By SEMA Editors

Two years ago, SEMA’s International Vehicle Measuring Program purchased and made available to members two vehicles that are popular overseas, but not available in the United States or Canada. The program, made possible in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce, is designed to allow SEMA-member manufacturers to measure and test-fit parts for those vehicles and participate in export markets. The two vehicles, the Ford Ranger T6 and Toyota HiLux pickups, are sold in the millions abroad.

To date, more than 200 SEMA members have measured and/or requested CAD data for both the Ford Ranger T6 and Toyota HiLux, and more companies have applied for access. As a result, the SEMA International department has worked with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to gain approval for another year-long waiver for the Toyota HiLux. Temporary imports are allowed into the United States for one year with two possible one-year extensions and, thus, the truck can remain in the United States until June 21, 2015. At that point the vehicle must be re-exported or destroyed.

The Association will also apply for a similar waiver for the South African-built Ford Ranger T6 in December. There is a steady stream—even a wait list—for member manufacturers to measure the two trucks and another year for each would provide access for many more members to measure the vehicles or to conduct fitment tests.

The vehicles are available for a day, a week or even longer as the schedule allows. Contact Rachael Salazar at 909-978-6744 or rachaels@sema.org to sign up for access to either vehicle.

The next vehicle to be purchased and imported with SEMA’s grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce will be a Mitsubishi L200 pickup. The L200 is scheduled to arrive at the SEMA Garage – Industry Innovations Center in Diamond Bar, California, this fall. As with all of the vehicles in this program, SEMA will import the Mistubishi L200, which is popularly accessorized around the world but not sold in the United States, to allow members further access to hard-to-obtain vehicles in order to develop export-ready products. To date, Mitsubishi is reporting global sales for the L200 (known as the Triton in certain markets) as exceeding 1.1 million units sold. The truck, available since 2006, is sold in 158 countries; however, it is not sold in the United States or Canada.

Among the SEMA-member companies that have measured the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger T6:

Recently, Bushwacker’s Vice President of Export Markets Kenneth Merritt took advantage of the International Vehicle Measuring Program, visiting the SEMA Garage and performing a test fitment of several new products custom designed for the Ford Ranger T6. The new products were designed based on measurements taken earlier this year. His thoughts appear in the video above.

For information on the International Vehicle Measuring Program, contact Linda Spencer at lindas@sema.org. For information about the SEMA Garage, contact Mike Spagnola at mikes@sema.org. To measure the Toyota HiLux or Ford Ranger, contact Rachael Salazar at rachaels@sema.org.

By SEMA Editors

Two years ago, SEMA’s International Vehicle Measuring Program purchased and made available to members two vehicles that are popular overseas, but not available in the United States or Canada. The program, made possible in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce, is designed to allow SEMA-member manufacturers to measure and test-fit parts for those vehicles and participate in export markets. The two vehicles, the Ford Ranger T6 and Toyota HiLux pickups, are sold in the millions abroad.

To date, more than 200 SEMA members have measured and/or requested CAD data for both the Ford Ranger T6 and Toyota HiLux, and more companies have applied for access. As a result, the SEMA International department has worked with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to gain approval for another year-long waiver for the Toyota HiLux. Temporary imports are allowed into the United States for one year with two possible one-year extensions and, thus, the truck can remain in the United States until June 21, 2015. At that point the vehicle must be re-exported or destroyed.

The Association will also apply for a similar waiver for the South African-built Ford Ranger T6 in December. There is a steady stream—even a wait list—for member manufacturers to measure the two trucks and another year for each would provide access for many more members to measure the vehicles or to conduct fitment tests.

The vehicles are available for a day, a week or even longer as the schedule allows. Contact Rachael Salazar at 909-978-6744 or rachaels@sema.org to sign up for access to either vehicle.

The next vehicle to be purchased and imported with SEMA’s grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce will be a Mitsubishi L200 pickup. The L200 is scheduled to arrive at the SEMA Garage – Industry Innovations Center in Diamond Bar, California, this fall. As with all of the vehicles in this program, SEMA will import the Mistubishi L200, which is popularly accessorized around the world but not sold in the United States, to allow members further access to hard-to-obtain vehicles in order to develop export-ready products. To date, Mitsubishi is reporting global sales for the L200 (known as the Triton in certain markets) as exceeding 1.1 million units sold. The truck, available since 2006, is sold in 158 countries; however, it is not sold in the United States or Canada.

