Here are some recent shots of the Subaru BRZ, which will be shown in its "concept" form at the L.A Auto Show next month, courtesy of the stealthy shutterbugs at Brenda Priddy & Co.

Seen here with what Priddy says is a lighter amount of camo than in previous sightings, the final version of the automaker's all-new rear-wheel drive coupe will debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in early December.

Along with Subaru's version, both Toyota and Scion offer their versions of the coupe—although all will be built at Subaru's facility in Gunma, Japan. All the cars will be powered by Subaru's 2L boxer engine and will be available with either six-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmissions.

Photo Copyright Brenda Priddy & Co.

Here are some recent shots of the Subaru BRZ, which will be shown in its "concept" form at the L.A Auto Show next month, courtesy of the stealthy shutterbugs at Brenda Priddy & Co.

Seen here with what Priddy says is a lighter amount of camo than in previous sightings, the final version of the automaker's all-new rear-wheel drive coupe will debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in early December.

Along with Subaru's version, both Toyota and Scion offer their versions of the coupe—although all will be built at Subaru's facility in Gunma, Japan. All the cars will be powered by Subaru's 2L boxer engine and will be available with either six-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmissions.

Photo Copyright Brenda Priddy & Co.

Exhibiting companies with special pricing, promotions, two-for-one offers, Show demonstrations and other incentives or specials are encouraged submit details to editors@sema.org for inclusion in SEMA eNews.

SEMA Show exhibitors are invited to generate more opportunities and awareness for their company and products by announcing SEMA Show incentives in SEMA eNews.

Exhibiting companies with special pricing, promotions, two-for-one offers, Show demonstrations and other incentives or specials are encouraged to let SEMA know. The information will be included each week in SEMA eNews from now until the opening of the 2011 SEMA Show. To be included, send information to editors@sema.org.

For more information on the 2011 SEMA Show, visit www.SEMAShow.com.

Exhibiting companies with special pricing, promotions, two-for-one offers, Show demonstrations and other incentives or specials are encouraged submit details to editors@sema.org for inclusion in SEMA eNews.

SEMA Show exhibitors are invited to generate more opportunities and awareness for their company and products by announcing SEMA Show incentives in SEMA eNews.

Exhibiting companies with special pricing, promotions, two-for-one offers, Show demonstrations and other incentives or specials are encouraged to let SEMA know. The information will be included each week in SEMA eNews from now until the opening of the 2011 SEMA Show. To be included, send information to editors@sema.org.

For more information on the 2011 SEMA Show, visit www.SEMAShow.com.

See a '64 Styling Corvette once owned by Chevrolet General Manager Semon E. "Bunkie" Knudson in the Mid America Motorworks booth (#24297) at the 2011 SEMA Show.

Mid America Motorworks to Bring Piece of GM History to Las Vegas
A '64 Styling Corvette once owned by Chevrolet General Manager Semon E. "Bunkie" Knudson will be featured by Mid America Motorworks in booth 24297 at the 2011 SEMA Show. The fully restored Corvette provides SEMA attendees and exhibitors with a look at GM's history. It is also an example of the interior products available from Performance Choice, Mid America Motorworks' manufacturing division. The '64 Corvette was built specifically for Knudson with a variety of custom features, including custom Cadillac Fire Frost Blue paint over a specially prepared body surface. The car still retains the original drive train 327cid/365hp engine and all of the custom parts that were added in the Styling and Engineering departments.

Bestop Sends Two Dealers to the SEMA Show for Free

For the third year in a row, Bestop will send two Bestop Authorized Dealers on a free trip to the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Jones Jeep of Marble Falls, Texas, and Strong’s Truck Accessories of Riverside, California, will each receive round-trip airfare for two to Las Vegas, two night's luxurious accommodations, entrance into the SEMA 2011 Show and one night out with Bestop for dinner and entertainment. Bestop's Win a Trip to SEMA program was started three years ago as an incentive for joining the Bestop Authorized Dealer Program and as a way to say thank you to Bestop Authorized Dealers. More information is available at www.bestop.com. 



