By SEMA News Editors

The SEMA Battle of the Builders, Presented by Mothers, is gearing up to be one of the best to date. The prestigious competition is judged by industry experts, with awards presented to individuals who have demonstrated extreme talent, creativity and craftsmanship in modifying cars, trucks, SUVs, sport compacts and luxury and exotic builds. And good news for builders: entries are still open for the 2023 SEMA Battle of the Builders, Presented by Mothers through Friday, October 13.

Entrants of the Battle of the Builders, Presented by Mothers, can:

• Get exposure through media coverage in top publications and online sites.
• Have content generated on your build, your products and your story.
• Grow your notoriety and have your shop stand out on social media.
• Network with top builders from around the globe.
• Be part of the one-hour "Battle of the Builders, Presented by Mothers" TV special.

Do I have to be at the SEMA Show to be in the SEMA Battle of the Builders?

Yes. A vehicle must be approved by the Show committee to be on display at the SEMA Show and can be either a feature vehicle or a booth vehicle. You may still enter the SEMA Battle of the Builders as you work to secure your vehicle spot at the Show. However, the operations team will review all applications for the 2023 SEMA Battle of the Builders and check their status for display at the 2023 SEMA Show. Those vehicles that are registered for the 2023 BOTB competition but have yet to be confirmed to display at the 2023 SEMA Show will not be allowed to continue in the BOTB competition. You must have secured your feature vehicle or booth space by Friday, October 13, to continue in the 2023 SEMA Battle of the Builders Presented by Mothers competition. To apply for a feature vehicle space at the 2023 SEMA Show, you must first have a SEMA Show exhibiting company sponsor the space. Once you have secured such sponsorship, you may apply for the feature vehicle space here. Please read the rules and regulations for feature vehicles here. If you have questions about applying for a feature vehicle space, contact Maurice O'Connell at mauriceo@sema.org.

For more information and to enter, visit semashow.com/botb.

By SEMA News Editors

SEMA Show exhibitors have voted on the top trend-setting vehicles in the automotive aftermarket. Voted by experts and innovators in the automotive specialty equipment industry, these leading vehicles represent the best business opportunities for aftermarket manufacturers and are vying for awards in six categories at this year's Show.

The winning vehicle in each category will be announced at the SEMA Show Monday Reveal at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, October 30, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Held the evening before the opening of the Show, the Monday Reveal gives media and exhibitors a sneak peek at a few of the more than 1,500 vehicles that will be on display during the week.

The 2023 SEMA Show is receiving tremendous support from the automotive aftermarket and is forecasted to return to historic levels as one of the most highly anticipated trade shows in the country.

Finalists for SEMA Awards (in alphabetical order):

SEMA Car of the Year

• Ford Mustang
• Toyota Supra 

SEMA Mid-Size Truck of the Year

• Jeep Gladiator
• Toyota Tacoma 

SEMA Full-Size Truck of the Year

• Ford F-Series
• Toyota Tundra 

SEMA 4x4/SUV of the Year

• Ford Bronco
• Jeep Wrangler 

SEMA Sport Compact Car of the Year

• Nissan Z
• Toyota GR86 

SEMA Electric Vehicle of the Year

• Ford Lightning
• Lexus RZ

The SEMA Award finalists represent exhibiting automakers that support the aftermarket with accessory-friendly models based on their potential for customization. Exhibitors choose to develop products for new vehicles that have wide consumer appeal, and regularly collaborate with automakers through such programs as SEMA Measuring Sessions and Tech Transfer.

To learn more about the 2023 SEMA Show, October 31-November 3, in Las Vegas, visit semashow.com. 

By SEMA News Editors

Jim McFarland, the 2001 SEMA Hall of Fame Inductee and longtime SEMA technical consultant, has passed away. He was 88.
Although best known for his 36-year career as a journalist for HOT ROD magazine, McFarland has also made many significant contributions to the industry with his product designs.

During a 19-year tenure at Edelbrock Corp., McFarland designed induction and exhaust systems, camshafts and valve train components, among many other products. Later, he started his own consultancy, AutoCom, using his skills as a journalist and engineer to assist OEMs and aftermarket companies.