Among the SEMA-member companies that have measured the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger T6:

Recently, Bushwacker’s Vice President of Export Markets Kenneth Merritt took advantage of the International Vehicle Measuring Program, visiting the SEMA Garage and performing a test fitment of several new products custom designed for the Ford Ranger T6. The new products were designed based on measurements taken earlier this year. His thoughts appear in the video above.

For information on the International Vehicle Measuring Program, contact Linda Spencer at lindas@sema.org. For information about the SEMA Garage, contact Mike Spagnola at mikes@sema.org. To measure the Toyota HiLux or Ford Ranger, contact Rachael Salazar at rachaels@sema.org.

By Chad Simon

	Clifford Leonard, founder/CEO of Fusion Brakes, was featured on the Velocity Network's 2013 SEMA Show special regarding the company's experience as a first-time exhibitor.
	Showcasing your products installed on a vehicle at the Show is a great way to get a buyer's attention.
	Fusion Brakes left last year’s Show with about 90–100 leads; at least 80% of them were qualified.

Clifford Leonard, founder/CEO of Fusion Brakes, based in Orange, California, found out at the 2013 SEMA Show just how much planning and preparation goes into exhibiting at the Show, especially when it's for the first time. Turns out all that hard work has paid off handsomely for the two-year-old start-up manufacturer of high-performance carbon ceramic brakes.

Recently, Fusion Brakes was featured in the Velocity Network's 2013 SEMA Show special regarding their experience as a first-time exhibitor. We caught up with Leonard to dig deeper into how he was able to successfully pull it off, the mistakes he made, what he learned from his mistakes and how he will apply this knowledge when preparing for his second time around at the 2014 SEMA Show.

Leonard had attended the SEMA Show for the past nine years exhibiting with his father’s company, Original Parts Group, but last year was the first time he personally exhibited with his own company. Fusion Brakes exhibited in a 10x20 booth in the First Time & Featured Exhibitors section. This year, the company is upgrading to a 20x20 booth.

“Because I’ve been going to the SEMA Show for so long, I already know how powerful it can be,” Leonard said. “I’ve been to other tradeshows and there is no other trade show that compares to the SEMA Show. The number and quality of buyers and people who attend is unreal in comparison. There is always somebody at the SEMA Show who is ready and willing to check out your booth and products and make that purchase.”

The SEMA Show is the No. 1 gathering of small businesses in the United States, according to Tom Gattuso, SEMA’s trade shows director. “It is the optimal place to introduce a new product to the industry as a whole. The top reason buyers attend the Show is to find new companies and new products,” he said.

As a first-time exhibitor, there are many opportunities to gain recognition. One of the best places to start planning is the Exhibitor Manual—an entire website of pertinent information for a successful exhibit. One of the best ways to gain exposure at the Show is entering new and featured products in the New Products Showcase. Exhibitors can register their first product for free. Another way is to apply for a feature vehicle on which to display your products.

“The main benefit that first-timers can really reap benefits from is participation in the New Products Showcase,” said Gattuso. “That gets their product in front of more than 3,000 media attendees and tens of thousands of buyers, and has been a proven method of driving traffic to an exhibitor’s booth.”

Being a first-time exhibitor was a learning experience for Leonard because he was introduced to buyers from a plethora of different markets he hadn’t yet tapped into.

“You really get a good feel for market validation when people come to your booth and they start talking about putting your products on the Nissan GTR, for example,” said Leonard. “It’s a car we hadn’t planned on doing; we were sort of on the edge. But after the SEMA Show, we got an overwhelming response. We dug up a little more R&D on it, and it turned out to be a rather big market for us to look into.”

Leonard also learned what the market demands and what products buyers were most likely to carry, which helped steer him in the right direction of what he technically should be doing to make money. According to Leonard, he walked away from last year’s Show with about 90–100 leads; at least 80% of them were qualified.

“We closed quite a bit of them and made some deals,” he said. “Even some of the other guys who are waiting on upcoming products, they’re still waiting, which is really cool. They’re willing to work with us and give us some numbers on what they want to order.”

Since Leonard had experience with his father’s company, he already knew some of the ins and outs of exhibiting at the Show, “But man, when you’re in charge and you’re the one doing it and it’s your own company and you don’t have anyone telling you what to do, I had never felt so clueless and unprepared as far as doing it for my first time on my own terms,” he admitted.

