If we weren’t looking at this car with our very own eyes, we would have never believed that a Kia Optima Hybridcould look this good! Kia has pulled out all of the stops at this year’s SEMA Show with two very impressive update packages based on the hybrid sedan. First, was the Optima Hybrid Griffin and now, the USTCC Kia Optima Hybrid Pace Car.
The new USTCC Optima Hybrid Pace Car will replace the current Kia Soul as the official Safety Car of the USTCC. The car was developed in cooperation with GoGoGear.com and includes a free-flow air intake system, a Magnaflow exhaust system, a coil-over suspension kit to lower the ride height, a front splitter and rear wing, and lightweight wheels wrapped around performance tires.
All of those accessories are amazing in their own right, but the first thing we noticed on the car was the stunning custom color scheme, series graphics, and array of lighting. The Optima now benefits from a crisp black exterior with neon green graphics and a plethora of lighting, including LED auxiliary lights and HID headlight. The Optima Pace Car also has strobe lights and an LED light bar on the roof to help direct traffic while on duty.
The interior was also transformed to make the job easier with a 2,400-watt audio and video system and a DVD system with dual seven-inch monitors in the front-seat headrests and wireless headphones. The Optima was also given custom leather seats with green stitching to match the exterior trim color.
The USTCC Kia Optima Hybrid Pace Car will make its first USTCC appearance in March 2012.
Updated 11/09/2011: We have added real life images of the Kia Optima Hybrid USTCC Pace Car from its official debut on the SEMA floor. Find them in the picture gallery.
The SEMA Award’s "Hottest Car" title only came about a year ago and for its maiden year was handed out to the Chevrolet Camaro. This year, the "Hottest Car" Award was finally announced with the award going to...the Chevrolet Camaro. That’s right, in the two-year existence of the award, the Camaro has won both of them.
In recognizing the most accessory-friendly vehicle that’s based on the volume of aftermarket parts that are showcased at SEMA, it was pretty obvious that there clear choice for SEMA’s "Hottest Car" was the Chevrolet Camaro. It has been a hit since it first arrived in the market a few years ago, proving once again that it stands on a completely different level compared to just about any other vehicle on the market today.
“After more than two years on the market, the Camaro continues to inspire creativity and Chevrolet is thrilled to see that expressed in all the wonderfully personalized examples here at the SEMA Show,” said Chris Perry, vice president, Global Chevrolet Marketing and Strategy.
“[The] Camaro has always been a car customers love to personalize and we are doing all we can to support them and the aftermarket industry with parts and accessories that help turn their dreams into reality.”
Hatchbacks may not offer the same kind of thrill as sports cars and muscle cars. They also don’t have the utility of SUVs and pick-ups. Heck, they’re not so much for luxury, either. But at the 2011 SEMA Auto Show, hatchbacks will have their turn in the spotlight as a host of custom-modded hatches will be making their way to Las Vegas.
This list comprises most of the vehicles you’ll see. There are Scions iQs, Ford Fiestas, Ford Focus, and even a Lexus CT200h. Not only are these vehicles modded to the brim, but they also give us an idea on all the possibilities that come with aftermarket works being done on hatches.
The people who think that hatches aren’t cool enough should take a good look at this list and if they don’t change their minds, then they really need to check themselves before they wreck themselves.
But for those like us that enjoy modded hatchbacks, this list will tell us all the vehicles we need to look out for at the SEMA Auto Show.
Check out the 2011 SEMA Auto Show: Hatchbacks after the jump.
Full story
When the RS3 Focus by Roush Performance was officially revealed, we couldn’t help but be a little disappointed in the tuning firm’s choice of vehicle. A Ford Focus, seriously? However, just in time to redeem themselves in our book, Roush Performance turned to their first love for a bit of tuning action: a Ford Mustang. The special Stage 3 Premier Edition Mustang was developed in cooperation with Roush Fenway Racing team driver David Ragan and displayed in SEMA for all to see.
The Stage 3 Premier Mustang emblazoned the show floor with three different colors for the base vehicle, graphics, and graphic accents. The result is an impressive palette of unique color combination possibilities and the only standout feature from a standard Stage 3 Mustang kit. That’s right, the only additional features for this special Stage 3 are the colors. Under the hood, we still found a 5.0L 4-valve DOHC TiVCT engine equipped with a R2300 Roush supercharger to increase the total output to an impressive 540 HP. The Mustang also received a race-inspired Roush suspension and a Roush Performance tuned exhaust system from the original package.
"This is a show-quality, premier paint application process. All paint is hand-applied at our Roush Performance facilities in Livonia, Mich., along with technical support from the Sherwin-Williams team," said Roush. "It’s a tri-coat application that introduces subtle hues of reflective flaking into the paint so the colors really dance and bounce as the Premier Edition adjusts to the changing sunlight angles. It’s a very intense paint process, but we’ve got a winning formula to make these Mustangs look great!"
Check out full color choices after the jump.
Full story
For all of the tuning projects that have been done on the BMW 1-Series M Coupe, it seemed a little surprising that we haven’t heard a whole lot from the popular 1M at the 2011 SEMA Auto Show other than the ’Black Knight’ vehicle that RevoZport was building.
Apparently, a second 1M Coupe has officially booked its attendance in Las Vegas.
This one comes from renowned suspension specialists, H&R Springs, who built a program for the 1M Coupe that centers on a number of high-end performance parts. That’s not to say that they didn’t work on the car’s aesthetics because they did dress it up with some decals bearing the unmistakable M-Series livery to go with some sticky jewel graphics.
To give the car the perfect stance and performance handling of a true M-Series, H&R Springs provided it with its own Sport Suspension set-up that lowered the car by 1.2" on the front and 0.6" on the rear. H&R also added their own Sport Sway Bars on the front (27mm) and rear (23mm) of the sports car. These bars come with forged ends and are made from HF wire, a material that’s unique to the industry because it’s heat treated and shot peened. The last of H&R Springs’ performance parts is the Trak+ Wheel Spacers, installed to perfectly space the wheels and tires in fender wells, and allow for wheel clearance of the big Brembo calipers.
As for contributions made by its contemporaries, the 1M Coupe’s new 19" wheels were provided by BBS and its new Super RS wheels and has been fitted with Continental ExtremeContact DW tires. As for the Brembo brakes, H&R Springs opted to go with the Brembo GT 380mm Big Brake Kit with matching blue calipers from Custom Motorsport.
UPDATE 11/08/2011: We have added new images of the BMW 1-Series M Coupe by H&R Springs from its official debut at the 2011 SEMA Auto Show. Check them out in the picture gallery.
