SEMA 2011 - Day 2

Day 2 of SEMA - I was late today due to some personal appointments in the a.m. I got 2/3 through the upper  floor of the South Hall - Trucks, SUVs & Off-Road. Back again tomorrow but first some pics and at the end a little run down of what struck me.






 A VW pickup?
 No it's not a ramp but a pull-down tray.
 I don't see an engine; do you see an engine? How about a F-450 electric truck?



 An electric car.

 That may look like an off-road racer, and it is but it's junior size.


 Strap your board on the back of your Fiat 500.
The upstairs of the South Hall is full of just about everything for your truck or SUV. Suspension parts abound, there were more winch exhibitors than I even knew existed, bed liners, spray on beds, tie downs, tow ropes, you name it it was there.

The strangest exhibitor was Richard Heene (aka Balloon Boy's dad) hawking his "HEENE DUTY" lifting device. I have no idea why you need something to lift things into your pickup truck (how do you life it onto the HEENE DUTY?) but he did seem hyped by the process of selling. He moves a mile a minute and from what I gathered he never stopped.

One of the things I am amazed by is the large contingent of exhibitors from Asian countries. Some of their exhibits were lackluster but their products seemed fine. There were also more than a few Australians selling stuff for their "utes" - they seem to take their off-roading very seriously.

Although most of my pictures are of vehicles they are not my primary focus at the SEMA Show. It seems like so many media representatives spend their time at the auto makers exhibits but this is a trade show and I'm here to see what the buyers are here to see - the products and services they will use in their businesses.

There are a few things that are beyond me. One is all the custom cars painted with a kind of matte finish. I just don't get it. Paint used to be beautiful, have some depth. Now it seems people pay big money to have their cars painted in a semi-flat color. Bruce shakes his head.

Then there are all the "bagged" vehicles. I understood the cars that hop but these bagged cars either sit on the ground or ride like they have no suspension. Why? And why so many?

And lastly, when will the oversize wheels and tires go out of fashion? Does the world really need 40" wheels? Caricature drawings of cars like that have been around since Big Daddy Roth, now it seems like everyone has to have ridiculously humongous wheels and tires on their car. It doesn't always work and it is monkey see, monkey do.

I'm heading back tomorrow to finish the upper floor and the lower floor of the South Hall.

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