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2006 SEMA Show: Automotive Street Style!
Last year, we raved about the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) aftermarket mecca. Back at it in 2006, the weeklong convergence of car culture in Las Vegas continues to be the number one stunna for car enthusiasts worldwide. With 2,000 vehicles, over 100,000 attendees, and more than 10,000 booths spread across one million square feet of Las Vegas Convention Center show space, a frenzy of accessories, stars, glitz and performance parts make SEMA the reigning king of all car shows. If it's on the road, you'll find it at SEMA. That's why Automotive Rhythms pulled out the stops as we held down our own with two booths, four vehicles, endless Rennen rims, a cadre of team members, Shell V-Power gas cards and a film crew to show and tell while bringing our “rhythm” to the Vegas flow.
Tamara's take:
This year, the automakers jumped in deeper for a slice of the $34 billion aftermarket buzz. In all, 15 vehicle manufacturers had a presence at SEMA. Ford's presence was strategically aligned with SEMA style -- bigger is better, taking up one of the central walkways. In one of the few places where gas consumption is not something to be ashamed of, the massive F-250 Superchief balked with its supercharged V-10 that runs on gasoline, E85 ethanol blend, or hydrogen. It's designed for passengers who live large with suicide doors and reclining lazy-boy style seats.
 Ford's sibling Volvo captured the affection of the tuner crowd, who marveled at the well-groomed C30 hatchbacks that had Formula-One power and sleek designs to match. Evolve wowed them with a 2.5-liter 507-horsepower engine with cool suspension and brake modifications to keep the system tight, and upped the anticipation for Volvos with a little bit of fire in their belly. Vintage hotrods added classic Scandinavian style. Volvo's look was a good one, with an impending Las Vegas launch of their flagship S80 sedan that helped media focus in on their brand. The new 2007 full-size luxury is Volvo's first sedan to offer a V8 engine ($47,350). You can also opt for the inline 6-cylinder which starts at $38,705. Each engine is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission with Geartronic sequential shifting.
Kimatni's perspective:
On the flip Ford's nemesis GM also got down with SEMA in a major way. Since the theme of the show was “40 Years of American Muscle” Chevy arrived with its Camaro of the future. If it hits the market as is, the Chevy will be back in business. Smoky burnouts will be as prevalent as turkeys on Thanksgiving.
 Moving on, another GM offspring gave a group of SEMA media some shock therapy when they unveiled 11 flipped versions of the Buick Lucerne CXS by industry tuners. “Yes, it's a Buick” was the baffling state of mind we were all left in after the Buick unveiling to some interesting violin play by two man duo “Nuttin but Stringz.” Yet, the sweetest Lucerne was the Signature Series by D3 Design & Engineering of Signal Hill, Cali. D3 came off heavy with a horsepower increase to 325-horsepower from the 275 horses in the Northstar V8. It also featured a custom mesh grille, black chrome finish emblems, front chin spoiler, twin stainless steel exhausts, and spins on staggered TIS 22x9s in the front and 22x10s in the rear. Lucerne comes in CX, CXL V6, CXL V8 or CXS trims. “This amount of interest demonstrates Lucerne's appeal among the trend makers as well as the trendy,” said Buick General Manager Steve Shannon. “Lucerne certainly has made people think differently about Buick.” It's all a part of ploy for Buick to target the urban demographic in order to increase sales. To bring back the resilience of the aging brand Buick needs the support of influencers found in various urban demos. Are 11 beefed up Lucernes the answer? It's a start. But there needs to be a massive movement to draw attention. Tuners are good at what they do, but they don't touch the heart of the community. Pricing for the 2007 Lucerne begins at $26,265.
Tamara:
That's not to stay that SEMA lacked fashion sense. Cadillac flipped it with designer Dana Buchman's personalized SRX, with rich silk and leather interior that will give your girl's closet a run for her money. And just to keep it extravagant, the DUB edition baby blue Cadillac EXT kept it riding high on 26” inch wheels.
Kimatni:
Yeah, larger rims are nice for show and make for sweet photos but anything over 22” is impractical. AR even had 26s' on a 2007 GMC Yukon. But no way would I put the vehicle on the highway. To go over and beyond Pirelli launched a 30” tire which fits on the HUMMER H2. What was that 80s sitcom comedian actress Nell Carter was famed for? “Gimme a Break!” Talk about the propensity of a rollover. Plus you'll be replacing your 30” chrome every time you hit a pothole. Unless you're driving slower than molasses rolling down a hill. And Hummers are made for rock crawling!
Tamara:
Chrysler stepped up to the plate with the Dodge Challenger Super Stock, 392-horsepower strong and a funky twist with the Dodge Nitro Panel Wagon.
 Kimatni:
Ooh, the Dodge Challenger concept was just the sweetest thing. African-American rock-star designer Ralph Gilles, VP of Design for Jeep & Truck was on hand to showcase the vehicle along with other design notables. Ralph's coming out party in the design world was with 300C. Currently he's been assigned the task of restyling Chrysler's minivan platform and next the Dodge Ram truck. “A lot of efficiencies have been gained” said Gilles.
 Tamara:
But what's sweetened the vibe at SEMA is the impact the music and entertainment industry has had on the industry. Hip Hop and SEMA came together after show hours, on Wednesday with the flyest parties in full effect. Hosted by DJ Clue, the DUB concert party at the Beach with Def Jam Records represented to the fullest. In a small venue, the excitement was palpable among showgoers with no signs of fatigue. Ghostface pumped up the crowd with Wu-Tang Clan charisma and a tribute to ODB. Young Jeezy repped for the young Gs “ATL” style. Nas, on the brink of dropping his Def Jam debut “Hip Hop is Dead,” closed the night with a set of his classics from “Made You Look” to “One.” Down the street, Big Tigger hosted the Rides/King magazine party with Datwan and the crew.
 Kimatni:
Also in attendance at SEMA was Ice-T and his eye candy wifey Coco who were promoting his new album and her new calendar; Big Tigger was marketing his rim line and Jay Leno introduced a 650-horsepower supercar concept, the EcoJet, with GM's top designer Ed Welburn. Model Tyson Beckford was also in attendance.
 As previously mentioned, AR was down with Rennen Rims and showed a 2007 Audi S8, 2007 BMW M6 with a STRUT grille, 2007 Aston Martin DB9 Volante, and a 2007 GMC Yukon all sitting on Rennen rims with Hankook and Goodyear rubber. The AR/Shell V-Power girls were looking dandy while spreading the message that not all gasolines are the same. Akademiks clothing kept us looking fresh each day while Meguiar's maintained the fresh shine on our rims and rubber. Until next year, enjoy the photos!
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Nuttin But Stringz |
Kimatni @ Buick Unveiling |
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Big Tigger likes Shell |
One love to Nas |
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Kimatni & Big Tigger |
Tyson Beckford |
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ARtv Plays the Shell game |
Blazed III |
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Clear Rims |
Bugatti Veyron |
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Charles Barkley & Kimatni |
DJ PCutta |
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Ican |
Gas Diamonds |
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Kimatni, Ice-T & Coco |
STRUT's Lucette |
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