According to WardsAuto, the Hummer H2 has become the modern icon of conspicuous consumption. For the specialty-equipment market, it has become somewhat of an icon for customization. For 2008, the next Hummer H2 will be more powerful than ever.

The 2008 H2 will be powered by a 393-hp, 6.2L V8 with a six-speed transmission. The interior, along with the grille, will also receive a facelift. Its curb weight approaches 7,000 lbs., and will feature a new low-range four-wheel-drive transfer case. WardsAuto claims that the redesigns now make the H2 worthy of its price tag and that the overall design feels much more cohesive than the cobbled-together, parts-bin menagerie of the previous model.

There are several optional "infotainment" features, as well as safety improvements, including standard full-length rollover-curtain airbags, improved stability control and anti-rollover systems. The vehicle will also have upgraded brakes that will better maintain pressure during sudden stops. There will also be an available rearview camera system from Magna International Inc., which integrates into the rearview mirror on the models not equipped with a navigation system. The H2 can tow up to 8,000 lbs., up from 6,500 lbs. in 2007. It will also have improved acceleration, quicker steering ratio and a four-channel brake-based traction-control system. The Environmental Protection Agency does not rate the fuel economy for the vehicle because of it weight, but GM says that it sees an improvement of 10% from 2007, which would put it somewhere between 12–13 mpg.

Source: Sutton, Mike. (July 3, 2007). “New Hummer H2 Rules Where Pavement Ends.” WardsAuto.  Retrieved July 5, 2007, from www.wardsauto.com.

The Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, which according to AutoWeek will go on sale in spring 2008, is expected to challenge BMW’s new M3 for outright driver appeal. Tobias Moers of Mercedes-Benz says that the C63 has more development miles than any other cars in AMG’s 40-year history.

The C63 will be equipped with a 6.2L, 457-hp V8. It will have a seven-speed automatic transmission, 442 lb.-ft. of torque and will feature an electronic stability program that can be switched off completely. When the button is held down for longer than three seconds, the system is disabled. It will continue to operate under braking and will be completely disengaged under load.

The entire frontend structure has been redesigned around a series of six radiators. The front axle of the CLK63 Black Series has been adopted, and the overall length of the vehicle will be 1.3 inches longer than the standard C-Class. Its precision steering will provide sharper turn-in and greater feedback. The suspension will be four-link in front, five-link in the rear. It will be equipped with 18-inch wheels on 245/50 front and 255/35 rear Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tires. 

On the outside you’ll find a twin-slat grille, titanium-colored headlight inserts, a restyled steel hood, widened front fenders and bulging wheel arches. There is also a trunk-mounted spoiler and retroflex rear bumper, and the taillamp lenses have been darkened. The interior features contoured sport seats with electronic cushion adjustments, as well as a flat-bottomed steering wheel with remote shift paddles.

Mercedes-Benz claims a 0-to-62 mph e.t. of 4.5 seconds—0.3 seconds quicker than that for the new BMW M3. Top speed is capped at 155 mph. However, there is an optional package that includes a remapped ECU that extends the top end to 174 mph. No price tag has yet been set for the C63.

Source: Kable, Greg. (July 3, 2007). “Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG: The New C63 Cozies Up With Style and Speed.” AutoWeek. Retrieved July 5, 2007, from www.autoweek.com.

The limited-production Volkswagen R32 will be one of the cars with a lot of appeal for the sport-compact market, but it won’t be easy to get. And according to WardsAuto, its price tag will be more than twice that of the $15,000 base-model Rabbit hatchback and will have exotic-car performance.

The previous generation of the R32 was introduced in the United States back in 2004 and quickly sold out with an allotment of only 5,000 units. The 2008 model will also be allotted only 5,000 units, and VW has already pre-sold 1,000. It will be about $10,000 more than the GTI and unfortunately, will not be nearly as fast as its competitors—such as the Subaru Impreza WRX and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution—in the price range. Ward’s calls it a rare but affordable exotic.

It will be powered by a 250-hp, 3.2L narrow-angle V6 that will produce 236 lb.-ft. of torque and will have a 0-to-62 mph acceleration of 6.4 seconds. Ward’s also emphasizes the R32’s exhaust sounds, which pick up where the previous R32 left off. Even if it’s not as fast as its closest competitors, Ward’s says that in terms of refinement, driving comfort and overall practicality, the R32 is miles ahead of its peers.

The R32 will be equipped with a multilink suspension in the rear along with McPherson struts and anti-roll bar up front. The standard 4Motion all-wheel-drive system can transfer up to 75% of the torque to the rear wheels.

