The Sonic Performance hatchback concept features a Chevrolet Performance Stage Kit, cold-air induction and a high-flow exhaust system allowing the 1.4L turbo engine to produce more power and a track-tuned suspension system developed by Chevrolet Performance.

By SEMA Editors

Chevrolet’s SS Sport, Sonic, Impala and Cruze performance-oriented concepts debuted at the 2014 SEMA Show.

The SS Sport concept features Chevrolet Accessories, including a grille kit, fog lamp bezels, a rear spoiler and high-gloss black 20-in. wheels. 
Power comes from the LS3 V8, delivering an SAE-certified 415hp and 415 lb.-ft. of torque. For 2015, it is available with a new six-speed manual transmission, along with a six-speed, paddle-shift automatic. Additional features include standard Magnetic Ride Control and Brembo front and rear brakes.

The Sonic Performance hatchback concept features a Chevrolet Performance Stage Kit, cold-air induction and a high-flow exhaust system allowing the 1.4L turbo engine to produce more power and a track-tuned suspension system developed by Chevrolet Performance. The Sonic sits on 17-in. aluminum wheels and is equipped with an advanced safety package, including forward collision alert and lane-departure warning.

The Sonic Accessories concept highlights Chevrolet Accessories, including white headlamp rings and taillamp rings, black grille surround, mirror covers and a rear spoiler, black 17-in. aluminum wheels and a suspension kit. Under the hood is the Ecotec 1.4L turbo rated at 138hp and 148 lb.-ft. of torque.

Redesigned one year ago, the ’15 Impala Blackout concept features a Chevrolet Accessories black grille surround, rear spoiler, painted mirror caps and 19-in. aluminum wheels. The interior is all black with leather-trimmed features. The Impala’s available 3.6L V6 engine, rated at 305hp and 264 lb.-ft. of torque, powers the Blackout concept.

The Cruze RS Plus concept receives revised exterior styling, enhanced interior convenience and greater connectivity, including new text message alerts, Apple Siri integration and OnStar 4G LTE with an available built-in Wi-Fi hotspot. The RS package includes a rear spoiler and fog lamps and an up-level instrument cluster. A Jet Black interior is complemented by a Chevrolet Accessories ambient lighting kit and illuminated doorsills. Under the hood, is a performance-enhancing stage kit from Chevrolet Performance and a fresh-air intake system for the 1.4L turbo engine.

	Preceding a tribute to Bill Hays, founder of Hays Clutches, Centerforce unveiled the first turnkey supercar from Classic Recreations’ CR Supercars brand—the Mustang Villain.

By SEMA Editors

At a press conference November 4, Centerforce hosted a tribute for SEMA Hall of Fame inductee Bill Hays, founder of Hays Clutches, and the company that would become Midway Industries, the parent company of Centerforce. Hosted by Pat Wilson and Mike Hays, and featuring other family and close friends, such as Linda Vaughn and Tom McEwen, the tribute touched upon Hays’ history as a paratrooper during WWII, a firefighter during the pioneer years of California drag racing and into the early days of Hays Clutches. Hays’ clutch designs and innovations carried over into the patented technologies that laid the groundwork for Centerforce to become an industry-leading clutch manufacturer.

Preceding the Bill Hays Tribute, Centerforce unveiled the first turnkey supercar from Classic Recreations’ CR Supercars brand, the Mustang Villain—the first of two high-performance machines from the coachbuilder known for its award-winning Shelby continuation cars. Based off of the ’68 Ford Mustang Fastback, the Villain will be the ultimate fusion of modern performance and classic musclecar styling.

Powered by Ford’s 5.0L Coyote engine mated to a Tremec five-speed, the Mustang Villain promises to deliver a healthy helping of power. Suspension on the Villain is brought into the 21st century thanks to a complete overhaul from Detroit Speed Inc., while a massive set of 14-in. Wilwood Disc Brakes with six-piston calipers offer stopping capabilities on par with today’s high-performance supercars.

Visit Centerforce Clutches at the company's SEMA Show booth (#23813).

	Alan Gell (left) and Marlon Hanson (right) from the 2014 AutoJudge judging panel present the Coupe of the Year award.

