Tabla de contenidos para January 2024 en SEMA Magazine

Throughout the Show Week, the SEMA Show celebrates and promotes industry personal and professional achievement through a wide array of award and recognition programs. The accolades begin with the SEMA Awards for the top customizable OEM vehicles that are announced at the Monday Night Reveal (see p. 42). The Show’s aftermarket-specific awards get underway beginning with the Kickoff Breakfast on Tuesday morning, just prior to Show opening. The recognitions then reach a crescendo at the Thursday-night SEMA Industry Awards Banquet, where the association bestows its highest honors on individuals. “We are pleased to again congratulate all of our 2023 SEMA Show award recipients,” said SEMA President and CEO Mike Spagnola. “The people, companies, products and vehicles honored at the Show embody the passion, creativity and leadership that drive our industry…

Ford’s best-selling pickup celebrated its 75th birthday in 2023, and after 14 generations, it’s still a popular platform for specialty-equipment manufacturers and consumers alike. For 2024, Ford offers the F-150 in eight different trim levels, from the base-model XL to the Bajaready Raptor, with three cab configurations, three bed lengths, and engine options ranging from the flex-fuel capable 2.7L EcoBoost V6 with Auto Start-Stop Technology to the legendary 5.0L V8, which combined with a 10-speed automatic transmission delivers 400 hp and 410 lb.-ft. of torque. “The Ford truck team’s ability to anticipate customer needs, continuously innovate, and provide best-in-class levels of capability and performance has helped make F-Series the sales leader time and time again,” said Kumar Galhotra, president, Ford Blue. “We’re honored and humbled that our customers have helped…

“Highly anticipated” would be an understatement to describe Ford’s all-new electric truck. Ford received 200,000 preorders before a single unit was built, and supply-chain disruptions have caused production delays. Still, the F-Series has been America’s best-selling truck for 45 years running, so this latest addition to Ford’s fullsize pickup line should be a hit with consumers and customizers, too. “Earning North America’s EV of the Year is huge for the team that has been working so hard to build and deliver as many Lightnings as possible, as quickly as possible,” said Jim Farley, Ford president and CEO. “We’re moving fast to further ramp production to a 150,000-run rate this fall and pushing to improve every aspect of this truck. We’ve started delivering Lightnings from the factory with a fantastic new…

As part of SEMA’s continuing initiative to offer comprehensive career- and professional-development programs to members throughout the year, the 2023 SEMA Show featured a hands-on education curriculum of nearly 100 courses that focused on leadership and skills development, networking, exploration of emerging trends, and industry best practices. “We wanted to support our attendees by offering a customizable learning journey for skill development and competency-based education, inclusive of the Show and throughout the rest of the year,” said Pamela Brown-Matthis, SEMA director of education. “Our goal was to engage Showgoers by creating high-energy learning situations throughout the Show environment and creating educational opportunities that are delivered in various formats, whether they be ‘fireside chats,’ workshops, Main Stage Experiences or celebrity showcases.” “ALL OF OUR SPEAKERS ARE SUBJECT-MATTER EXPERTS WHO HAVE THE…

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Each year prior to the SEMA Show, exhibitors are asked to select the new vehicles that, in their judgment, represent the best opportunities for customization and accessorization via the aftermarket for the coming year. Vehicles are chosen in six separate classes, and the winners are announced before the start of the Show. This year’s announcement was made on Monday, October 30, before the opening of the 2023 Show. “The SEMA New Vehicle Awards recognize the newest OE platforms that offer the greatest opportunities for customization,” said Warren Kosikov, SEMA vice president of sales. “SEMA Award-winning vehicles are setting the pace in the enthusiast aftermarket, and the 2023 SEMA Show will host many of these award-winning vehicles, each built and accessorized in its own unique way.” What follows on these pages…

A hit from its inception, the three-year-old Bronco has already spawned a robust and growing aftermarket for model-specific parts ranging from suspension components to exterior bolt-ons to cargo, overlanding and lifestyle gear. At the 2023 SEMA Show, Ford showcased the Bronco Ford Performance ORV concept package, which is available on any Bronco Base, Big Bend, Black Diamond, or Outer Banks with the 2.3L EcoBoost engine and either automatic or manual transmission. It starts with a 2.0-in. lift via a Bilstein suspension, which accommodates 17-in. white wheels and 35-in. tires. The Bronco package also adds a unique software calibration for the 2.3L engine. Ford Performance options for the ORV pack include a high-clearance Borla cat-back exhaust, an ARB jack and mount and an underhood compressor. Ford also exhibited the Ford Accessory…

Toyotas in general are perennial favorites of accessorizers, and Toyota’s all-new fifth-gen Tacoma holds additional promise for the coming year. Toyota is offering the Tacoma in eight different models, so consumers (and customizers) will have a variety of palates on which to realize their own artistic visions. “We are proud to receive the SEMA Midsize Truck of the Year award,” said Mike Tripp, group vice president, Toyota Marketing. “The SEMA Awards celebrate the creativity and personalization that play so heavily with customers. For 2024, we have built a Tacoma for every person and every lifestyle with the flexibility to allow customers to find their own adventure and push the boundaries of what’s possible.” At the 2023 SEMA Show, Toyota exhibited seven ’24 Tacomas that represented just a few of the…