Shurhold Industries Joins Car Care Council for National Television Tour
Shurhold Industries is joining Lauren Fix and the Car Care Council for a national television tour that coincides with Fall Car Care Month in October. During the tour, Fix will explain the benefits of surface restoration to help maintain the value of a vehicle and increase pride of ownership. She will also demonstrate the benefits of Shurhold's lightweight Dual Action Polisher, which the company says is ideal for DIYers who want a professional finish for their vehicles, and explain the advantages of Buff Magic, Shurhold’s premier metal polish.

Shelby GT500 Super Snake 'Need for Speed' Edition to Raise Money for Carroll Shelby Foundation
The Carroll Shelby Foundation, along with Carroll Shelby Licensing Inc. and Shelby American Inc., both wholly owned subsidiaries of Carroll Shelby International Inc., have teamed up with Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) to put enthusiasts in the driver’s seat of a special 2011 Shelby GT500 Super Snake – ‘Need for Speed’ Edition.  This Shelby is featured on the cover and in the game of EA’s new Need for Speed The Run game, which will hit stores during the 2011 holiday season. A special ‘real-life’ one-off version was built by Shelby American Inc. and Shelby American Motorsports, which features custom EA designs and true Shelby performance.  The GT500 Super Snake – ‘Need for Speed’ Edition will be auctioned in late 2012 to generate funds for the Carroll Shelby Foundation. For additional information about the Carroll Shelby Foundation, as well as the auction of the 2011 Shelby GT500 Super Snake – ‘Need for Speed’ Edition, visit www.cscf.org.

TV Hosts Kevin Tetz and Ryan Shand to Sign Autographs in Firestone's Booth at the SEMA Show
Television hosts Kevin Tetz and Ryan Shand will sign autographs in the Firestone Industrial Products booth (#23013) during the 2011 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Tetz and Shand specialize in automotive how-to TV shows, performing aftermarket accessory installations on trucks and sport utility vehicles. The TV personalities will be onsite Wednesday, November 2, 1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m., and Thursday, November 3, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. for autograph sessions.



Tire Group International Inc. Partners With Transportation Resource Partners and McLarty Companies
Tire Group International Inc. (TGI) announced that it has partnered with the Transportation Resource Partners (TRP) and the McLarty Companies. "TGI is very excited about our future; our goal has always been to be the best at what we do. We have partnered with companies that share the very same ideals as part of their core and also share the vision for the growth of TGI. TRP, with its close association with the Penske organization, and McLarty are leaders in their industries and bring a vast amount of resources to our business. Their expertise in distribution and building businesses both in the USA and Latin America will help TGI take the next step in its rapid growth," said Tony Gonzalez, CEO of TGI.

Quarter Mile Foundation Confirms 14 Planned Drag Racing Legend Interviews for the 2011 SEMA Show
The Quarter Mile Foundation (SEMA Show booth #10900) has announced its plans to interview at least 14 drag racing and performance industry pioneers during the 2011 SEMA Show. The interviews will be conducted by noted drag racing historian, Don Gillespie. Confirmed for interviews are Art Chrisman, Carl Olson, Don Prudhomme, Joe Hrudka, Jim Kerr, Arnold Kuhns, Leo Kagan, Angelo Giampetroni, Bob Keller, Jim McFarland, Dennis Holding, Jeg Coughlin Sr., Linda Vaughn and Chuck Blum. The Foundation is awaiting confirmation from several other pioneers, which will be updated when confirmed.

 

The inspiration for the design of No Joke Upholstery's pinewood was to maintain a core hot rod theme and incorporate some leather, making a traditional-style '27 Ford Salt Flat racer a perfect fit.

The vehicles featured in the Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) Builder's Challenge during July's SEMA Pinewood Drag Races will soon be made available for auction through ebay. Proceeds raised through the auction will benefit Childhelp and the Victory Junction Camp. But before these carefully crafted masters of the metal dragstrip find new homes, SEMA eNews talked to several of the builders to uncover their motivation for making these pinewood cars special. Featured this week is Adam Howard of No Joke Upholstery.

All of the vehicles featured in the Builder's Challenge will be on display in the HRIA booth at the 2011 SEMA Show.

SEMA eNews: Why did you decide to get involved and become a HRIA Pinewood Builder’s Challenge participant?

