SEMA Auto Show is organized each year by the Specialty Equipment Market Association. It takes place in Las Vegas, Nevada. This is the biggest modified cars show in the United States. The show is divided in 4 main attractions: hot rod and muscle car tuning, modified modern car, rims and finally innovative technology. It is a must see for anyone interested in car modification.
Next to the ILX "Street Build" Concept developed in cooperation with Evasive Motorsports, Acura has also unveiled the ILX Endurance Racer at the 2012 SEMA Show. This racer be will making its competition debut at next month’s 25 Hours of Thunderhill endurance race where it will compete against models like the Porsche GT3 and Mazda MX5 Miata.
The ILX Endurance Racer was built using a Acura ILX "body in white" bare chassis, with all the work done by Team Honda Research- West. The main focus was to reduce the vehicle’s weight and improve overall performance numbers. The race car still needed to include all of the safety equipments required by NASA, so Acura added a full roll cage, a Bride Gardis III race seat, an OMP competition steering wheel, a Schroth safety harness, Brockway Engineering D Gauge digital OBD2 gauges, and a Braille lightweight battery.
Exterior updates include a new set of Baja Designs LED lighting system for long winter night-running, a THR-W-designed front splitter, and an APR GTC-200 rear spoiler.
The Endurance Racer is powered by a K24Z7 engine mated to a 6-speed transmission. The engine’s cooling is ensured by new AEM air intakes and the luscious exhaust note will be enjoyed because of the custom-built AEM/120 Racing exhaust. The Acura ILX will also be equipped with a new set of Enkei RPF1 wheels fitted with BF Goodrich R1 race tires. Other updates include an H&R suspension, limited-slip differential, motor mounts, anti-roll bars, and rear upper suspension control arms.
If you thought that only muscle cars were the prime target for tuning packages destined for SEMA, you would be absolutely incorrect. Models like the Hyundai Genesis Coupe have also been equipped to turn some heads at the 2012 SEMA Show with some very impressive tuning packages. One of them belongs to the guys from FuelCulture - a website designed to make the research and buying process more effective and more efficient for the consumer.
Their project features a very cool Candy Apple Red paint finish and adds a few exterior updates that make the Genesis Coupe look even more aggressive. These additions include a new front bumper, a new carbon fiber trunk, a new rear lip, and new side skirts, as well as a rear kit that increases the car’s width by 50 mm. There is also a new set of 19" Rotiform IND wheels. Changes for the interior, have been kept to a minimum and include custom diamond stitched front and rear seats and door panels. There is also a new Rockford Fosgate audio system that will offer both the driver and the passengers the most amazing sound currently on the market.
Their Genesis Coupe Turbo Concept is powered by a 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine that delivers a total of 315 HP and 242 lbs-ft of torque. That’s quite an impressive update over the standard 274 HP. In order to obtain the extra power, they have added a new boost controller, worked on the ECU, and installed a new ARK DT-S exhaust system.
For their take on this Golf R, H&R Springs took the liberty of decking it out with a comprehensive program that really reflects on their capabilities as an aftermarket company.
It’s no secret that H&R Springs have the innate skill to not only complete a program like this, but to make it stand out from the rest of its peers. That was the mission with this program and they’ve certainly taken it to heart.
From the subtle exterior and interior improvements to the comprehensive chassis and suspension upgrades, H&R Springs really went out of their way to build a program for the Golf R that translates in any language, whether here in the US or over there in Europe.
Find out more about the H&R Springs’ program on the Volkswagen Golf R after the jump.
Hyundai and RE:MIX Lab have a long history of collaborations, including a number of offerings at the SEMA Auto Show. This year, the two companies are back at it again to introduce a special edition RE:MIX production Veloster that’s actually set to go on sale before the year ends.
While not as bombastic as some of their previous tie-ups, the special edition production Veloster does feature a number of modifications, including an aggressive sporty exterior appearance with a unique body kit, projector headlights with LED accents, rear LED taillights, fog lights, and a new set of 18" Unique gunmetal-finish alloy wheels.
Inside, the Veloster RE:MIX Edition carries a premium 450W Dimension audio system with 8 speakers and 8" subwoofers. Obviously, that’s part of the program considering that RE:MIX Lab is known for their celebration in the creativity of music. Other enhancements include a leather steering wheel and shift knob, an interior LED light kit, unique floor mats, and badges.