His game plan was to follow the SEMA schedule to ensure he hit all his deadlines, but it became complicated trying to manage all the Show preparation while booking appointments with clients and running his business.

Being a first-time exhibitor requires learning by trial and error, and Leonard said he planned to correct some of the errors he made last year; for instance, setting up more meetings, being more organized and starting preparations earlier.

“Last year we felt really up to the edge on deadlines and we felt like we were getting everything done at the last minute,” he said. “We even got behind on printing pamphlets, and in order to get everything printed, I brought my printer with me to the hotel and we were up until 2 a.m. printing out pamphlets.”

One of the most crucial things exhibitors should do is follow up on leads immediately after the Show because buyers want to follow up with you right away. Leonard admits he didn’t follow up with his leads fast enough. It’s the buyer’s job to complete budgets and figure out what product lines they want to introduce. So by waiting to connect with them, your products are not fresh in their head and they may find other products. If they fill their budget out and you’re not included, it makes it hard for them to make the deal. Leonard plans to reach out to his leads from the previous year since he’s already gotten some traction from them and also include more than just one product in the New Products Showcase.

“Once the Show sneaks up on you and you’re not ready, it can really bite you,” Leonard said. At the same time, you can prepare all you want, but I feel like you can never be truly prepared for the SEMA Show.”

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

By Chad Simon

	Clifford Leonard, founder/CEO of Fusion Brakes, was featured on the Velocity Network's 2013 SEMA Show special regarding the company's experience as a first-time exhibitor.
	Showcasing your products installed on a vehicle at the Show is a great way to get a buyer's attention.
	Fusion Brakes left last year’s Show with about 90–100 leads; at least 80% of them were qualified.

Clifford Leonard, founder/CEO of Fusion Brakes, based in Orange, California, found out at the 2013 SEMA Show just how much planning and preparation goes into exhibiting at the Show, especially when it's for the first time. Turns out all that hard work has paid off handsomely for the two-year-old start-up manufacturer of high-performance carbon ceramic brakes.

Recently, Fusion Brakes was featured in the Velocity Network's 2013 SEMA Show special regarding their experience as a first-time exhibitor. We caught up with Leonard to dig deeper into how he was able to successfully pull it off, the mistakes he made, what he learned from his mistakes and how he will apply this knowledge when preparing for his second time around at the 2014 SEMA Show.

Leonard had attended the SEMA Show for the past nine years exhibiting with his father’s company, Original Parts Group, but last year was the first time he personally exhibited with his own company. Fusion Brakes exhibited in a 10x20 booth in the First Time & Featured Exhibitors section. This year, the company is upgrading to a 20x20 booth.

“Because I’ve been going to the SEMA Show for so long, I already know how powerful it can be,” Leonard said. “I’ve been to other tradeshows and there is no other trade show that compares to the SEMA Show. The number and quality of buyers and people who attend is unreal in comparison. There is always somebody at the SEMA Show who is ready and willing to check out your booth and products and make that purchase.”

The SEMA Show is the No. 1 gathering of small businesses in the United States, according to Tom Gattuso, SEMA’s trade shows director. “It is the optimal place to introduce a new product to the industry as a whole. The top reason buyers attend the Show is to find new companies and new products,” he said.

As a first-time exhibitor, there are many opportunities to gain recognition. One of the best places to start planning is the Exhibitor Manual—an entire website of pertinent information for a successful exhibit. One of the best ways to gain exposure at the Show is entering new and featured products in the New Products Showcase. Exhibitors can register their first product for free. Another way is to apply for a feature vehicle on which to display your products.

“The main benefit that first-timers can really reap benefits from is participation in the New Products Showcase,” said Gattuso. “That gets their product in front of more than 3,000 media attendees and tens of thousands of buyers, and has been a proven method of driving traffic to an exhibitor’s booth.”

Being a first-time exhibitor was a learning experience for Leonard because he was introduced to buyers from a plethora of different markets he hadn’t yet tapped into.

“You really get a good feel for market validation when people come to your booth and they start talking about putting your products on the Nissan GTR, for example,” said Leonard. “It’s a car we hadn’t planned on doing; we were sort of on the edge. But after the SEMA Show, we got an overwhelming response. We dug up a little more R&D on it, and it turned out to be a rather big market for us to look into.”