Adam Howard: We actually just joined HRIA this year at the Hotrod & Restoration Show. While signing up as a new member at the booth we saw the poster of 2010 HRIA Pinewood Builder’s Challenge cars. So we inquired on the spot about becoming involved with this year’s build and we left the show with our block of wood. We remember seeing the cars at last year’s SEMA Show and thinking that it was a clever idea which supported such a great cause.

SEMA eNews: Did you race pinewood when you were younger?

Adam Howard: We never raced pinewood cars growing up; however, we were very involved in dragstrip slot car racing from junior high through high school years at a local track. We actually went back to our childhood slot car track when we were faced with this build; to tackle the engineering side of our initial design ideas.

SEMA eNews: What was the inspiration for your build?

Adam Howard: The inspiration of our design came from the fact that this event is hosted by the HRIA, and we wanted to maintain that core hot rod theme. In addition, we are also an upholstery shop so naturally we had to incorporate some leather into the project. So the traditional style ’27 Ford Salt Flat racer with the leather speed top was the perfect fit.

SEMA eNews: What was the major challenge in completing the build?

Adam Howard: We went into this build with a focus on the keyword “traditional.” Our traditional hot rod style could only be united with a traditional pinewood car; meaning that the body had to be completely made of pinewood. The challenge then became creating a true-to-form scale vehicle out of a solid block of wood. After staring at a set of wood files and the block of wood for a couple days, we determined that there was no way we could accurately recreate the body by hand. We then recruited our good friend Mike Evers as our body design engineer with his CAD and machining background. With a resin body of our desired final shape in hand, he was able to take a multitude of measurements and build a program to mill the pinewood body from the solid block of wood. 

SEMA eNews: What are the details of the build that you would like potential bidders to know?

Adam Howard: Our pinewood body was mounted on a laser-cut spring steel chassis with incorporated oil light bushings and stainless steel axles. Just forward of the firewall is an accurately built Flathead featuring aftermarket heads and three-carb setup. The motor was detailed down to the spark plug wires, which if you look closely are actually made from thread straight from our sewing machine. The exhaust includes lake pipes that feature the more modern-to-time ceramic wrap. The interior features a bench seat, a steering wheel, a shifter and carpet that are partially protected by the leather button on the speed top.

 

The inspiration for the design of No Joke Upholstery's pinewood was to maintain a core hot rod theme and incorporate some leather, making a traditional-style '27 Ford Salt Flat racer a perfect fit.

The vehicles featured in the Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) Builder's Challenge during July's SEMA Pinewood Drag Races will soon be made available for auction through ebay. Proceeds raised through the auction will benefit Childhelp and the Victory Junction Camp. But before these carefully crafted masters of the metal dragstrip find new homes, SEMA eNews talked to several of the builders to uncover their motivation for making these pinewood cars special. Featured this week is Adam Howard of No Joke Upholstery.

All of the vehicles featured in the Builder's Challenge will be on display in the HRIA booth at the 2011 SEMA Show.

SEMA eNews: Why did you decide to get involved and become a HRIA Pinewood Builder’s Challenge participant?

Adam Howard: We actually just joined HRIA this year at the Hotrod & Restoration Show. While signing up as a new member at the booth we saw the poster of 2010 HRIA Pinewood Builder’s Challenge cars. So we inquired on the spot about becoming involved with this year’s build and we left the show with our block of wood. We remember seeing the cars at last year’s SEMA Show and thinking that it was a clever idea which supported such a great cause.

SEMA eNews: Did you race pinewood when you were younger?

Adam Howard: We never raced pinewood cars growing up; however, we were very involved in dragstrip slot car racing from junior high through high school years at a local track. We actually went back to our childhood slot car track when we were faced with this build; to tackle the engineering side of our initial design ideas.

SEMA eNews: What was the inspiration for your build?

Adam Howard: The inspiration of our design came from the fact that this event is hosted by the HRIA, and we wanted to maintain that core hot rod theme. In addition, we are also an upholstery shop so naturally we had to incorporate some leather into the project. So the traditional style ’27 Ford Salt Flat racer with the leather speed top was the perfect fit.

SEMA eNews: What was the major challenge in completing the build?

