We're not going to bore you with the obvious. Most know the economy sucks and that the automotive business in particular has taken a decisive hit, and that includes the aftermarket.
At the 2009 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas this week, that meant fewer of everything – less cars, smaller booths, less attendees (both exhibiting and trolling), fewer booth girls, etc., etc.
Ok, so the bounty of new and interesting cars and parts is a tad smaller this year. Trust in your pals at UrbanRacer to find the diamonds in the rough.
Day 1 of the show was pretty easy, primarily because the auto manufacturers hogged the spotlight. No less than a half dozen OEMs had press conferences to kick off the event, of which we found salient material at three: Honda, Hyundai and Toyota. Ford also had its Fiesta and a Focus RS sitting in its booth, but its press conference revealed little about either platform (Ford seemed more interested in pushing its Mustang and trucks).
HONDA
To celebrate its 50th year in America, the big H dusted off some classic motorsports machinery, namely a 1974 Civic that competed in SCCA and a 1984 CR-X MUGEN "prototype." The cars shared focus with a bank of old Indy car engines, a modern open-wheel racer from the IndyCar series, and word of Honda's new bid to support grassroots competitors, including those interested in running in Formula F (we reported as much back in late July: http://www.urbanracer.com/articles/anmviewer.asp?a=3912&z=2).
The big news for Mr. Street Tuner is the new MUGEN grip Honda will be hawking. Already MUGEN-izing the current-gen. Civic Si and Fit, owners of the latest Accord can now get in on the action. At the press conference, a 2010 Accord Sedan equipped with MUGEN accessories was revealed, along with the list of parts that will be available: 18-inch wheels, front sports grille, front under-spoiler, side spoiler, rear under-spoiler, sports floor mats, machined aluminum oil filler cap and a distinctive front emblem.
HYUNDAI
The Genesis was again the focus of the press conference, and Rhys Millen again played a big role in the presentation, pulling the wraps off of his much anticipated mid-engine 4.6L V8 RM640 Coupe. In addition, the aftermarket-ready Genesis Coupe 2.0T R-Spec made its debut, as did GReddy's take on the Genesis.
The V8 in Millen's project car is from a Genesis sedan and mated to a Mendeola S5 sequential gearbox. Motor mods consist of a set of JE slugs that raise compression from 10.4:1 to 11.0:1 and ITB induction. Millen is also upgrading with a KW coil-overs.
GReddy's X-Gen Street Genesis Coupe transforms one of the two-liter turbo variants with a turbo upgrade kit, front-mounted intercooler kit, a SE Spectrum Elite cat-back exhaust system, MX racing downpipe, and Type-S fully adjustable coil-over suspension. GReddy six-pot forward and four-pot rear brake calipers are on the hubs, while exterior enhancements consist of an aero lip spoiler, carbon-fiber hood, rear spoiler, Volk Racing G2 wheels shod in Toyo rubber, and graphics created in collaboration with artists from Hyundai's North American Design Center in Irvine, Calif.
TOYOTA
Sandwiched in between project truck announcements, Toyota unveiled the unexpectedly fresh Billabong Ultimate Venza Concept, a chariot built by Eric Valdez and Street Image that received design guidance from skater Bucky Lasek and surfer Greg Long.
The Billabong Venza, designed as the ultimate action sports support vehicle, flosses a handful of typical tweaks - like its aggressive body kit, Enkei rims on Nitto rubber, fender flares, and TRD brakes - as well as a number of unconventional but clever mods. Street Image installed a front and rear hitch receiver and a Grinch Winch to pull wake boarders into waves or snow boarders and skaters across flat land to a jump or rail. Inside the seats are custom upholstered with wetsuit materials, and in the rear cargo area is a custom heated shower system with a 10-gallon capacity for rinsing off after surfing. The build totally made us rethink our less-than-favorable appraisal of the Venza.
Come on back tomorrow for more from SEMA 2009...
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