Source: Winter, Drew. (June 27, 2007). “Volkswagen’s Affordable Exotic.” WardsAuto. Retrieved July 5, 2007, from www.wardsauto.com.

Hydraulic components are found many places in the automotive and specialty-equipment industries. They can be found on carbon-fiber hoods and the lift gates of SUVs. They are often slow and noisy. But some people have developed a product that could potentially replace standard hydraulics—the electromagnetic actuator.

According to Yet2.com, the electromagnetic actuator is a highly sensitive motion-control device that employs more reliable and cleaner electromagnetic technologies to replace slower, less precise, larger, noisier and environmentally unfriendly hydraulic components. It’s expected to have hundreds of applications, not only as a replacement technology, but also as an enabling technology. It makes use of an armature in the form of a piston. The piston moves on its own slide bearing rings, which are fitted into pole pieces at each end and at strategic positions along the length of the armature. One of the great things about the technology is that nothing wears but the two bearings and one seal. The piston itself is fitted with an output shaft, rod or thrust tube. The opposite end of the machine can be mounted on a universal joint so as to provide swing in any direction.

The actuator has the ability to operate under water, in a vacuum or in a hostile or sterile environment.  There is zero time delay between current flow and output thrust. The motor is very robust and tolerant of its environment due to the relaxed tolerances of the overall design. The gas spring motor is actually part of the motor. And the actuators themselves have a constant-reluctance design, providing a smooth output force. The actuators are compatible with new and patented forms of automotive uses, and the design may be scaled easily across a wide range of thrusts, velocities and piston travel distances. The article claims that the actuators are totally silent and are environmentally safe. They are precise to five microns, and there is no electromagnetic interference. 

Other features include the fact that the electric piston can be sealed to the stationary structure, allowing it to act as a fluid power element. This is ideal for a gas spring system. The gas spring can therefore be used as a means to support the deadload. The gas spring can also act as an energy storage reservoir in reciprocating mechanisms. And, as the article states, both of the (patented) techniques greatly reduce the power that has to be supplied to the actuator for gravitational or inertial acceleration of the load.

For the entire article, refer to Yet2.com. The electromagnetic actuator is a simple yet sophisticated component, which many in the specialty-equipment market will find useful and will have a lot of fun incorporating into the design process.

Source:  “Electromagnetic Actuator.” Yet2.com. Retrieved July 6, 2007, from www.yet2.com.

According to Honda, the next-generation FCX Concept fuel-cell vehicle made its European driving debut at the Gotland Ring in Sweden. They claim the vehicle is 60% energy efficient, about three times that of a petrol-engine vehicle and twice that of a hybrid.

The FCX will be the basis for a new fuel-cell vehicle that Honda is currently developing. Limited marketing for the vehicle is scheduled to begin in 2008 in Japan and the United States. The focus will be, according to Honda, to deliver a new dimension in environment-friendly driving pleasure not found with petrol-engine vehicles. The FCX Concept is equipped with a V Flow fuel-cell platform. In prior versions of fuel-cell stacks, the electricity generation flowed horizontally. This vehicle features a vertical-flow design, which allows gravity to assist in discharging the water that is produced. The result is an improvement in water drainage, which is the key to high-efficiency fuel-stack performance.

The new fuel stack is 20% smaller and 30% lighter than the current FCX FC Stack, but its power output is 14kW greater. The drive motor is positioned coaxially with the gearbox for a more compact design. Overall, the powerplant is about 180kg lighter than that of the current FCX and is about 40% smaller in volume. The V Flow platform has allowed designers to create a low-riding sedan form that would have been difficult to achieve in a conventional fuel-cell vehicle.

Cold-weather starts can occur at lower temperatures than the current FCX model. The FCX Concept carries a compact and highly efficient lithium ion battery as an auxiliary power source. The efficiency improvements amount to a travel range that is 30% greater than that of the current FCX. The interior includes upholstery and door linings made from Honda Bio-Fabric, a plant-based material that offers outstanding durability and resistance to sunlight damage.  The vehicle will hold four passengers and has a horsepower rating of 127.

Source: (June 25, 2007). Honda Motor Co. “FCX Concept Makes its European Driving Debut.” Retrieved July 5, 2007 from http://world.honda.com/news/2007/c070625FCXConcept/

Filler for eNews

SEMA members are invited to a free listing in the 2007–2008 SEMA International Buyers Guide, an exclusive directory of specialty-equipment companies seeking overseas business. The International Buyers Guide is distributed worldwide each year to every international buyer that attends the SEMA Show, and throughout the year at international trade shows. It’s also sent to more than 50 U.S. embassies including those in Germany, United Kingdom, Mexico, Japan, Australia, Italy, Brazil and South Africa.