Adam Howard: We went into this build with a focus on the keyword “traditional.” Our traditional hot rod style could only be united with a traditional pinewood car; meaning that the body had to be completely made of pinewood. The challenge then became creating a true-to-form scale vehicle out of a solid block of wood. After staring at a set of wood files and the block of wood for a couple days, we determined that there was no way we could accurately recreate the body by hand. We then recruited our good friend Mike Evers as our body design engineer with his CAD and machining background. With a resin body of our desired final shape in hand, he was able to take a multitude of measurements and build a program to mill the pinewood body from the solid block of wood. 

SEMA eNews: What are the details of the build that you would like potential bidders to know?

Adam Howard: Our pinewood body was mounted on a laser-cut spring steel chassis with incorporated oil light bushings and stainless steel axles. Just forward of the firewall is an accurately built Flathead featuring aftermarket heads and three-carb setup. The motor was detailed down to the spark plug wires, which if you look closely are actually made from thread straight from our sewing machine. The exhaust includes lake pipes that feature the more modern-to-time ceramic wrap. The interior features a bench seat, a steering wheel, a shifter and carpet that are partially protected by the leather button on the speed top.

 

	SEMA's Business Technology Committee will conduct five free presentations and panel discussions around the theme, “The Dirty Little Secret about Selling More Parts” at the Show.

The following message is from Luanne Brown, Chair of SEMA's Business Technology Committee (BTC) Education Subcommittee

Social media and search engines are great, but you need more sales!

Come get a better understanding of the key ingredient to building Internet sales at the Business Technology Committee’s education sessions at the 2011 SEMA Show. The BTC will conduct five free presentations and panel discussions around the theme, “The Dirty Little Secret About Selling More Parts” during SEMA Show week to provide you with key information on how to build websites equipped to close more sales and convert more shoppers into buyers.

3-Part Series on Understanding Product Data

Part 1: More And Better Product Data is on The Way!

Part 2: Differentiating Your Brand With Data

Part 3: Why Standards? Why Bother?


When: Monday, October 31 at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., LVCC, N252 


Who Should Attend? Manufacturers and Resellers

The BTC offers a three-part series targeted at those seeking to understand product data. These seminars will explore the current availability of good product data, explore the value product information has today and in the future to brands and resellers, and conclude in a high-level session on techniques to compile product information into a manageable, market-ready data source.



Presenters include; Bob Moore, BTC chairman and president of J&B Service; Scott O’Toole founder of RPM Data Services; and Ed Heon, CEO of Datagility.

The Dirty Little Secret About Selling More Parts

When: Tuesday, November 1, 3:00 p.m.


Where: LVCC, N252 


Who Should Attend? Internet Retailers and Manufacturers

Come join us as Internet industry experts discuss how product information has a huge impact on the ability of a site to create sales. The panel will explore practical ways to incorporate product information in your website, and in third party locations, to maximum conversions. A Q&A session to follow.



The panel includes Tim Odom of SEMA’s BTC; Lee Adelman, vice president of eCommerce at Curt Manufacturing; Greg Griffith general manager of PerformanceParts.com; Kevin Rice, IT manager at TSETruckStuff.com; and Ray Sherman, president of Configuretech.

I Know Data Matters, But Can't Somebody Just Tell Me Where to Start?


When: Wednesday, November 2nd 11:00 AM.


Where: LVCC, N252

Who Should Attend? Internet Retailers and Manufacturers

Tackling the development of good product information can be daunting. You can get started now. Bob Moore, the BTC chairman and his panel will provide common-sense suggestions on how to eat the data elephant one bit at a time.

The panel includes Bob Moore of SEMA’s BTC; Tim Martin, vice president of K&N Engineering; Bob Castle, director eCommerce of Covercraft; Luanne Brown, president at eTool Developers; and JR Moore, director of warehouse operations, Performance Warehouse.

For more information about these BTC education sessions visit www.SEMAShow.com/BTC-BusinessEfficiency.



To view the entire SEMA Show Education Days schedule, visit www.SEMAShow.com/education.



You need to stay up to date on the latest business trends and technologies. Don't be left in the dust: the SEMA Education Institute (SEI) has developed a comprehensive education program that will be held in conjunction with the 2011 SEMA Show (October 31–November 4, at the Las Vegas Convention Center). It is an unprecedented opportunity to participate in live training specifically built for the industry. 