In addition, McFarland is also known for his work on behalf of the industry in regard to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB) compliance.

"Jim was instrumental in setting up the SEMA Garage Emissions Compliance program and worked with CARB on the procedures for the aftermarket to achieve emissions compliance on performance products. He will be missed by many in the industry," said SEMA CEO and President Mike Spagnola.

McFarland has been acknowledged for his accomplishments numerous times, including the title of "Hi-Riser" by Car Craft magazine and as Person of the Year by SEMA in 1985. He also received the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame's Founders Award in 2018.

SEMA News interviewed McFarland for its April 2022 issue. Get to know him in the SEMA News "Industry Insiders" article.

By SEMA Editors

SEMA News sources have captured images of the '25 RAM 1500 SLT while it was testing in Colorado. Photos show a revised look at the front and the rear with new headlights, a revised grille and a new lower front bumper. Around back, the Ram is expected to adopt a revised tailgate, bumper and new taillights.

Inside the RAM 1500, sources say it remains virtually unchanged, albeit for a few new knobs/toggle switches located directly beneath the center stack.

By SEMA Editors

Are you hunting for a new job? The SEMA Career Center has a comprehensive listing of automotive-related job openings nationwide. Below are some of the latest postings.

SEMA/PRI

Associate Editor in Diamond Bar, California

SEMA and PRI are seeking an experienced candidate to resource and compile content for their respective websites; create and coordinate content for twice weekly association newsletter (SEMA) and once weekly racing industry newsletter (PRI); work with the content editor and marketing/email team; write original articles, take photographs; and related duties.

Kunzman and Associates 

Manufacturers' Sales Representative in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Kunzman & Associates, a Detroit, Michigan-based professional sales representative firm, is looking for an ideal candidate located in (or willing to relocate to) Minnesota, South Dakota or Iowa. Strong communication skills and the ability to work with and grow accounts at all levels are paramount. Automotive aftermarket experience is preferable, but the company will train the right person.

For more information, including how to apply for jobs or to post job listings, visit the SEMA Career Center.

By SEMA Editors

Tire Group International (TGI)--one of the leading distributors in the global tire distribution industry--has announced the addition of Dominick Montouri as chief strategy officer focusing on the Cosmo Tires brand. Montouri, who spent the last six years as president of Mickey Thompson Tires and Wheels, will be responsible for leading strategic growth initiatives focused on the Cosmo brand, fostering key partnerships and enhancing TGI's global market presence. His vast knowledge of the tire industry and his proven track record of driving innovation and growth make him a valuable addition to the TGI family. 

"I am excited to join the TGI family and continue to drive their strategic growth initiatives," said Dominick Montouri. 

"We are delighted to have Dominick join our team," said Tony Gonzalez, CEO of TGI.

By SEMA Editors

See the latest news from exhibitors of the SEMA Show, October 31-November 3 in Las Vegas. 

SEMA Show management is dedicated to making the event as successful and worthwhile as possible for all. Registration is still available online for $120 through the event date. Badge pick-up will be available on-site at the Las Vegas Convention Center in the West Hall for those who register online. Full-service registration (and badge pick-up) will be open in South Hall for those who still need to register. Get started on your road to the 2023 SEMA Show by registering today at SEMAShow.com/register!   

And, it’s never too early to start your SEMA Show plan. Create a customized schedule, view the floorplan and exhibitor list, browse education sessions, keynote addresses and other Show-related events with the SEMA app at SEMAShow.com/app. 

Bolt Lock and Partner Companies Offer "Unlocked Passport" Prize Giveaway at 2023 SEMA Show

BOLT Lock, GEN-Y Hitch, Hellwig Products, EGR USA, Pop & Lock and Bubba Rope are offering the UNLOCKED PASSPORT prize giveaway at this year's SEMA Show. The exhibitors are giving attendees a chance to try their luck at winning prizes from a long list of giveaways being supplied by the participating manufacturers when they visit each company's booth. 