No engine upgrades were given to the Veloster RE:MIX Edition, which means that anybody interested in the car will have to "make do" with the Veloster’s 138-horsepower, 1.6-liter GDI DOHC 16-valve transverse-mounted inline 4-cylinder engine.
The revamped Veloster models are scheduled to hit Hyundai dealerships before winter and have been priced at $19,900 for the manual transmission model and $21,150 for the DCT model.
UPDATE 02/22/13: The Hyundai Veloster RE:MIX Edition has finally hit dealerships! Be sure to get your hands on one if you’re interested in the car!
You won’t see as many European cars on the SEMA show floor as their American counterparts, but that doesn’t mean that the cupboard is dry as far as Euro representation is concerned. One German model that’s making the trip to Vegas is the BMW 335i and it’s doing so by way of H&R Springs.
H&R Springs have really perfected the craft of building programs that may not look fancy from the outside, but completely overwhelm the rider once he straps on and goes for a ride in one of them.
That’s what they managed to accomplish with their set-up of this BMW 335i. There’s nothing on the outside that makes you think somebody did work on it, but once you get inside and feel the improved handling dynamics of the car, you’ll be convinced that this car was provided with an upgrade.
That’s the beauty of H&R Springs. They’re not about the style; they’re about the substance.
Find out more about H&R Springs’ program for the BMW 335i after the jump
Dubbed the "Cosworth Genesis Racing Series," Cosworth’s program for the Korean sports car sees plenty of upgrades, including custom satin and gloss blue bodywork that matches well with the carbon fiber components in the front bumper with integrated carbon fiber brake ducts, side skirt lip, front splitter, integrated trunk spoiler, and rear diffuser. There’s also a new set of custom Cosworth Edition wheels with logo and hood graphics that finish off the exterior modifications.
Moving on to the interior, Cosworth gave the Genesis Coupe with a two-tone interior treatment, two-tone sports seats, a new special steering wheel, a new shift knob, a shift boot, and pedals to the overall set-up.
Finally, there’s the engine modification, which includes a retuned ECU, an improved thermal management system, an optimization of the induction and exhaust systems, a new suspension set-up, enhanced engine control parameters, and new brakes. All told, the Cosworth Genesis Racing Series hits an increased output of 389 horsepower and 325 lb/ft of torque.
“The rear-drive Genesis Coupe is simply a great platform from which to build our ultimate Cosworth Genesis Racing Series street model,” Nicole Armbrustmacher, director of marketing, Cosworth Americas said.
UPDATE 10/31/2012: The Hyundai Genesis Coupe "Cosworth Genesis Racing Series" by Cosworth made its official debut at the 2012 SEMA Show. Check out the picture gallery to see a new set of high res images.
Hyundai is continuing to unveil their line-up for the 2012 SEMA Auto Show with the addition of an unbelievable Elantra GT developed in cooperation with Bisimoto Engineering. We say unbelievable because the tuning company has managed to scoff at the standard model’s modest 148 HP and juice up the engine to produce a mind-boggling 602 HP.
How did they achieve this amazing output? Bisimoto Engineering got to work adding Arias pistons, Bisimoto con-rods, a Turbonetics turbocharger, AEM water-methanol injection, and Bisimoto high-pressure injectors. As a result, the 1.8-liter “Nu” engine now delivers 602 galloping ponies for this little hatchback. In order to handle the extra power, the Elantra GT was also equipped with a new set of 18" wheels combined with a progress coilover suspension and sway bar.
Even though the engine upgrade is enough for any Elantra GT owner to drop significant cash on this investment, Bisimoto also added some exterior modifications to sweeten the pot. These mods include an ARK custom body kit and a Gatorwrap custom laminated body wrap. For the interior, the tuner added a JFN full roll cage, Bisimoto racing seats, and harnesses, all very much needed with the monstrous engine upgrade.
UPDATE 10/30/2012: The new Hyundai Elantra GT Concept by Bisimoto Engineering just made its official debut at the SEMA Show, so we have added a new set of images, a new video, and new details on this astonishing concept car.
Hit the jump for more details on the Hyundai Elantra GT Concept by Bisimoto Engineering.
The Korean automaker’s sporty hatchback has become an aftermarket favorite since it was released and one performance parts manufacturer in particular, has set its sights on the Veloster for the second year in a row.
