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We had a bit of a reality check today. After initially geeking out a bit over what we thought were multitudes of the new Nissan GT-R, Mitsubishi Evo, and Subaru WRX STI, we started to venture out of our Central Hall enclave to find that sport compacts were, in fact, not all the rage this year. That distinction is arguably shared by two models that were dusted off by their respective manufacturers and rebooted just recently, the new Dodge Challenger and the soon-to-be-released 2010 Chevy Camaro.
The Camaro, while not yet widely available, is buzz-worthy because SEMA named it the official vehicle of this year's show. As for the Challenger - ho-lee crap, there were so many of the re-imagined domestic muscle car, we were tripping over them just walking around.
GM and Chrysler are old hat at this SEMA thing by now, and in truth were at the leading edge of a trend among automakers to tap into the customization and specialization craze by making the show a necessity. This year we hear there are 15 manufacturers representing 32 nameplates, a record high for the annual aftermarket extravaganza.
Among the new exhibitors for 2008 is Mercedes Benz, who has participated in the SEMA Show in past years through various partnerships and programs but never as an exhibiting OEM. Joining GM, Chrysler, and Mercedes are Ford, Hyundai, American Honda, Kia Motors, Lexus, Mazda North America, Nissan North America, Scion, Subaru of America, Suzuki, Toyota, and Volkswagen.
While we're for the most part indifferent to the new Challenger (and the prospect of more fools getting behind the wheel of V8s - ugh), we're pretty impressed by the 2009 Mazda6, especially the one sitting in the Mazda booth done up by Troy Lee Designs. The sharp-looking new 6 visually goes a step further, too, featuring custom paint by TLD, with paint prep and detailing by L&G Enterprises, paint material by PPG and body modifications by Funktion USA. Window shading was provided by A-1 Tinting.
Tucked under each fender are 18-inch Momo Strike wheels shod in Hoosier tires, with suspension mods coming from Eibach Springs. The corners (or at least the front ones anyway) also rock cross-drilled, six-piston big brakes by Wilwood Engineering, and unspecified custom brake fabrication by JD Performance.
After another long day, and week, we're ready to call SEMA 2008 done. But we sill have loads of images, a handful of stories, and even a video or two to share with you about the show. Keep checking UrbanRacer.com for more highlights from Vegas.
www.mazda.com
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SEMA Day 3