Prizes include a BOLT Lock prize pack that includes a receiver lock, padlock, cable lock, trailer coupler lock, coupler pin lock, two recovery hooks and BOLT Lock swag items; a PHANTOM XL 42-in. Step by GEN-Y Hitch; window visors as well as fender flares from EGR USA; a swaybar and a set of helper springs from Hellwig Products; a $100 VISA gift card along with $250 worth of Pop & Lock products; as well as a swag pack from Bubba Rope. 

Be sure to visit the participating companies at the SEMA Show:

• BOLT Lock, Booth #58185
• GEN-Y Hitch, Booth #57027
• EGR USA, Booth #57103
• Hellwig Products, Booth #56039
• Pop & Lock, Booth #56027
• Bubba Rope, Booth #58163

Participating exhibitors will hand out special passports, which will need to be signed off at each of the six booths. When complete, contest participants must visit BOLT Lock (Booth #58185) to draw a key from a toolbox filled with more than 400 keys. There will be six displays, one per company, with a BOLT Lock padlock attached to each. The key drawn by each contestant could potentially open the lock, winning that company's prize pack. Each participating company will have one winner.

"The UNLOCKED PASSPORT contest brings together some of the best towing-related companies in the industry in a way that encourages show attendees to visit each manufacturer's booth, which are all located in West Hall," BOLT Sales Account Manager Jason Buckles said. "We offered a similar promotion last year and it was so popular, we decided to expand it."  

Meet Phil Swift at Flex Seal Booth #50165

Don't miss a chance to meet Flex Seal CEO and spokesperson Phil Swift! Visit the Flex Seal Booth (#50165, West Hall) for photos, signed posters, product samples, free swag and more. Plus, race your own Flex Super Wide Duct Tape speedboat for a chance to win exclusive prizes! Phil Swift meet-n-greets will take place on Wednesday, November 1, from 2:00–4:00 p.m. PDT and Thursday, November 2, from 2:00–4:00 p.m. PDT at Booth #50165. 

Lippert to Showcase Four Unique Custom Truck Builds at the 2023 SEMA Show 

Lippert Components--the supplier of a broad array of highly engineered components for the leading OEMs in the recreation and transportation product markets--is proud to announce its attendance at the 2023 SEMA Show. Lippert will be present in the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center in Booth #55103. As one of the industry leaders in automotive and truck accessories, Lippert will showcase four separate truck builds, each with distinct styles and products for differing applications, to include truck protection from Ranch Hand, towing accessories from CURT and truck accessories from ARIES, LUVERNE and UWS. These four distinct build themes include the Overlander, which comes as an outfitted Ford Ranger, the Street Cruiser as a Chevrolet Silverado, the Work Truck as a Ram 2500 and the RV Hauler as a Ford F-350 dually.

BLM Group Demonstrates E-Turn All-Electric Tube Bender at 2023 SEMA Show

In Booth #38037 at the SEMA Show, BLM GROUP will demonstrate its E-TURN all-electric tube bender with in-process right- and left-hand bending that provides design freedom in manufacturing tubular components. This multi-stack tube bender can perform, in one continuous cycle, right- and left-hand bends of either fixed or variable radius. The flexibility, accuracy and speed of the E-TURN make it well-suited for automotive, job shop and motorcycle applications, the company said.

The E-TURN52 has the ability to process tubes up to 2-in. diameter. The all-electric drive ensures precision control of the 15-axe movements, providing consistency, high accuracy, perfect quality bends and zero scrap. Tubes in most materials and section types--such as round, square, rectangle, flat-sided, oval and elliptical--can be automatically loaded, bent and unloaded.

A key differentiator of the E-TURN is the VGPNext programming and 3D simulation software. The complete bending program is graphically simulated by inputting the component bend coordinates, highlighting potential collision risks and producing the optimal working cycle. Component feasibility is checked virtually, eliminating the need for prototype tooling or physical testing on the machine. Unloading of the finished component is also automatically managed by VPGNext, with the 180-degree head rotation allowing the component to be unloaded in the position required.

