By SEMA News Editors
The SEMA Show brings today's aftermarket trends to life across 4.5-million sq. ft. of exhibit space with brands from every corner of the automotive industry showcasing their latest innovations, the parts and products that are meeting the needs of today's automotive world. But one corner of the SEMA Show is dedicated to the next era of mobility, offering a glimpse of the automotive aftermarket technology of tomorrow.
Located in Central Hall, the FutureTech Studio (booth #24401) celebrates ingenuity from every corner of the industry, whether it's a garage-built breakthrough or a multimillion-dollar prototype, and explores four core themes that represent the future of mobility: fuels, drivetrains, manufacturing and technology.
On the fuels front, there are several examples of the next generation of energy sources in the dedicated, including a hydrogen-powered Honda CR-V that raced at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and an ethanol-powered vehicle from Bisimoto, as well as alternative drivetrains and vehicles, like vintage rides swapped to run on electric power and even a "flying car" from Pivotal.
As in many industries, technological advances like artificial intelligence (AI), advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), connected platforms and more have created a new frontier for manufacturers and builders. Dedicated education sessions and panels held in the FutureTech booth have highlighted the many ways in which those advances are impacting the industry, as well as how they are shaping its future.
Innovative drivetrain architectures are also a focus of this dedicated Show space, highlighting how traditional platforms are evolving to meet the demands of modern mobility, not just for everyday use, but for high-performance applications, too. One such application was unveiled at the FutureTech booth: a '69 Chevrolet Camaro from Blazin' Rodz with a hybrid powertrain capable of reaching more than 200 mph and producing a combined 1,600 HP.
While the actual vehicle is still in development, the Orange County, California-based hot-rod shop brought a 1:3-scale model and a full-size front-end suspension assembly to reveal at the Show, reaffirming the crew's commitment to pushing the limits of modern technology. It's an attribute that was previously demonstrated by its '70 Chevelle "Doughboy" build, which won the Best Engineered Vehicle of the Year at the 2024 SEMA Show thanks to its numerous custom or heavily modified components designed with advanced technologies like 3D scanning, design and manufacturing.
The Blazin' Rodz team has again made that a critical component of its new Camaro, utilizing printed materials in not only the development and prototyping phases, but in the final product, too. Partnering with HP Additive Manufacturing, Blazin' Rodz will use 3D printing to build the inner material of the vehicle's tube chassis--which the carbon fiber body will bond to--and other components that can be precisely and repeatedly produced (the car will ultimately go into limited production).
It's one of many ways in which the '69 Camaro will break new ground, along with a patent-pending suspension system that combines torsion bars with pneumatic air springs and hydraulic pushrods to continuously adapt stiffness and ride height in real time. The hybrid component, powered by a custom-built 800V Raeon UK battery pack, will power the front wheels and will be managed by a custom hybrid powertrain controller.
These cutting-edge components, head-turning power figures and utilization of new manufacturing techniques demonstrate why the SEMA Show FutureTech Studio was the ideal platform for Blazin' Rodz to reveal the project to the industry.
"Our mindset is to do something absolutely nobody else is doing. We have to make our own way," said Spenser Tanner, a builder and fabricator at Blazin' Rodz. "We're trying to create something that has no competition because nobody has done it yet."
It's an approach that guides how the California shop operates its business, he added.
"You have to try to always be ahead of everybody," Tanner said. "If you're doing the same thing as 10,000 other shops, what is going to set you apart and what is going to make people buy your product, whether it's a car part, or a car itself?"
It's that forward-thinking and trailblazing attitude that is at the heart of what the FutureTech Studio is all about, according SEMA Director of Vehicle Technology and Product Development Luis Morales. Now a SEMA Show staple, this hub of new tech aims to show traditional aftermarket manufacturers and builders what's coming down the road.
"The FutureTech Studio serves as a learning hub for the folks that are not in this exhibit, to the traditional aftermarket manufacturer," Morales said. "They get a chance to come in here and understand there's something changing here, or there's a new way to develop a product, or there's new tool, new materials.
"It brings it to life and brings in subject matter experts to talk about the technology, how it's being adopted," he added.
Ultimately, it shows that as the aftermarket moves, SEMA will move along with it.
"This shows SEMA's commitment to the evolution of the aftermarket as it adapts to new vehicle technology," Morales said. "It's to show that in the aftermarket, we're not stagnant. We are moving along with the process of technology."
Education sessions at the FutureTech Studio continue on Thursday, November 6. View the schedule of events here.