Leonard also learned what the market demands and what products buyers were most likely to carry, which helped steer him in the right direction of what he technically should be doing to make money. According to Leonard, he walked away from last year’s Show with about 90–100 leads; at least 80% of them were qualified.

“We closed quite a bit of them and made some deals,” he said. “Even some of the other guys who are waiting on upcoming products, they’re still waiting, which is really cool. They’re willing to work with us and give us some numbers on what they want to order.”

Since Leonard had experience with his father’s company, he already knew some of the ins and outs of exhibiting at the Show, “But man, when you’re in charge and you’re the one doing it and it’s your own company and you don’t have anyone telling you what to do, I had never felt so clueless and unprepared as far as doing it for my first time on my own terms,” he admitted.

His game plan was to follow the SEMA schedule to ensure he hit all his deadlines, but it became complicated trying to manage all the Show preparation while booking appointments with clients and running his business.

Being a first-time exhibitor requires learning by trial and error, and Leonard said he planned to correct some of the errors he made last year; for instance, setting up more meetings, being more organized and starting preparations earlier.

“Last year we felt really up to the edge on deadlines and we felt like we were getting everything done at the last minute,” he said. “We even got behind on printing pamphlets, and in order to get everything printed, I brought my printer with me to the hotel and we were up until 2 a.m. printing out pamphlets.”

One of the most crucial things exhibitors should do is follow up on leads immediately after the Show because buyers want to follow up with you right away. Leonard admits he didn’t follow up with his leads fast enough. It’s the buyer’s job to complete budgets and figure out what product lines they want to introduce. So by waiting to connect with them, your products are not fresh in their head and they may find other products. If they fill their budget out and you’re not included, it makes it hard for them to make the deal. Leonard plans to reach out to his leads from the previous year since he’s already gotten some traction from them and also include more than just one product in the New Products Showcase.

“Once the Show sneaks up on you and you’re not ready, it can really bite you,” Leonard said. At the same time, you can prepare all you want, but I feel like you can never be truly prepared for the SEMA Show.”

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

By Chad Simon

	Clifford Leonard, founder/CEO of Fusion Brakes, was featured on the Velocity Network's 2013 SEMA Show special regarding the company's experience as a first-time exhibitor.
	Showcasing your products installed on a vehicle at the Show is a great way to get a buyer's attention.
	Fusion Brakes left last year’s Show with about 90–100 leads; at least 80% of them were qualified.

Clifford Leonard, founder/CEO of Fusion Brakes, based in Orange, California, found out at the 2013 SEMA Show just how much planning and preparation goes into exhibiting at the Show, especially when it's for the first time. Turns out all that hard work has paid off handsomely for the two-year-old start-up manufacturer of high-performance carbon ceramic brakes.

Recently, Fusion Brakes was featured in the Velocity Network's 2013 SEMA Show special regarding their experience as a first-time exhibitor. We caught up with Leonard to dig deeper into how he was able to successfully pull it off, the mistakes he made, what he learned from his mistakes and how he will apply this knowledge when preparing for his second time around at the 2014 SEMA Show.

Leonard had attended the SEMA Show for the past nine years exhibiting with his father’s company, Original Parts Group, but last year was the first time he personally exhibited with his own company. Fusion Brakes exhibited in a 10x20 booth in the First Time & Featured Exhibitors section. This year, the company is upgrading to a 20x20 booth.

“Because I’ve been going to the SEMA Show for so long, I already know how powerful it can be,” Leonard said. “I’ve been to other tradeshows and there is no other trade show that compares to the SEMA Show. The number and quality of buyers and people who attend is unreal in comparison. There is always somebody at the SEMA Show who is ready and willing to check out your booth and products and make that purchase.”

The SEMA Show is the No. 1 gathering of small businesses in the United States, according to Tom Gattuso, SEMA’s trade shows director. “It is the optimal place to introduce a new product to the industry as a whole. The top reason buyers attend the Show is to find new companies and new products,” he said.

As a first-time exhibitor, there are many opportunities to gain recognition. One of the best places to start planning is the Exhibitor Manual—an entire website of pertinent information for a successful exhibit. One of the best ways to gain exposure at the Show is entering new and featured products in the New Products Showcase. Exhibitors can register their first product for free. Another way is to apply for a feature vehicle on which to display your products.

