One of the cars that really stood out to us at the 2011 SEMA Auto Show was this particular Porsche 911 (964) that was jointly built by two industry heavyweights, Mark Arcenal of Fatlace and RWB’s very own, Nakai-san.
The creation, called the RWB Porsche 911 Pandora One, is a testament to the highly influential skills of the two car builders. Before any modifications took place, RWB and Fatlace stripped down the car and all of its road equipment to give way for a new racing set-up, including a new full roll-cage. After that, two Recaro Pro-Racer SPG seats were installed and fitted along with Stack gauges. In addition, the 964’s exterior was treated to a full compliment of aerodynamic parts courtesy of Rauh-Welt Begriff, highlighted by the enormous wing on the rear of the sports race car. Other touches done on the 964 include a satin green paint finish by TNT, new KW V3 coilovers to replace the car’s standard springs and shocks, and a new set of 18" RWB wheels built by Rotiform wrapped in Falken tires on the front and Azenis tires on the back.
One unique feature of the Pandora One is a special remote-operated hydraulic lift system built by KW called the HLS System. The set-up allows the Porsche to create as much as 1.75" of additional ground clearance with just a push of a button.
Meanwhile, the car’s race-spec engine was handled by FFTEC Motorsports, which in turn took the turbo engine and tuned it to produce 6psi of boost and 398 horsepower. While that number is what’s underneath the hood of the 911 for now, the car is expected to back into FFTEC’s Mustang dyno, where the company is looking into pulling out 15psi of boost. Figure that out and you’ll probably get an output that’s near the 550-horsepower area.
The 1957 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing is without question one of the most iconic vehicles in auto history so when you’re in the presence of one, it’s important to treat the car with utmost care and delicacy.
At the 2011 SEMA Auto Show, we saw a 300SL Gullwing at the BASF Booth, except that this particular one was fine-tuned by no less than Chip Foose/Foose Design in collaboration with the world leader in automotive OEM and refinish technologies. Before being sent off to Foose Design for the cursory aerodynamic improvements, BASF was already familiar with the 300SL, having spearheaded a restoration project that was actually featured in a 2008 episode of Dream Car Garage.
As far as Foose’s responsibility on the car was concerned, the man with the tuning Midas touch was tasked to give it some subtle, yet significant styling cues. To begin his work, Foose removed the 300SL’s front and rear bumpers, replacing them with custom fabricated units that have been redesigned to offer slimmer and more elegant trim. The company also took time to make enhancements on the rear bulge just above the rear wheel, making it symmetrical to the front wheel house bulge. The car’s grille and shell, together with the nose emblem, were all treated to minor modifications while the car’s new side trim was machined, milled, filed, and polished, just before undergoing final chrome plating. New headlights were also installed while the bezels were machined out of billet aluminum before being fit back to the front fenders. And finally, Foose outfitted the 300SL Gullwing with a clean set of Foose wheels wrapped in Pirelli P Zero Nero tires.
SEMA is different from just about every other major auto show on the planet. Its purpose is to shift focus from the automakers to the aftermarket companies that have become popular because of their custom works on some of the world’s most popular vehicles. Sure, some brands will be at the 2011 SEMA Auto Show showing off their works too, but for the most part, they share equal billing with the tuning companies.
Many vehicles had their time to shine in the SEMA spotlight, but none more so than the plethora of Camaros and Mustangs - and even the Mopar-tuned Challenger. Every year, there’s a number of muscle cars that are given the royal treatment in terms of tuning, and this year has been no different. Maybe it’s the Americans’ obsession with good ol’ fashioned muscle, or maybe it’s the fact that all of the major muscle car makers are US born and bred. Either way, it was muscle car mania in Vegas, and we were there to take them all in.
Check out our list of SEMA muscle cars after the jump!
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Italy has those Lamborghinis and the UK boasts of Lotus rides. Sure, they can have them. Here in our neck of the woods, law enforcement officials prefer less flash and more size. Something that won’t scare with you speed, but will send you quaking in your boots with pure intimidation.
This is the Ford F-150 DeeZee American Guardian and criminals should be very afraid of it.
Currently on display at SEMA, this gargantuan Ford F-150 comes with all the necessary law enforcement paraphernalia that makes it the moving embodiment of "law enforcement muscle."
The interior flashes a matte silver finish with an All-American logo emblazoned on both sides of the pick-up, fitting right to its unique moniker. It also has the customary police sirens on the roof and the front grille, as well as mammoth bull bars that make for a good ally during those ram-busting chase-downs. Other pertinent items added to the DeeZee American Guardian include a new set of BMF wheels wrapped in Goodyear tires, new AirRaid intake kit, a Magnaflow exhaust, and a HyperTech Max Energy tuning kit. This kit raises the output of the F-150’s 6.2-liter V8 to numbers that are significantly higher than the standard pick-up’s 411 horsepower and 434 lb/ft of torque output.
Finally, the law-enforcement pick-up receives an extensive Rockwell Collins Police Interceptor Kit that will allow a police officers to handle their crime-fighting business with all the gizmos and gadgetry that’s usually only reserved for law-enforcement duties.
After months of teasing, Chip Foose and WD-40 have finally unveiled their 2011 SEMA Cares charity car. After the Chevrolet Camaro and the Ford Mustang each had their turns in 2009 and 2010, the 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 gets its turn.
The vehicle, which was designed by legendary hot rod designer and TV star Chip Foose, comes with a distinctive look that pays tribute to the style of both Foose and WD-40. It comes with a custom two-tone, yellow-and-black BASF paint mixed by Chip Foose himself. It also has a Street Scene/Foose Design body kit, a Hotchkis suspension system, a Magnaflow exhaust, a new set of one-off MHT/Foose wheels, high-performance Brembo brakes, and WD-40-branded Katkzin upholstery, among other upgrades.
Under the hood of the Challenger is a 392-cubic-inch Hemi V8 engine that produces 470 horsepower and mated to a Tremec six-speed manual transmission.
“The WD-40/SEMA Cares Foose Challenger pays tribute to the technicians, aftermarket professionals and auto enthusiasts like Chip Foose who have trusted WD-40 Multi-Use Product to get the job done in their shops and garages,“ said Tim Lesmeister, vice president of marketing at WD-40 Company.
After it wows the crowd at the 2011 SEMA Auto Show, the WD-40/SEMA Cares Challenger will be auctioned off at the Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction from January 15-22, 2012 in Scottsdale, Ariz. Proceeds of the sale will go to Childhelp, an organization that provides services to abused and neglected children, and The Victory Junction Gang Camp, which provides life-changing camping experiences to special needs and chronically ill children.
"You’ve seen the Camaro and the Mustang with those beautiful WD-40 brand colors, and this year we’re going to build something that will turn even more heads," Foose said. "I can’t wait to build it, drive it and then auction it off for a great cause at Barrett-Jackson."