By SEMA Editors

AutoJudge (formerly: Readers Choice) Awards for automobiles, SUVs and pickups celebrated its 8th anniversary at this year’s SEMA Show by announcing the winners for 2014:

• Compact Sedan: ’15 VW Jetta
• Full Size Pickup: ’15 Ford F-150
• Plug-In Electric Vehicle: ’15 Cadillac ELR
• Van-Minivan: ’14 Chrysler Town & Country
• Midsize Sedan: ’15 Chrysler 200
• Sports Car: ’15 Chevrolet Corvette
• Luxury Car: ’15 Kia K900
• Fullsize Sedan: ’15 Hyundai Genesis
• Wagon: ’15 Subaru Outback
• Coupe: ’14 Cadillac CTS Coupe
• Midsize Pickup: ’15 GMC Canyon
• Hybrid (non plug-in): ’15 Ford Fusion
• Midsize SUV/Crossover: ’14 Durango
• Fullsize SUV: ’15 Jeep Grand Cherokee
• Performance Car: ’15 Dodge Challenger

The award began as an alternative to the multitude of automotive awards distributed at various car shows and other events. The award is open for independent voting by the auto-buying public. It was first conceived for the readership of newspapers, periodicals and websites. As the Internet has proliferated and blogging has become popular, the award has opened to any and all “readers” several years ago.

Due to the number of vehicles available, a panel of judges pre-selects a narrow group of vehicles for consumers to vote on in each category. In addition, because of their recognized expertise in the automotive industry, the judges have a weighted vote in the final tally. Categories have generally been similar each year, although automotive categories vary as newly designed products are introduced.

	Alan Gell (left) and Marlon Hanson (right) from the 2014 AutoJudge judging panel present the Coupe of the Year award.

By SEMA Editors

AutoJudge (formerly: Readers Choice) Awards for automobiles, SUVs and pickups celebrated its 8th anniversary at this year’s SEMA Show by announcing the winners for 2014:

• Compact Sedan: ’15 VW Jetta
• Full Size Pickup: ’15 Ford F-150
• Plug-In Electric Vehicle: ’15 Cadillac ELR
• Van-Minivan: ’14 Chrysler Town & Country
• Midsize Sedan: ’15 Chrysler 200
• Sports Car: ’15 Chevrolet Corvette
• Luxury Car: ’15 Kia K900
• Fullsize Sedan: ’15 Hyundai Genesis
• Wagon: ’15 Subaru Outback
• Coupe: ’14 Cadillac CTS Coupe
• Midsize Pickup: ’15 GMC Canyon
• Hybrid (non plug-in): ’15 Ford Fusion
• Midsize SUV/Crossover: ’14 Durango
• Fullsize SUV: ’15 Jeep Grand Cherokee
• Performance Car: ’15 Dodge Challenger

The award began as an alternative to the multitude of automotive awards distributed at various car shows and other events. The award is open for independent voting by the auto-buying public. It was first conceived for the readership of newspapers, periodicals and websites. As the Internet has proliferated and blogging has become popular, the award has opened to any and all “readers” several years ago.

Due to the number of vehicles available, a panel of judges pre-selects a narrow group of vehicles for consumers to vote on in each category. In addition, because of their recognized expertise in the automotive industry, the judges have a weighted vote in the final tally. Categories have generally been similar each year, although automotive categories vary as newly designed products are introduced.

	Kicking off a week of Keynote & Coffee talks, Garry Golden presented, “Tapping Your Inner Futurist: The Future of Transportation & Mobility,” on Tuesday, November 4.

By SEMA Editors

The Keynote & Coffee series—taking place each morning throughout the week of the 2014 SEMA Show—continues on Thursday, November 6. During the sessions, Showgoers enjoy free coffee while they hear from industry leaders providing insight on how to stay competitive in the fast-moving specialty-equipment market.

While 39% of car buyers today say connected vehicle technologies—such as voice activation, gesture control and heads-up displays—are the top selling points for them, only 14% say their most important consideration is still performance and speed. What do those numbers mean to the aftermarket industry? Find out at Thursday morning’s “Digital Technology in the Car—Silicon Valley Tech Meets Motor City Apps” with a six-speaker panel from Detroit and Silicon Valley.

Join the session for industry insights and a free cup of coffee in room N258.

	Kicking off a week of Keynote & Coffee talks, Garry Golden presented, “Tapping Your Inner Futurist: The Future of Transportation & Mobility,” on Tuesday, November 4.

By SEMA Editors

The Keynote & Coffee series—taking place each morning throughout the week of the 2014 SEMA Show—continues on Thursday, November 6. During the sessions, Showgoers enjoy free coffee while they hear from industry leaders providing insight on how to stay competitive in the fast-moving specialty-equipment market.

While 39% of car buyers today say connected vehicle technologies—such as voice activation, gesture control and heads-up displays—are the top selling points for them, only 14% say their most important consideration is still performance and speed. What do those numbers mean to the aftermarket industry? Find out at Thursday morning’s “Digital Technology in the Car—Silicon Valley Tech Meets Motor City Apps” with a six-speaker panel from Detroit and Silicon Valley.