“The main benefit that first-timers can really reap benefits from is participation in the New Products Showcase,” said Gattuso. “That gets their product in front of more than 3,000 media attendees and tens of thousands of buyers, and has been a proven method of driving traffic to an exhibitor’s booth.”

Being a first-time exhibitor was a learning experience for Leonard because he was introduced to buyers from a plethora of different markets he hadn’t yet tapped into.

“You really get a good feel for market validation when people come to your booth and they start talking about putting your products on the Nissan GTR, for example,” said Leonard. “It’s a car we hadn’t planned on doing; we were sort of on the edge. But after the SEMA Show, we got an overwhelming response. We dug up a little more R&D on it, and it turned out to be a rather big market for us to look into.”

Leonard also learned what the market demands and what products buyers were most likely to carry, which helped steer him in the right direction of what he technically should be doing to make money. According to Leonard, he walked away from last year’s Show with about 90–100 leads; at least 80% of them were qualified.

“We closed quite a bit of them and made some deals,” he said. “Even some of the other guys who are waiting on upcoming products, they’re still waiting, which is really cool. They’re willing to work with us and give us some numbers on what they want to order.”

Since Leonard had experience with his father’s company, he already knew some of the ins and outs of exhibiting at the Show, “But man, when you’re in charge and you’re the one doing it and it’s your own company and you don’t have anyone telling you what to do, I had never felt so clueless and unprepared as far as doing it for my first time on my own terms,” he admitted.

His game plan was to follow the SEMA schedule to ensure he hit all his deadlines, but it became complicated trying to manage all the Show preparation while booking appointments with clients and running his business.

Being a first-time exhibitor requires learning by trial and error, and Leonard said he planned to correct some of the errors he made last year; for instance, setting up more meetings, being more organized and starting preparations earlier.

“Last year we felt really up to the edge on deadlines and we felt like we were getting everything done at the last minute,” he said. “We even got behind on printing pamphlets, and in order to get everything printed, I brought my printer with me to the hotel and we were up until 2 a.m. printing out pamphlets.”

One of the most crucial things exhibitors should do is follow up on leads immediately after the Show because buyers want to follow up with you right away. Leonard admits he didn’t follow up with his leads fast enough. It’s the buyer’s job to complete budgets and figure out what product lines they want to introduce. So by waiting to connect with them, your products are not fresh in their head and they may find other products. If they fill their budget out and you’re not included, it makes it hard for them to make the deal. Leonard plans to reach out to his leads from the previous year since he’s already gotten some traction from them and also include more than just one product in the New Products Showcase.

“Once the Show sneaks up on you and you’re not ready, it can really bite you,” Leonard said. At the same time, you can prepare all you want, but I feel like you can never be truly prepared for the SEMA Show.”

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

By Chad Simon

	Clifford Leonard, founder/CEO of Fusion Brakes, was featured on the Velocity Network's 2013 SEMA Show special regarding the company's experience as a first-time exhibitor.
	Showcasing your products installed on a vehicle at the Show is a great way to get a buyer's attention.
	Fusion Brakes left last year’s Show with about 90–100 leads; at least 80% of them were qualified.

Clifford Leonard, founder/CEO of Fusion Brakes, based in Orange, California, found out at the 2013 SEMA Show just how much planning and preparation goes into exhibiting at the Show, especially when it's for the first time. Turns out all that hard work has paid off handsomely for the two-year-old start-up manufacturer of high-performance carbon ceramic brakes.

Recently, Fusion Brakes was featured in the Velocity Network's 2013 SEMA Show special regarding their experience as a first-time exhibitor. We caught up with Leonard to dig deeper into how he was able to successfully pull it off, the mistakes he made, what he learned from his mistakes and how he will apply this knowledge when preparing for his second time around at the 2014 SEMA Show.

Leonard had attended the SEMA Show for the past nine years exhibiting with his father’s company, Original Parts Group, but last year was the first time he personally exhibited with his own company. Fusion Brakes exhibited in a 10x20 booth in the First Time & Featured Exhibitors section. This year, the company is upgrading to a 20x20 booth.

“Because I’ve been going to the SEMA Show for so long, I already know how powerful it can be,” Leonard said. “I’ve been to other tradeshows and there is no other trade show that compares to the SEMA Show. The number and quality of buyers and people who attend is unreal in comparison. There is always somebody at the SEMA Show who is ready and willing to check out your booth and products and make that purchase.”

