrome wheels are part of the customisation of the Suburban LTZ.

Two H2 SUV concepts – a Special Edition and Black Ops Edition – HUMMER reinforces its status as a top off-road performer wrapped in a premium package. Premium features like chrome wheels, carbon fibre interior trim, a rear vision camera and the HotShot wiper system bring the Special Edition to a higher level of luxury, while the Black Ops concept takes the H2 in a “stealthy” direction with “black chrome” accessories that match its black exterior paint and ebony interior.

Saab enters the premium sport compact segment with the 2005 9-2X, available as a 227hp (168kW) turbocharged 2.0-litre Aero and a 165hp (123kW) 2.5-litre Linear. Saab's 9-2X Aero show car sits on a lowered chassis and is fitted with lightweight 17-inch BBS rims, a ProDrive stainless steel sport exhaust system and a short-throw shifter topped by a Momo-designed shift knob.

New small-block: Marking the 50th anniversary of the legendary small-block, GM Powertrain showcased its new 5.3-litre LS4 V8 engine, which will debut in the 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix GXP. The LS4 V8 represents that first time that the small-block will be offered in a front-wheel-drive car. Torque steer will be mad. It delivers 90 percent of torque from 1500rpm to 5600rpm, with 'surprising economy' according to GM.

Chrysler

Another large American automaker, Chrysler, created a special a group of in-house enthusiasts whose job it is to create the company's numerous modifications for its large range of vehicles.

Called the SkunkWerks team, it is made up of designers, engineers, marketers and product planners who showed off half-a-dozen new SkunkWerks vehicles at the 2004 SEMA show in Las Vegas.

Creating a number of engine and body mods - including upgrades for the likes of the PT Speedster (PT Cruiser's brother), the Crossfire and the Jeep Cherokee - is all in a days (or rather months) work for the SkunkWerks team, and as lead Skunkmeister Ralph Gilles said, some of its wilder designs even go on to become fully fledged production vehicles.

"The Chrysler Group SkunkWerks team combines the best of engineering discipline with the excitement and pizzazz of the creative process," said Ralph Gilles – Director of Interior/Exterior Product Design and leader of the SkunkWerks team.

"The result is a selection of one-off custom vehicles that may be considered dream applications, or test beds, for future vehicle and Mopar Performance parts ideas."

"The purpose is to stretch imaginations and gauge consumer interest," Gilles continued. "We do that through our SkunkWerks interpretations – and those of our SEMA partners who work with our Image Team – pushing the envelope with Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles.

"At Chrysler Group, our goal is to be the leader in performance and design. Vehicles that we showcase at SEMA demonstrate that we're doing just that."

First up is the PT Speedster, which was developed by, and for, true hot rod enthusiasts. It is equipped with a Borla dual exhaust, and generates 235 horsepower or 173kW courtesy of the Stage 1 Turbo Upgrade kit and the PT Cruiser's evil twin is further enhanced with race-bred slotted disc brakes with twin-piston calipers.

It also looks more aggressive than its van-like sibling with a lowered suspension, courtesy of a Mopar Performance Stage 2 coilover suspension kit and 18-inch custom wheels are wrapped in Bridgestone Fusion ZRi P235/40R18 tires.

Other features include a sway bar kit, turbo boost gauge, blow-off valve and Hurst short-throw shifter and a unique bonnet scoop hints at its performance potential, while Katzkin leather seats and custom two-tone black over red paint adds to the dramatic appearance of the Chrysler PT Speedster.

Next up from the SkunkWerks team is a 298 kilowatt (400 horsepower) supercharged version of the 3.2-litre V6 found in the Chrysler Crossfire SRT6. Along with its blown and bent six, the lightweight Chrysler Crossfire Drifter, as it's called, features a variety of “drift-oriented” modifications. Just quickly, drifting it where you round a circuit or section of a circuit with the rear wheels constantly spinning, so you 'drift' along. Great fun to watch.

The Crossfire Drifter's extreme stance is highlighted by a full body kit that includes a front and rear fascia with integrated ground effects, an air dam and a carbon fibre wing. A 'chopped' windshield adds street cred to the Drifter, while a custom dual exhaust rounds out the performance enhancements.

Inside, Sparco has contributed a shifter, steering wheel, racing seats and pedals, while ultra-light BBS wheels, Michelin competition tyres and a special RennTech limited slip rear differential are also included.

Last but not least is the Jeep Grand Cherokee Mojave, a 4x4 equipped with massive 22-inch wheels and 5.7-litre Hemi V8 powerplant.

Looking for all the world like a bad-boy mafia mobile, what with the matte-black hood and corresponding accents, the Cherokee Mojave also features a functional “offroad enthusiast bumper” that includes a winch and tow hooks to get you out of sticky situations.

There were a number of other honourable mentions that we couldn't cover in time, including a range of lovingly spruced-up Hondas, such as the Acura RL (or Honda Legend) 'A-Spec' - Gran Turismo fans rejoice!

The retro-cool Ford Shelby GR-1 was also on show, which you can read (and see) all about here.

Ford had quite a presence at the SEMA show (it was the major sponsor), and it's stand-alone modular engines proved to be quite popular.

Dumping these 'modular' engines in old school hot rod bodies is really taking off, with Ford saying the "reliability and the great specific horsepower output make the mod engines a great choice".

The hot rod pictured won a SEMA engineering award for it's all new hotrod body with functional convertible top for its manufacturer, 'Hot Rods and Horsepower' (HR&H). ASC helped to build the hot rod with HR&H and decided upon a Ford Racing 4.6-litre engine and transmission combination.

Ford's new Mustang was also in many shapes and forms at the SEMA show, one of which was called the Ford Mustang Boy Racer, featuring twin red GT stripes on a white body, and with all the trimmings, such as new front and rear aprons, a bonnet scoop, 'drifting' wing, Cobra seats, fat wheels, Brembo brakes, a Whipple supercharger and much more, all of which will be distributed by Ford Racing Performance in the US.

Hyundai's Tiburon K-Daddy'z Kustomz was a rather eye-opening affair, while Mitsubishi's Galant Ralliart could hint at what the next generation Aussie-built Magna (codenamed Phoenix) will look like.

Christopher J. Kersting, SEMA's president and CEO, summed up the show's theme: "The baby boomer generation grew up with muscle cars – a lot of them never stopped lusting after power under the hood and raised children with the same passion for performance. The 2004 SEMA Show indicates that both the muscle car and the industry within which the auto enthusiast thrives have given them what they've been wanting for a long time."

And whether it's a retro Hot Rod powered by a Ford V8, or a 300+ kilowatt turbocharged 5-cylinder Volvo S40 with 8-pot brake calipers, the contemporary muscle car is without a doubt alive and well.

About SEMA: SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association, was founded in 1963, and represents the $29 billion specialty automotive industry of 5,727 member companies. It is the authoritative source for research, data, trends and market growth information for automakers and the specialty auto products industry. The industry provides appearance, performance, comfort, convenience and technology products for passenger and recreational vehicles. SEMA.org