 

	SEMA's Business Technology Committee will conduct five free presentations and panel discussions around the theme, “The Dirty Little Secret about Selling More Parts” at the Show.

The following message is from Luanne Brown, Chair of SEMA's Business Technology Committee (BTC) Education Subcommittee

Social media and search engines are great, but you need more sales!

Come get a better understanding of the key ingredient to building Internet sales at the Business Technology Committee’s education sessions at the 2011 SEMA Show. The BTC will conduct five free presentations and panel discussions around the theme, “The Dirty Little Secret About Selling More Parts” during SEMA Show week to provide you with key information on how to build websites equipped to close more sales and convert more shoppers into buyers.

3-Part Series on Understanding Product Data

Part 1: More And Better Product Data is on The Way!

Part 2: Differentiating Your Brand With Data

Part 3: Why Standards? Why Bother?


When: Monday, October 31 at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., LVCC, N252 


Who Should Attend? Manufacturers and Resellers

The BTC offers a three-part series targeted at those seeking to understand product data. These seminars will explore the current availability of good product data, explore the value product information has today and in the future to brands and resellers, and conclude in a high-level session on techniques to compile product information into a manageable, market-ready data source.



Presenters include; Bob Moore, BTC chairman and president of J&B Service; Scott O’Toole founder of RPM Data Services; and Ed Heon, CEO of Datagility.

The Dirty Little Secret About Selling More Parts

When: Tuesday, November 1, 3:00 p.m.


Where: LVCC, N252 


Who Should Attend? Internet Retailers and Manufacturers

Come join us as Internet industry experts discuss how product information has a huge impact on the ability of a site to create sales. The panel will explore practical ways to incorporate product information in your website, and in third party locations, to maximum conversions. A Q&A session to follow.



The panel includes Tim Odom of SEMA’s BTC; Lee Adelman, vice president of eCommerce at Curt Manufacturing; Greg Griffith general manager of PerformanceParts.com; Kevin Rice, IT manager at TSETruckStuff.com; and Ray Sherman, president of Configuretech.

I Know Data Matters, But Can't Somebody Just Tell Me Where to Start?


When: Wednesday, November 2nd 11:00 AM.


Where: LVCC, N252

Who Should Attend? Internet Retailers and Manufacturers

Tackling the development of good product information can be daunting. You can get started now. Bob Moore, the BTC chairman and his panel will provide common-sense suggestions on how to eat the data elephant one bit at a time.

The panel includes Bob Moore of SEMA’s BTC; Tim Martin, vice president of K&N Engineering; Bob Castle, director eCommerce of Covercraft; Luanne Brown, president at eTool Developers; and JR Moore, director of warehouse operations, Performance Warehouse.

For more information about these BTC education sessions visit www.SEMAShow.com/BTC-BusinessEfficiency.



To view the entire SEMA Show Education Days schedule, visit www.SEMAShow.com/education.



You need to stay up to date on the latest business trends and technologies. Don't be left in the dust: the SEMA Education Institute (SEI) has developed a comprehensive education program that will be held in conjunction with the 2011 SEMA Show (October 31–November 4, at the Las Vegas Convention Center). It is an unprecedented opportunity to participate in live training specifically built for the industry. 



U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is impounding illegal imports of noncompliant high-intensity discharge (HID) conversion kits, light sources and ballasts. The CBP is working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to pursue enforcement. As reported by SEMA for a number of years, the NHTSA has determined that it is impossible to produce HID conversion kits (converting a halogen system to HID) that would be compliant with the federal lighting standard, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108. The NHTSA is specifically concerned that HID conversion kits can produce excessive glare to oncoming motorists.

In recent months, CBP has identified hundreds of shipments for examination at various ports of entry across the United States. Since late 2009, CBP has seized more than 400,000 HID conversion kits and components valued at $5 million. Many of the shipments arrived via air cargo or express mail. CBP officers seize shipments when they determine that the equipment fails to meet NHTSA requirements that headlamp replaceable light sources be marked with the light source type, the light source manufacturer's name or trademark, and the DOT symbol indicating certification of compliance with governing regulations. The products may also be seized by CBP based on NHTSA’s conclusion that the equipment will not comply with FMVSS No. 108 since it will be installed in headlamps that were not designed for its use. 

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.