The SEMA Show is the No. 1 gathering of small businesses in the United States, according to Tom Gattuso, SEMA’s trade shows director. “It is the optimal place to introduce a new product to the industry as a whole. The top reason buyers attend the Show is to find new companies and new products,” he said.

As a first-time exhibitor, there are many opportunities to gain recognition. One of the best places to start planning is the Exhibitor Manual—an entire website of pertinent information for a successful exhibit. One of the best ways to gain exposure at the Show is entering new and featured products in the New Products Showcase. Exhibitors can register their first product for free. Another way is to apply for a feature vehicle on which to display your products.

“The main benefit that first-timers can really reap benefits from is participation in the New Products Showcase,” said Gattuso. “That gets their product in front of more than 3,000 media attendees and tens of thousands of buyers, and has been a proven method of driving traffic to an exhibitor’s booth.”

Being a first-time exhibitor was a learning experience for Leonard because he was introduced to buyers from a plethora of different markets he hadn’t yet tapped into.

“You really get a good feel for market validation when people come to your booth and they start talking about putting your products on the Nissan GTR, for example,” said Leonard. “It’s a car we hadn’t planned on doing; we were sort of on the edge. But after the SEMA Show, we got an overwhelming response. We dug up a little more R&D on it, and it turned out to be a rather big market for us to look into.”

Leonard also learned what the market demands and what products buyers were most likely to carry, which helped steer him in the right direction of what he technically should be doing to make money. According to Leonard, he walked away from last year’s Show with about 90–100 leads; at least 80% of them were qualified.

“We closed quite a bit of them and made some deals,” he said. “Even some of the other guys who are waiting on upcoming products, they’re still waiting, which is really cool. They’re willing to work with us and give us some numbers on what they want to order.”

Since Leonard had experience with his father’s company, he already knew some of the ins and outs of exhibiting at the Show, “But man, when you’re in charge and you’re the one doing it and it’s your own company and you don’t have anyone telling you what to do, I had never felt so clueless and unprepared as far as doing it for my first time on my own terms,” he admitted.

His game plan was to follow the SEMA schedule to ensure he hit all his deadlines, but it became complicated trying to manage all the Show preparation while booking appointments with clients and running his business.

Being a first-time exhibitor requires learning by trial and error, and Leonard said he planned to correct some of the errors he made last year; for instance, setting up more meetings, being more organized and starting preparations earlier.

“Last year we felt really up to the edge on deadlines and we felt like we were getting everything done at the last minute,” he said. “We even got behind on printing pamphlets, and in order to get everything printed, I brought my printer with me to the hotel and we were up until 2 a.m. printing out pamphlets.”

One of the most crucial things exhibitors should do is follow up on leads immediately after the Show because buyers want to follow up with you right away. Leonard admits he didn’t follow up with his leads fast enough. It’s the buyer’s job to complete budgets and figure out what product lines they want to introduce. So by waiting to connect with them, your products are not fresh in their head and they may find other products. If they fill their budget out and you’re not included, it makes it hard for them to make the deal. Leonard plans to reach out to his leads from the previous year since he’s already gotten some traction from them and also include more than just one product in the New Products Showcase.

“Once the Show sneaks up on you and you’re not ready, it can really bite you,” Leonard said. At the same time, you can prepare all you want, but I feel like you can never be truly prepared for the SEMA Show.”

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

The shooters at KGP Photography have conclusive proof that Ford is doubling down on its aluminum trucks, going the F-150 route on its all-new ’17 Super Duty pickups.

Will It Magnet?

A slew of Super Duty prototypes have been testing in the Rocky Mountains, and an F-350 Dually pulling a fifth wheel parked for the day, leaving its truck bed uncovered and exposed. The shooters decided that it was time to make a little introduction: "Magnet, meet Super Duty. Super Duty, say hello to Magnet. Let's see if you two are attracted to each other." The end result is captured on video, and shows that the magnet exhibits zero attraction to the prototype surfaces—even its exposed metal—suggesting that the next Super Duty is following the F-150's lead and going aluminum.

A textual breakdown of the video is below. The shooters caught the Super Duty prototypes testing in a wide variety of body configurations, including Crew Cab, Super Cab, Regular Cab and Crew Cab Chassis Cab.

