SEMA Motor Show preview

With almost all major auto shows wrapped up, its now time for the tuner aftermarket to display wares that add the extra zing to production cars

2010 Chevrolet Camaro:

One of the most significant aspects of the 2008 SEMA Show will be the launch of the 2010 Chevy Camaro. The car has been formally announced as the ‘Official Vehicle of the Show’. This means that apart from its full bounty launch, the Camaro will also be seen in various avatars with aftermarket manufacturers displaying their own project vehicles.

Hyundai Genesis:

Hyundai has decided to go all out with its Genesis range not only in the luxury segment, but also within the tuner community. Seen at the SEMA show will be six project Genesis models – three saloons and three coupes. The coupes will be tuned individually by HKS, Rhys Millen and Street Concepts. While the prior two will boast of large turbo-induced engines, the latter will use the stock V6 engine with a cold-air induction kit mated to a tuned exhaust system by Magnaflow. One of the saloons will be worked on by the famous tuning house RKSport while the other two will be kept under wraps until the show starts. Hyundai aims at keeping all the six project vehicles as practical as possible to provide prospective customers an insight into the premium vehicle’s tuning capabilities.

Mercedes GLK:

Mercedes Benz’s GLK promotion tour will take a few days off at the SEMA show. On display will be four concept vehicles that adapt to the show’s theme. These include a hybrid Rally Racer show truck from RENNtech, a BRABUS tuned GLK300 Bluetec, a highly customized variant from Boulevard Customs and an off-road concept from Legendary Motor Cars.

Toyo Tires:

With ‘drifting’ gaining popularity by the day, thanks to events like Formula D, tyre manufactures have more than one reason to be a part of the SEMA show. Toyo Tires for one, has tied up with various tuning houses to make project vehicles that can highlight the application of Toyo’s tyres for drifting and track use. On display will be a Nissan GT-R tuned by Bulletproof Automotive running on limited edition BBS LM-DBK-P wheels shod with Toyo's 20-inch Proxes R888 tyres. Another highlight will be 650PS Lancer Evo X painted in Porsche GT3 RS colours.

Mopar/Dodge:

Mopar will showcase its fondness for the Dodge brand by showcasing some amazing project cars. Two of the most significant models however will be a Dodge Ram R/T concept and a Challenger. The Ram will display strength and aggression with a wide body kit, bed cover with a spoiler and lowered suspension over 22-inch muscle wheels. The Challenger on the other hand will get a Mopar Supercharger onto its SRT-8 engine with a boost to over 600PS of power. Expect the project vehicles to incorporate high flow exhausts, crazy wheels other intake options.

RONN Scorpion:

One of the most awaited unveilings at SEMA would be the RONN Scorpion. The car is said to use an innovative technology wherein water from an onboard tank is broken down to produce hydrogen, which in turn is mixed with fuel to efficiently return a mileage of more than 14 kmpl. The manufacturer claims to achieve sportscar performance with high fuel efficiency figures. With such hype backing it up, its launch at SEMA will be a highly awaited one.

Suzuki's 150 to be unwrapped soon...

Suzuki India will soon unwrap their 'new 150cc contender. The bike is said to be using the same 150cc enigne which revved under the Fiero F2. Since the licensing for the engine from TVS is now said to be expired, Suzuki will incorporate the mill in the new bike. And dont expect it to run for the R15 either, as the company is looking forward to a mass production commuter bike and not a performace machine. There is a word that the name 'Lanza' may also be dropped and 'GSR150' would be the new one - following Yamaha's footsteps for building on a known 'brand' like they did with the YZF series. The bike is said to be unveiled by the end of October (probably the 23rd) and will be slightly lesser in price than the TVS RTR carb.

NFS Scale Models!

World leader of scale models, Maisto, has tied up with Electronic Arts to bring you a complete range of scale models from the upcoming game, NFS:Undercover. However, what we wonder is, if you buy stock cars in the game and then customize them later, whats the whole point of Maisto releasing the scale models specific to NFS anyway? We'll have to wait and watch....

Formula 1: FIA releases 2009 calendar

2009 FIA Formula One World Championship:
29 March Australia
5 April Malaysia
19 April Bahrain
10 May Spain
24 May Monaco
7 June Turkey
21 June Great Britain
28 June France
12 July Germany
26 July Hungary
23 August Europe (Valencia)
30 August Belgium
13 September Italy
27 September Singapore
11 October Japan
18 October China
1 November Brazil
15 November Abu Dhabi

Honda Updates Unicorn GP Ed.

Honda has replaced the 'Repsol' paintjob GP edition Unicorn with a 'Gresini' paintjob one. Again, no technical changes, only the new color scheme. In showrooms by next week.

RE takes you back the memory lane....

RE has unveiled a 'new' motorcycle to add to their exsisting range. The bike is called the Bullet Classic and as you may expect, it looks even more retro than you can imagine. It uses a 499cc mill with a 27PS power output and 41.3 Nm of torque. Available in 3 colours, the the bike will go on sale soon. 

Scale Model Colection

Rash has posted an article on Mr. Praveen Sathaye and his scale model collection on his blog, the Sagittarian Angel. Check it out HERE.