Powerful Accessories That Boost Vehicle Efficiency and Functionality

New products in the mobile-electronics category at the 2014 SEMA Show ran the gamut from high-powered horns to connected-car and navigation aids. Each year, the electronics displays become more advanced and provide potential for increased revenue at specialty-equipment retail outlets. The latest offerings featured traditional automotive audio and video systems but also included interfaces for smartphones and tablets as well as vehicle maintenance technologies.

’16 Ford Fusion

This less-disguised prototype ’16 Ford Fusion provides a good look at what’s in store for the model’s facelift.

’16 Chevrolet Camaro

These photos of a ’16 Camaro prototype—caught while Chevrolet’s famous musclecar was slowed by construction traffic—offer a peek at some of the styling nuances in store for the all-new pony car.

Porsche Panamera

The Porsche Panamera hit the Nürburgring for some hot laps and showed off some new details for this next-generation model.

Breaking news from SEMA member companies, including Tulsa Technology Center, Goodguys Rod & Custom Association. VIPAR Heavy Duty and more.

Buyer registration for the 2015 SEMA Show, November 3–6 in Las Vegas, is open and available at www.SEMAShow.com/register. Distributors, retailers, installers and buyers are encouraged to refer to these simple tips to help ensure a fast and efficient registration process for the annual trade show.

More Information and Entertainment Come Into the Car

Smartphones permeate American society. They’ve become much more than communications devices, providing Internet access for mobile e-mail, texting, navigation and dozens of applications ranging from dieting and exercise to photography and literature.

Think about it. More than 80% of adults use the Internet or e-mail at least occasionally. According to the latest Pew research, 71% of Internet users are on Facebook, and 70% of those engage with the site daily. Any way you slice it, that’s a whole lotta communication going on! Add to that the massive growth that sites such as Instagram (now bigger than Twitter), Snapchat and others continue to show, and it’s a safe bet that they will continue to be favorite ways for users to stay in touch with their ever-growing world.

So what does this have to do with your brand? While a bit dated (2012), the latest stat we could find on the subject says that 71% of social-media users said they are more likely to make a purchase based on...

Microsoft’s Mea Culpa to PC Users

Businesses that reacted to Windows 8 with howls of incredulity can take heart: Microsoft is bending over backward with its next Windows release to win back the mouse-and-keyboard crowd. With Windows 10 (there will be no Windows 9), due for release in the summer of 2015, Microsoft will make it simple once again to navigate the operating system with a keyboard and a mouse. Moreover, the Redmond Goliath will be bringing back other features, such as the Start Menu that made Windows a hit in previous incarnations. “It’s a practical approach, which is ‘customer first,’” said Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft.

In late 1963, Ed “Big Daddy” Roth was a busy guy. By that point in his career, he had built the Outlaw, Beatnik Bandit and Tweedy Pie—cars that established him as one of the premier (and wackiest) car customizers on the West Coast. Model maker Revell took notice of Roth’s creations and began offering scale versions of them as well as model kits of Roth’s freaky monsters, including Mr. Gasser, Drag Nut and Rat Fink.

Get to Know the Nominees

Eleven candidates entered this year’s election, each vying for a position on the 2015–2018 SEMA Board of Directors. The SEMA Board provides strategic direction to the association and plays a critical role in shaping the future of the automotive specialty-equipment industry.

Voting for the 2015–2018 SEMA Board of Directors Election opened May 13 and will be available online until June 9. Voting is open to current SEMA members, and votes must be submitted by the designated primary contact of each voting SEMA-member company.