Join the session for industry insights and a free cup of coffee in room N258.

	Kicking off a week of Keynote & Coffee talks, Garry Golden presented, “Tapping Your Inner Futurist: The Future of Transportation & Mobility,” on Tuesday, November 4.

By SEMA Editors

The Keynote & Coffee series—taking place each morning throughout the week of the 2014 SEMA Show—continues on Thursday, November 6. During the sessions, Showgoers enjoy free coffee while they hear from industry leaders providing insight on how to stay competitive in the fast-moving specialty-equipment market.

While 39% of car buyers today say connected vehicle technologies—such as voice activation, gesture control and heads-up displays—are the top selling points for them, only 14% say their most important consideration is still performance and speed. What do those numbers mean to the aftermarket industry? Find out at Thursday morning’s “Digital Technology in the Car—Silicon Valley Tech Meets Motor City Apps” with a six-speaker panel from Detroit and Silicon Valley.

Join the session for industry insights and a free cup of coffee in room N258.

By SEMA Editors

On the opening day of the 2014 SEMA Show, bonspeedMedia debuted its original automotive series, “Shift and Steer,” in the Mothers’ Polish, Waxes and Cleaners semi-truck display. The show, which features a variety of automotive programming that focuses on performance industry and enthusiast passion, will also run Wednesday and Thursday at the same time and location.

“Shift and Steer” is hosted by Brad Fanshaw, owner of bonspeed Wheels and award winning automotive designer and builder; Pete Chapouris, president of SO-CAL Speed Shop; Matt D’Andria, co-host of the CarCast podcast with Adam Carolla and host Car Collectors for GQ Magazine; Aaron Hagar, owner of Rat Runners Garage.

Creators of the show will take a multimedia approach to its content, offering podcasts and videos, as well as supplemental social media posts that encourage and maintain audience interaction. Enthusiasts can download “Shift and Steer” podcast episodes by subscribing through  iTunes. “Shift and Steer” can also be found on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube at @ShiftSteerMedia.

By SEMA Editors

On the opening day of the 2014 SEMA Show, bonspeedMedia debuted its original automotive series, “Shift and Steer,” in the Mothers’ Polish, Waxes and Cleaners semi-truck display. The show, which features a variety of automotive programming that focuses on performance industry and enthusiast passion, will also run Wednesday and Thursday at the same time and location.

“Shift and Steer” is hosted by Brad Fanshaw, owner of bonspeed Wheels and award winning automotive designer and builder; Pete Chapouris, president of SO-CAL Speed Shop; Matt D’Andria, co-host of the CarCast podcast with Adam Carolla and host Car Collectors for GQ Magazine; Aaron Hagar, owner of Rat Runners Garage.

Creators of the show will take a multimedia approach to its content, offering podcasts and videos, as well as supplemental social media posts that encourage and maintain audience interaction. Enthusiasts can download “Shift and Steer” podcast episodes by subscribing through  iTunes. “Shift and Steer” can also be found on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube at @ShiftSteerMedia.

	The prestigious Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Ed Pink (center) from special guest Barry Meguiar (left) during the New Products Awards Breakfast, Tuesday, November 4.

By SEMA Editors

The prestigious Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Ed Pink during the New Products Awards Breakfast, Tuesday, November 4. Founded nearly a decade ago, the award is presented to the founders and pioneers of the hot-rod industry. Previous winners of the award include Dave McClelland, Wally Parks, Carroll Shelby, George Barris, Vic Edelbrock, Jack Roush, Ed Iskenderian, Jack Chisenhall, Bill Smith and Alex Xydias.

Ed Pink, the Legendary “Old Master” of engine builders, has enjoyed success with his Southern California business, Ed Pink Racing Engines, as well as individual achievements, including being inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2012. His expertise in numerous motorsport disciplines has contributed to more than 500 wins and accomplishments in drag racing, midgets, silver crowns, hydro planes, desert racing, Indy cars, sports cars and drifting.

“The SEMA Show is the most logical and best home for the Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award,” said Terry Karges, executive director of the Petersen Automotive Museum. “As a pioneer in the industry, Mr. Petersen was an inspiration and mentor for many.”

Petersen started Hot Rod magazine in 1948 with $400. The Petersen empire grew to become the largest and most successful publishing enterprise in the West. Hot Rod, Motor Trend and dozens of other Petersen titles packed newsstand racks throughout the United States and, at their peak, Petersen magazines reached nearly 80 million readers per month.