In simplest terms, the annual SEMA Show provides an opportunity for thousands of automotive buyers and sellers to do business, in the process cross-pollinating new ideas with ongoing traditions across 18 different automotive specialty segments. Amid the week-long pulse of activity, patterns emerge. Indicators such as new-product launches, feature vehicle treatments, innovative prototypes and educational participation reveal areas of industry optimism and suggest emerging trends and opportunities. In that sense, the Show has always been predictive, highlighting what comes next. This year’s Show was no exception. It would be hard not to notice that the overlanding trend has continued to grow and broaden, and that rapid growth in electrification is underway across multiple fronts, even as advancements in alternative fuels become evident. It’s also clear that advanced driver assistance system…

Business is a lot like racing—constantly evolving, relentlessly competitive, and always taking advantage of the latest technology to get an edge. Consequently, it’s no surprise that more companies in motorsports and the performance automotive aftermarket are tapping into social media as another method of addressing customer service. While traditional avenues such as emails and phone calls are still used to address customer inquiries, the advent of social media has provided companies with a powerful tool for communication and customer service. It’s allowing specialty-equipment performance companies to build better rapport with customers, strengthen brands and trigger positive conversations among other potential customers who are witnessing the effective resolution of issues. But on the flipside, there’s also the potential for negative effects. Customer expectations are rising higher than ever, which can…

The first High Performance and Custom Trade Show in January 1967 was modest, but it was deemed a success by attendees on both sides of the pipe-and-drape booths, as well as by SEMA and Petersen Publishing, which put on the event. There was almost immediate talk of a second Show, but at a venue more accommodating than the Los Angeles Dodger Stadium’s drafty pavilions. According to Ray Brock’s “Publisher’s Report” in the May 1967 issue of Petersen’s Hot Rod Industry News (HRIN), the new location chosen for the Show would be “the most modern of all” convention centers, the brand-new complex in Anaheim, California, where “facilities are second to none in the country.” A 100,000-sq.-ft. exhibit hall would hold the Show “in one huge rectangular area, so booths will be…

The world’s best-selling sport coupe, Ford’s iconic pony car has been a perennial favorite with the aftermarket, and the all-new, seventh-gen ’24 model provides opportunities galore for builders looking for new platforms on which to create. “Ford customers love to personalize the performance and appearance of their vehicles, especially Mustang, Bronco and Ranger,” said Mark Wilson, Ford North America vehicle personalization manager. “The Ford Performance parts packages we’re debuting combine the latest design trends with aftermarket accessories engineered to work with these vehicles out of the box.” Ford brought the new Mustang FP800S concept package to the 2023 SEMA Show, which can be built atop any ’24 Mustang GT coupe with the addition of a new 3.0L, sixth-generation Whipple Supercharger kit, which also available independently of the FP800S package. The…

Long a favorite of tuners, Z-cars enjoy a healthy presence at the SEMA Show each year, and Nissan’s newest should likewise appeal to performance builders and accessorizers. Nissan’s Thrill Street exhibit at the 2023 SEMA Show showcased a wide range of production and concept vehicles, including the ’23 Nissan Z NISMO, a Safari-style Z concept vehicle and a replica of the Datsun 240Z rally car that helped cement the Z’s place as a sports car icon with its victory in the 1971 East African Safari Rally. The Nissan Z doubles down on thrilling performance for the ’24 model year with the return of Z NISMO, which delivers features 420 hp and numerous handling, braking and chassis enhancements that elevate its performance on the racetrack. Additionally, the ’24 Nissan Z Sport…

For decades, the specialty-equipment industry’s non-trade enthusiasts have envied the SEMA Show’s trade-only attendees—and mostly from a distance. Excepting trade media reports, the SEMA Cruise Presented by CTEK, the former SEMA Ignited event, and a qualified, limited-access SEMA Show Friday Experience, public glimpses into the Show’s energy and excitement were few and far between. But all that changed this past November with the much-anticipated launch of SEMA Fest. Running November 3-4 at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds, SEMA’s new fusion of motorsports, music and car culture offered enthusiast-consumers an event of their own—and they responded. SEMA Fest rocked an estimated 16,000-plus attendees with the musical acts of Imagine Dragons, Incubus, Wiz Khalifa, AJR, Third Eye Blind, Bush, Walk the Moon and Ludacris and many other popular icons. There were also…

CALIFORNIA—CRUISING: California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a SEMA-supported bill (AB 436) to allow automobile cruising activities to return statewide. Previously, local authorities were authorized to pass ordinances that regulate or prohibit cruising. Authored by Assembly Member David Alvarez (D-San Diego), this effort follows a resolution approved by the legislature last year to celebrate the history and culture of automobile cruising and encourage local officials and law enforcement to work with local car clubs to conduct safe cruising events. CALIFORNIA—SMOG CHECK: California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a SEMAsupported bill that, among other provisions, creates a centralized testing network for older vehicles, ensuring access to necessary emissions testing at a reasonable cost to the consumer. Owners of vehicles subject to the state’s smog check (model-year ’76 and newer)…

Although motorsports and performance automotive aftermarket companies appear to be generally embracing the idea of handling customer-service inquiries through social media, some in the industry have intentionally turned their back on these methods. At first glance, such a move might appear to be unfashionably out of step. But on closer examination, the argument can be made for such a policy in some businesses. This is particularly true for companies with proprietary platforms that customers use to place orders, check status and communicate problems. Such businesses may feel that monitoring and working customer service on channels outside the company’s existing platform is an unnecessary distraction. Turn 14 Distribution in Horsham, Pennsylvania, is one such company. At one point, the company did allow the option of working with customers through social media,…