This year, ARK Performance came out to SEMA with a new take on the Veloster, called the "Alpine" Concept. It’s so named because ARK claims the car is catered for snow sports enthusiasts, in large part because of the focus to turn the Veloster into a winter-ready sports car.
The name itself says it all, but if there’s still any skepticism as to how this Veloster can be prepped as a snow-ready sports hatch, the addition of a Yakima Snowboard Rack and custom wind guard, OME SDS snowboard, bindings and boots, Reverb Rockers Snowboards, Gold Snowboards, Rally Armor mud flaps, Folsom boots, Memphis boots, Targa G3 bindings, and Strut G1 bindings are a pretty good indication. Finally, the car also received a new set of 18" Rays Gramlight 57Xtreme wheels painted in silver and wrapped in Nitto INVO 255/35/18 tires.
Meanwhile, the interior, with its JPM Coachworks “Alpine Edition” interior includes materials like leather, Alcantara, and WeatherTek breathable fabric also gives credence to the Alpine Concept name. Custom seats, a new steering wheel, a new instrument panel, an armrest, headliner, visors, and an NRG short hub and quick release were also added.
Most importantly, though, is the performance upgrade. ARK Performance installed a Nitrous Express Proton Kit to go with its very own ARK Veloster Turbo exhaust system, giving the Veloster Alpine a stout output of 232 horsepower and 240 lb/ft of torque, a significant increase from the production model’s 201-horsepower and 195 lb/ft of torque output.
UPDATE 10/31/2012: The new Hyundai Veloster "Alpine" Concept by ARK Performance made its official debut at the SEMA Show. Check out the new set of images in the picture gallery.
With seemingly every automaker outside of Europe getting into the groove at the 2012 SEMA Auto Show, Mazda isn’t going to be left in the sidelines on this one.
The Japanese automaker is on hand in Las Vegas with a steady diet of customized CX-5 SUV’s, beginning with the CX-5 Dempsey.
In case there’s any confusion with what the name is alluding to, it apparently points to one Patrick Dempsey, the hotshot Hollywood actor who also moonlights as a Mazda driver in the Grand-Am series.
In dressing up the CX-5 Dempsey, Mazda opted for a glossy Grey Anatomy paint base with matching strips of Brilliant Black. Adding to the appeal of the SUV are Luminous Red graphic lines with Bright White borders and Black Mica matte finish details on the tailgate that run across the lower portion of the SUV. The CX-5 also carries a Thule Atlantis rooftop cargo box and a bike rack that carries a pretty sick performance called the Specialized Bicycle S-Work Tarmac racing cycle. Yep, that’s the same one used by Russian Olympian Alexander Vinokourov when he raced to the gold medal at the London Summer Games in July 2012. In addition, the specialized CX-5 sits on a set of 20" Mazda Design-customized black chrome alloy wheels wrapped in Michelin Latitude Sport all-season tires. Each wheel, in particular, displays a single double-spoke in glossy Luminous Red, a color that Mazda only uses in limited edition cars.
At the rear of the CX-5 Dempsey, you’ll find the S-Works Tarmac SL4 Red that comes with a Carbon Satin carbon fiber frame with Red Keyline highlights and secured by a Thule T2 carrier.
Inside, there’s plenty of modifications to go around, too. Black perforated leather inserts come with gray aniline leather bolsters and red accents. This three-way color scheme is an allusion to the SUV’s dynamic exterior body colors. The interior also received a leather overload with Luminous Red stitching while the full-length decorative panel was custom painted in glossy Brilliant Black with a matching single Luminous Red outline and a Bright White vehicle model imprint.
A car like the Audi A7 is one of those models that’s ripe for an aftermarket project. The timing’s right, too, because the 2012 SEMA Auto Show has just opened its doors. Noted aftermarket company H&R Springs is a fixture at SEMA, and this year, they’re bringing along a number of project cars, including the A7 four-door luxury sports car.
Building impressive car projects is something the H&R Springs has made a habit of. It’s no different with this A7 after the tuning firm did the work to turn it into a bonafide, custom-tuned luxury sports sedan.
Best be advised, though. If you’re expecting something over-the-top, this model is far from it. But where it lacks in eye-popping design, it sure makes up for in improved performance and strengthened handling characteristics.
At the end of the day, those things are what’s important for H&R Springs. Leave the fancy at the door and bring the practicality out.
Find out more about H&R Springs’ program for the Audi A7 after the jump.