Video Breakdown

The Super Duty prototype subjected to the magnet was 80% covered, with its bed uncovered due to the fifth-wheel trailer that remained attached while the test truck was parked. The shooters placed the magnet over various sections of the covered truck, and then reached an uncovered portion, clad only in marine vinyl camouflage near the rear wheel arch. The magnet showed no attraction to the prototype, but since portions of the prototype were covered with a car cover, the video is not 100% conclusive. The shooters did some tests after the fact, applying the magnet to a current, steel-bodied F-250, and found that the magnet would still show attraction even when a 1/4-inch piece of foam core board was placed between the truck and the magnet. This helps alleviate some concerns over the covered portion of the prototype and its reaction to the magnet.

In another test, the shooters placed some marine vinyl similar to automotive camouflage between the magnet and a current F-250. Here, it stuck like glue. On a portion of the Super Duty prototype that wasn't obscured by the car cover, the section covered only in vinyl camouflage exhibited no magnetism, which is highly suggestive of aluminum body panels.

Finally, they placed the magnet against that truck bed's bare metal, and still, there was absolutely no magnetic effect. It's here that they can say conclusively that Ford is using aluminum in a large portion of their next-generation Super Duty prototypes. If they're using aluminum here, in the key punishment point of a heavy-duty work truck, it stands to reason that aluminum is being used throughout the rest of the Super Duty prototypes—just as they have on the ’15 Ford F-150.

Two Versions of the Video

The shooters have supplied two versions of the video proving the aluminum makeup of the Super Duty prototype. A shorter, raw version contains only the video of the magnet's interplay with the Super Duty prototype. A second video edit includes portions of their tests of the magnet's reaction to various materials and a current, steel-bodied F-250. The added material helps put the raw "prototype" video in a proper context.

A New Super Duty So Soon?

When the shooters caught the first Super Duty prototypes, testing back in mid-March, many analysts expressed surprise that prototypes had appeared so early, and out of nowhere. Their analysis suggests that Ford has accelerated development on the next-generation Super Duty to make the most of their "aluminum edge"—technology that Ford executives were touting as "game changing" at the F-150 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) debut. If competitors are planning to counter Ford with aluminum-intensive trucks of their own, Ford's decisive move to create an aluminum Super Duty will help them leverage their current advantage as much as possible before their competitors' can react.

Photo credit: KGP Photography

The shooters at KGP Photography have conclusive proof that Ford is doubling down on its aluminum trucks, going the F-150 route on its all-new ’17 Super Duty pickups.

Will It Magnet?

A slew of Super Duty prototypes have been testing in the Rocky Mountains, and an F-350 Dually pulling a fifth wheel parked for the day, leaving its truck bed uncovered and exposed. The shooters decided that it was time to make a little introduction: "Magnet, meet Super Duty. Super Duty, say hello to Magnet. Let's see if you two are attracted to each other." The end result is captured on video, and shows that the magnet exhibits zero attraction to the prototype surfaces—even its exposed metal—suggesting that the next Super Duty is following the F-150's lead and going aluminum.

A textual breakdown of the video is below. The shooters caught the Super Duty prototypes testing in a wide variety of body configurations, including Crew Cab, Super Cab, Regular Cab and Crew Cab Chassis Cab.

Video Breakdown

The Super Duty prototype subjected to the magnet was 80% covered, with its bed uncovered due to the fifth-wheel trailer that remained attached while the test truck was parked. The shooters placed the magnet over various sections of the covered truck, and then reached an uncovered portion, clad only in marine vinyl camouflage near the rear wheel arch. The magnet showed no attraction to the prototype, but since portions of the prototype were covered with a car cover, the video is not 100% conclusive. The shooters did some tests after the fact, applying the magnet to a current, steel-bodied F-250, and found that the magnet would still show attraction even when a 1/4-inch piece of foam core board was placed between the truck and the magnet. This helps alleviate some concerns over the covered portion of the prototype and its reaction to the magnet.

In another test, the shooters placed some marine vinyl similar to automotive camouflage between the magnet and a current F-250. Here, it stuck like glue. On a portion of the Super Duty prototype that wasn't obscured by the car cover, the section covered only in vinyl camouflage exhibited no magnetism, which is highly suggestive of aluminum body panels.

Finally, they placed the magnet against that truck bed's bare metal, and still, there was absolutely no magnetic effect. It's here that they can say conclusively that Ford is using aluminum in a large portion of their next-generation Super Duty prototypes. If they're using aluminum here, in the key punishment point of a heavy-duty work truck, it stands to reason that aluminum is being used throughout the rest of the Super Duty prototypes—just as they have on the ’15 Ford F-150.