Changeover times are significantly reduced and machine setup simplified as all the critical settings for the machine tooling are managed automatically by the CNC, including clamps, pressure die, mandrel position, retraction, center line radius, etc. Additionally, the self-calibration feature enables true simultaneous axis movement with automatic adjustment of these settings.

By SEMA Editors

Automotive aftermarket companies need to understand the size of their potential market in order to make informed decisions about which products to produce or carry. 

While the Market Sizing chapter of the 2023 SEMA Market Report covers the current level of sales for different products and vehicles, the Vehicle Information chapter helps SEMA Business Members better understand a key piece of the potential market--how many vehicles are actually on the road.

According to the report, the total light-duty vehicle fleet stood at more than 285 million cars and light trucks at the end of 2022. Most of these are from model years '02 and onward (89% of registered light vehicles), and the population of a given model year starts to drop once it has been on the road for more than a decade. 

For vehicle registrations, the U.S. passenger vehicle fleet increased by 1.4 million cars and light trucks from 2021 to 2022. This is a step down from the nearly 2.5 million unit increase between 2020 and 2021. New light-vehicle sales finished 2022 roughly 1.2 million vehicles below its 2021 levels and used-car transactions dropped by 4.5 million vehicles in 2022.

All of this is due to ongoing constrained inventory, high prices and rising interest rates for both new- and used-vehicle loans. Consumers are holding onto their cars longer, with the average age of a vehicle being over 12 years.

The Vehicle Information section of the report also includes in-depth data on annual new-vehicle sales by segment, the percent of registrations by vehicle segment, a new-vehicle sales forecast and a powertrain sales forecast. SEMA Business Members can learn what the data means and how it can help their business by downloading the report for free at sema.org/research.

By SEMA Editors

SEMA Data will present the SEMA Data Excellence Awards to more than 110 brands that are exhibiting at the SEMA Show, October 31-November 3 in Las Vegas, at this year's event.

SEMA Data team members will hand out the awards during the SEMA Data Users Group Meetup on Monday, October 30, at 3:00 p.m. PDT in Room N240 before the Show opening on Tuesday.

SEMA invites you to visit these brands during the SEMA Show to offer congratulations--and know you can expect market-ready data when you close that deal!

Exhibiting SEMA Data Excellence Recipients

In addition, several brands will be honored with awards but will not be exhibiting at the SEMA Show. To see that list, visit the SEMA Data announcement.

For more information, contact info@semadata.org and follow SEMA Data on Facebook and LinkedIn for more frequent news and highlights.

By SEMA Editors

SEMA Show exhibitors: an entry price increase is approaching for the SEMA Show New Products Showcase, the world's largest display of new automotive aftermarket products and one of the best ways for exhibitors to generate leads and convert sales at the 2023 SEMA Show, October 31-November 3. This year, the Showcase is relocating to the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center for even more expanded visibility and foot traffic. Accessible exclusively to SEMA Showgoers, the New Products Showcase is the top buyer and media destination and serves as a one-stop shop to quickly discover thousands of the hottest products in the industry.

All SEMA Show exhibitors qualify to submit one New Products Showcase entry at no cost. Additional products can be entered for $95 through Friday, October 6. After that date, the first product entry is still free, with additional entries $150 each. There is no limit to the number of products a company can submit and no official close date for New Product Showcase entries (learn more and get involved at semashow.com/newproducts).

Each new product in the Showcase has a dedicated QR code that attendees can scan and learn more about the part and where the exhibitor is located, so getting involved is a great way to attract buyers to your booth. All New Products Showcase entries receive the added benefit of being featured in SEMA News, listed in the SEMA Show app, and possibly winning a Best New Product award, which will be presented in 18 categories, including electric vehicle (EV) and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), during the official SEMA Show Kickoff Breakfast on Tuesday, October 31.

Attendees looking to get a jump start on their 2023 SEMA Show plan can download the SEMA Show app at semashow.com/app to view new products, find exhibitors and events, get an overview of the floorplan, and much more.