The listing form is available online at www.SEMAshow.com/ibg.

With industry professionals from more than 100 countries expected at the 2007 SEMA Show, the annual trade-only event has taken extra steps to include several services and business opportunities specifically for international visitors.

Taking place Tuesday, October 30–Friday, November 2, in Las Vegas, the SEMA Show is the premier automotive specialty-products trade event in the world.

International programs at the Show will include a custom-fit trade leads program, a full-service Center for International Commerce, wide-ranging education programs, social functions and networking opportunities. 

 “The automotive specialty-equipment market is booming worldwide,” said Linda Spencer, SEMA director of international relations. “As the market’s largest trade event, the SEMA Show is attracting more and more international businesses each year.”

SEMA Vice President of Communications and Events Peter MacGillivray reports that the 2007 SEMA Show will feature exhibitors in more than 1 million square feet of exhibit space. “More than 2,000 unique automotive vehicles will be on display in and around the convention center, too. These will provide Show attendees with a vast number of creative new ideas for vehicle personalization,” he stated.

Special services for international visitors to the SEMA Show include dozens of free seminars and roundtable discussions about selling in international markets as well as the U.S. market, a SEMA International Buyers Guide, multilingual “We Export” signs at exhibitors’ booths and export experts at key booths. SEMA staff from the United States and overseas offices, as well as representatives from the U. S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Embassy, will be available to assist SEMA Show attendees from around the world.

The Center for International Commerce will have interpreters, conference rooms, Internet access, international phone service, fax, and e-mail service, 45 international specialty-equipment magazines and up-to-date international research reports. An electronic locator will also make it even easier for buyers to locate the products they seek at the Show.

“Before the Show, SEMA’s International Trade Leads program will match buyers with the exhibitors of products of particular interest,” said Spencer. “Buyers who will attend the SEMA Show can tell us in advance what products they are looking for. We then pass those requests along to our Show exhibitors who contact the international buyers and make appointments to meet during the Show,” she explained.

Easy online registration is available in seven languages—English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Chinese and Portuguese—at www.SEMAshow.com. The Show’s comprehensive website contains complete information about the SEMA Show (schedule, floor plan, exhibitor list and travel and accommodations). The site will be continually updated until the Show opens.

The SEMA Show is certified by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Buyer Program. For more information about programs and services available to international visitors at the SEMA Show, contact Linda Spencer, 202/783-4032 or lindas@sema.org.

The SEMA Ambassador Program for 2007 is in full swing. SEMA Ambassadors are current members of the association who actively seek to recruit new members, thus fortifying support for the industry and helping to grow the force of the SEMA membership.

The easiest way to get started in the 2007 program, which started in October (2006) and runs through September 30 (2007), is to simply share your experiences on how SEMA has benefited your company with potential SEMA members. To make recruiting even easier, SEMA membership applications are available 24 hours a day on www.sema.org.

Rewards for ambassadors who have recruited the most members during the program’s year are given at three levels—Gold Medal (recruited the most, $1,000 American Express Gift Check), Silver Medal (first runner-up, $750 American Express Gift Check) and Bronze Medal (second runner-up, $500 American Express Gift Check). There is a even a drawing held during the SEMA Show 2007 that provides all ambassadors a chance at an American Express Gift Check worth $250.

For complete information on the program, e-mail the SEMA Membership department at member@sema.org or call 909/396-0289.

The following are the 2007 SEMA Board of Directors election results. 

Chair-Elect

• Rick Rollins, Superchips, Inc.

Manufacturers Category

• Gale Banks, Gale Banks Engineering
• Mike Spagnola, Street Scene Equipment
• Doug Evans, Primedia (Incumbent)
• Richard Sherman, Baer Brakes (Incumbent)
• David Stutts, Hot Rod Air, Inc.
• Dennis Gage, Bradley David Productions (Incumbent)
• Jeep Worthan, Auto Meter
• Larry Erickson, Ford Motor Company

Distributor/Retailer Category

• Anne Johnson, CTW, Inc. (Incumbent)
• Van Woodell, Weathers Auto Supply
• Donnie Eatherly, P&E Distributors, Inc.
• Tony Napoli, American Speed Centers
• Bob Price, CE Band, LLC (Incumbent)

Manufacturers’ Rep Category

• Bill Perry, Bill Perry & Associates (Incumbent)
• Dave Wrobleski, Jim Wrobleski & Co., Inc.