Two Versions of the Video

The shooters have supplied two versions of the video proving the aluminum makeup of the Super Duty prototype. A shorter, raw version contains only the video of the magnet's interplay with the Super Duty prototype. A second video edit includes portions of their tests of the magnet's reaction to various materials and a current, steel-bodied F-250. The added material helps put the raw "prototype" video in a proper context.

A New Super Duty So Soon?

When the shooters caught the first Super Duty prototypes, testing back in mid-March, many analysts expressed surprise that prototypes had appeared so early, and out of nowhere. Their analysis suggests that Ford has accelerated development on the next-generation Super Duty to make the most of their "aluminum edge"—technology that Ford executives were touting as "game changing" at the F-150 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) debut. If competitors are planning to counter Ford with aluminum-intensive trucks of their own, Ford's decisive move to create an aluminum Super Duty will help them leverage their current advantage as much as possible before their competitors' can react.

Photo credit: KGP Photography

The shooters at KGP Photography have conclusive proof that Ford is doubling down on its aluminum trucks, going the F-150 route on its all-new ’17 Super Duty pickups.

Will It Magnet?

A slew of Super Duty prototypes have been testing in the Rocky Mountains, and an F-350 Dually pulling a fifth wheel parked for the day, leaving its truck bed uncovered and exposed. The shooters decided that it was time to make a little introduction: "Magnet, meet Super Duty. Super Duty, say hello to Magnet. Let's see if you two are attracted to each other." The end result is captured on video, and shows that the magnet exhibits zero attraction to the prototype surfaces—even its exposed metal—suggesting that the next Super Duty is following the F-150's lead and going aluminum.

A textual breakdown of the video is below. The shooters caught the Super Duty prototypes testing in a wide variety of body configurations, including Crew Cab, Super Cab, Regular Cab and Crew Cab Chassis Cab.

Video Breakdown

The Super Duty prototype subjected to the magnet was 80% covered, with its bed uncovered due to the fifth-wheel trailer that remained attached while the test truck was parked. The shooters placed the magnet over various sections of the covered truck, and then reached an uncovered portion, clad only in marine vinyl camouflage near the rear wheel arch. The magnet showed no attraction to the prototype, but since portions of the prototype were covered with a car cover, the video is not 100% conclusive. The shooters did some tests after the fact, applying the magnet to a current, steel-bodied F-250, and found that the magnet would still show attraction even when a 1/4-inch piece of foam core board was placed between the truck and the magnet. This helps alleviate some concerns over the covered portion of the prototype and its reaction to the magnet.

In another test, the shooters placed some marine vinyl similar to automotive camouflage between the magnet and a current F-250. Here, it stuck like glue. On a portion of the Super Duty prototype that wasn't obscured by the car cover, the section covered only in vinyl camouflage exhibited no magnetism, which is highly suggestive of aluminum body panels.

Finally, they placed the magnet against that truck bed's bare metal, and still, there was absolutely no magnetic effect. It's here that they can say conclusively that Ford is using aluminum in a large portion of their next-generation Super Duty prototypes. If they're using aluminum here, in the key punishment point of a heavy-duty work truck, it stands to reason that aluminum is being used throughout the rest of the Super Duty prototypes—just as they have on the ’15 Ford F-150.

Two Versions of the Video

The shooters have supplied two versions of the video proving the aluminum makeup of the Super Duty prototype. A shorter, raw version contains only the video of the magnet's interplay with the Super Duty prototype. A second video edit includes portions of their tests of the magnet's reaction to various materials and a current, steel-bodied F-250. The added material helps put the raw "prototype" video in a proper context.

A New Super Duty So Soon?

When the shooters caught the first Super Duty prototypes, testing back in mid-March, many analysts expressed surprise that prototypes had appeared so early, and out of nowhere. Their analysis suggests that Ford has accelerated development on the next-generation Super Duty to make the most of their "aluminum edge"—technology that Ford executives were touting as "game changing" at the F-150 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) debut. If competitors are planning to counter Ford with aluminum-intensive trucks of their own, Ford's decisive move to create an aluminum Super Duty will help them leverage their current advantage as much as possible before their competitors' can react.

Photo credit: KGP Photography