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Vegas does Global: SEMA still has fuzzy dice, but it also features show cars from aro

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#1 ·
BY DUTCH MANDEL, NATALIE NEFF, BOB GRITZINGER AND MARK VAUGHN/ AutoWeek
WITH PHOTOS BY JOE WILSSENS

For those who think the Specialty Equipment Market Association convention is a regional gathering of mom-n-pop hot-rodders, get a clue. SEMA is the latest and biggest international auto show going, with more than 1300 cars on display and something like 12 miles of fuzzy-diced aisles. It is full of all you could hope to have in a car, truck or sport/utility... and many things you wouldn’t dare put anywhere near your car, let alone an open flame.
You can hear more international languages in Las Vegas than at some overseas auto shows. But with 12 manufacturers from around the world as official exhibitors, it’s only just begun to register on the must-see map of the Big Conglomerate Car Guys. But they’re watching. Don’t be surprised if more companies, like Audi and BMW, show up to officially display their wares.

Chrysler, the honored marque, brought dealers to understand the aftermarket power and the power of Chrysler’s commitment to performance. The company set up a speed shop to show the inner workings of performance. This might be a dying trend: Show organizers will move away from showcasing the Big Three exclusively. After Ford is so honored in its centennial year in ’03, Toyota steps into the spotlight for ’04.

It was heartening to see a flock of General Motors shooters—led by rising star and car guy Gary Cowger, GM’s North American prez—take guided tours and get the right things pointed out that should be important to them about automotive enthusiasm. You may never be able to take the suit out of the GM exec, but it’s good to see the GM exec get the suit out on the floor.

The one thing that still separates SEMA from an international motor show is that it’s a trade exhibition exclusively, never open to the public. So we attended on your behalf, and here’s a sampling of the Vegas glitter that caught our eye.

Powersport California Custom Thunderbird custom show car conversion kit

James Powers was the Ford designer behind the ’61 Thunderbird. Today, Powers pushes the latest rendition beyond what even J Mays considered. Powersport offers a kit for $18,900 (retail, including installation) that transforms the T-Bird into this California custom show car—all without permanent modifications to the underlying car, in case you change your mind. We won’t comment on its looks; we’re just reporting the news.
 

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#2 ·
Troy Lee/Roush Mazda6

If the stock Mazda6 makes owning a mid-sized, practical sedan fun, the Troy Lee/Roush approach makes it delirious. Troy Lee is best known for his designs on motorcycle helmets and Jack Roush for his NASCAR team. Combine them under Mazda’s guidance and you get a Candy Chrome black-and-purple exterior wrapped around Roush’s powertrain, with not one but two nitrous tanks. In case you empty the first one.
 

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#3 ·
Jaguar X-Type Gentilozzi Special

U.S. Jag racer Paul Gentilozzi did a quick and tough modification on the entry-level X-Type. SEMA-goers inundated the stand with requests on getting the radical body kit. Unfortunately, the one-off was created in steel, so no kit, but it got people thinking. Here’s the start of a trend—Jag was the first high-line European carmaker displaying at SEMA, but we figure it won’t be alone next year.
 

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#4 ·
Ford Racing FR100

For years Ford Racing folks have bolted together go-fast cars and unveiled them at SEMA…without much advance notice to the parent company. Last year’s FR200 Focus was a perfect example. This year, however, was the FR100, a sweet 1953 step-side pickup carrying the latest running gear and an all-new 5.0-liter modular crate motor that pumps out 425 horsepower. We’ll get to drive it next year.
 

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#5 ·
Chip Foose T-Bird

If we presented editors’ choice awards at SEMA (we have no plans… ) it might well go to this Chip Foose ’Bird. Foose took just 11 weeks to make it a visual treat, elegant in its simplicity. While the grille was full of horizontal chrome, the windshield got the speedster rake. Foose used chrome jewelry beneath the A-pillar and chromed vestigal roll hoops to tie it all together.
 

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#6 ·
Mazdaspeed Protegé5 Ballistic Tran-Sport

Bosal USA, maker of high-performance exhausts, showed off Mazdaspeed’s latest, a chopped-top Protegé5, featuring a mini-pickup bed. Called the Ballistic Tran-Sport, it was inspired by the Ford Ranchero, says its creator John Malozsak, a former Mazda North America engineer who now owns Ballistic Unlimited Custom Apparel. We just think it’s cool.
 

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