Is big and shiny. The
50th annual Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association features everything
you can imagine in an automotive aftermarket and OEM trade show. Everyone is
there with all their products and it's overwhelmingly amazing. Walking ten
miles a day to see everything is not an exaggeration. The tag line this
election years domestic vehicle dominated event is, "We Built This".
One wonders if that isn't a coincidence.
Attending as a social
media ambassador for Shell, I was extremely fortunate to take part of in this
bucket list event. Shell had a huge outdoor tent, stage, walk-in display
trailer and vehicles with numerous displays and expert staff on hand full of
factoids and cool, useful information. Numerous automotive celebrities were
interviewed live on stage as well as Sung Kang unveiling his 1972 Ford
Maverick, Project Underdog.
One of the main products
promoted is the Shell and Pennzoil synthetic oils with Pure Plus technology. The
patented Pure Plus synthetic oil technology makes it the cleanest burning oil
due to its purity. Check out pictures my Facebook page of the varnish-free
interior engine of the Ford Fusion with 75,000 miles with 5k oil change
intervals. Pretty amazing.
The V-Power Nitro +
gasoline display featured a Dodge Charger that had one cylinder bank using
Shell V-Power Nitro+ premium gasoline and any available brand on the other
side. With the borescope it clearly showed how there were less deposits and
corrosion on the valves on the side used exclusively with Shell gasoline. Proven
to reduce corrosion, wear and deposits in the engine, up to 60% less deposits
on the valves by weight in a single tank full. It's time to switch to
Shell.
The stage featured
numerous appearances from notables like Joey Logano, John Hennessy and many
more.
Besides the obvious
draw of top notch vehicles on display there were also the Shell/Pennzoil race
cars like Joey Logano's #22 NASCAR, Leah Pritchett’s Top Fuel dragster. A brief
4 question quiz won a pair of Mechanics Gloves and there were lots of hat and
shirt giveaways. Notably a numerous tool sets, $100 gift cards, a four post lift and a Mini Clubman were featured raffle prizes totaling nearly $70,000 during the event and also a Camaro SS modified by Tommy Pike Customs previewed for next year! Check out the Shell
website here: http://www.shell.us/business-customers/lubricants-for-business/sema-experience.html#
Mitchell and Grant,
members of the Mater Dei High School team that won the Shell Eco-Marathon
Challenge by hypermiling their innovative, aerodynamic vehicle were on hand as
well. 901mpg due to light weight of under 210lbs, inboard carbon fiber wheels
and more. So well thought out the little Yamaha 50cc scooter engine hardly had
to run at all. Brilliant. http://www.materdeisupermileage.com/urban-concept-elroy.html
Ok the cars. And
trucks. There were literally fleets of lifted trucks with incredible
suspension, wheel and tire modifications along with other equipment and
paint/wrap jobs. Despite being miserable street vehicles, they showed
spectacularly. Huge, mechanical, the nuts and bolts of automotive-dom. In a
way, like the nakedness of a motorcycle except the engines had to be viewed
from below.
The other most
frequently seen vehicles overall were stanced and many with bolted on bodywork.
Sadly looking like broken-axled versions of their former selves with amateurish
bodywork, they nonetheless featured some cool finishes, engine modifications
and wheels. Mustangs, Challengers and Subaru BRZs seemed the most popular
display cars. Lesser in numbers were Camaros, Nissan GT-Rs and various
Lamborghini's. Even rarer were McLarens and Ferrari 458s and 488s. There were
two LaFerrari and I believe two Porsche 918s. No P1 or other hypercars. I saw
one Toyota Supra. My have times changed.
Near Shell outside
there were notable displays by BF Goodrich, Accuair and many more with the
constant glorious sounds of drift vehicles putting on an all-day exhibition.
Ken Bock in the Ford Mustang GT350R drifting exhibition was a the best
soundtrack ever for a car show.
The North Hall was
mostly accessories, shop tools, lifts, paint and paint booths, wraps, etc. The
display cars were top notch including a Ferrari F12tdf and quite a few custom
motorcycles.
The Central Hall is
where the big names were. BMW, Ford and Chevrolet had large performance
displays along with Toyota. Others like Magnaflow, Paxton, Factory Five and
many more were there, far too numerous to list.
The South Hall
upstairs was all trucks and truck oriented gear and accessories. If it needed
to be lifted, off road, or trail equipped, modified and hit the outback, this
was your floor. Weathertech was there with a Singer Porsche too. If I had a
truck, this would be the place to be.
There were Booth Babes
galore but the South Hall first floor level was where they really showed off
their "style". Not coincidentally this was the wheel and tire vendors
were. This wasn't just performance and pickup/SUV truck tires, but semi,
forklift and other industrial tires. The further back one walked, the brands became
totally unfamiliar to the car enthusiast.
Next to the South Hall
were the tents for the overflow of vendors. Carbon fiber wheels ($3000 each),
Paasche airbrush where my father, Theodore Eckaus was the Sales Director, car
covers, and you name it. Behind those tents was another drift display and
exhibition rides, mostly BMWs from what I observed, moving fast but not even
remotely as cool sounding as the domestic V-8 machines in the front.
The Automotive
Aftermarket Products Expo had a show at the Sands Hotel convention center which
was more of a "traditional" show in this trade show veteran’s
opinion. No music, lower key and it was like a show for suppliers to O'Reilly,
Pep Boys & NAPA. OEM suppliers for parts you've heard of and some you never
had. Shop suppliers, lifts, etc.
The banquet award
dinner was held at Westlake Casino and Hotel. It was enormous with seemingly hundreds
of tables. First rate video production, a live band and two professional presenters
honored the accomplishments over the last fifty years. The 2016 Hall of Fame
inductees were Matt Agosta, Chip Foose and Gary Hooker. Other honorees were
recognized as well:
Person of the Year –
Tim Martin, K&N Engineering Inc.
Manufacturer of the
Year: WeatherTech
GEN-III Innovator
Award – Jonathan Mill, Keyway Innovations
Manufacturers’ Rep
Agency of the Year – Kunzman & Associates
WD of the Year – Turn
14 Distribution Inc.
Access to the outside
displays was open to all, but on Friday bleachers are set up to watch the cars
leave, the event is called SEMA Ignited. Somewhat reminiscent of Goodwood but I
bet a lot louder…
SEMA 2016 vehicle
photos here:
Shell
vehicles:
