The Hottest Vehicles of the 2012 SEMA Show

The SEMA Award was established to recognize vehicle models that specialty-equipment manufacturers believe are the best platforms for accessorization and that showcase the year’s coolest products. The honors have been presented in four categories each year since 2010: Hottest Car, Hottest Sport Compact, Hottest Truck and Hottest 4x4-SUV.

SEMA has finalized an agreement to purchase the International Motorsports Industry Show (IMIS)—the racing trade show that has been held annually in Indianapolis since 2009.

The IMIS will be consolidated with the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show, which returns to Indianapolis for 2013 and beyond. The 2013 PRI Trade Show will occupy the entire Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, with Thursday, Friday and Saturday, December 12–14, 2013, as the show days.

Winners in 16 Categories From Among More Than 2,000 Entries

The New Products Showcase at the 2012 SEMA Show included more than 2,000 parts, tools, assemblies and packages. The displays encompassed must-see items for every segment of the industry, and each was examined by a panel of expert judges who ranked them for superiority of innovation, technical achievement, quality and workmanship, consumer appeal and marketability. The judges then awarded “best in class” honors to products in 16 categories, along with two runners up in each division. We congratulate not only the winners, but also those who conceive and create all of the innovations that drive the industry.

Innovations of Generations Showcased in Las Vegas

As the specialty-equipment industry’s premier trade event, the annual SEMA Show is the number-one barometer of automotive specialty-equipment trends. If anything, the 2012 SEMA Show, held October 30 through November 2 in Las Vegas, indicated a vibrant, growing industry definitely bullish on the future.

Consider these Show statistics: Total attendance rose to 135,000—up 2% over last year. Meanwhile, exhibitors hit the 2,250 mark, with 500 of them being first-timers. There were more than 60,000 buyers plying the Show floor, along with 3,000 media representatives. All in all, the Show offered 1 million net square feet of innovation, education and business opportunities. 

“Power Buyers” Reveal How They Find Products

Developing a great product is only the first step in creating a successful business. The next is to get that product into the hands of consumers. To do that, manufacturers need to forge links in the distribution chain, moving their products to the warehouse distributors, jobbers and retail outlets that eventually place the parts in the hands of end users.

Providing young automotive enthusiasts with an opportunity to develop and showcase their talents while being exposed to the automotive aftermarket industry, Hot Rodders of Tomorrow was launched in 2008 at the Race & Performance Expo in St. Charles, Illinois, and has been invited to compete at the SEMA Show every year since its inception. The organization’s goal is to reach out to high-school students before they graduate in order to provide much-needed future talent for the automotive specialty-equipment market.

New products from SEMA member companies, including Snap-on Equipment, Lingenfelter Performance Engineering, SPA Turbo USA, EngineQuest, H3R Performance and more.

Enhance and streamline your 2012 SEMA Show experience by using the newly created SEMA Show app for smartphones. Attendees can use the free, innovative digital resource to navigate the Show floor, locate exhibitors and plan for education sessions. The new app even allows users to search for exhibiting companies by product category and then communicate with them to set appointments.

The SEMA Mustang Build—Powered by Women, launched by the SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN), spotlights women working in the automotive aftermarket and encourages women to pursue careers in the industry. Ford Motor Co. donated a ’13 Mustang GT for the project to be modified entirely by SBN members.

Kick off the 2012 SEMA Show with award-winning automotive designer and television celebrity Chip Foose and the 2012 SEMA Show New Products Breakfast, Tuesday morning, October 30, in the Las Vegas Hotel. As keynote speaker for the annual breakfast, Foose will share stories and inspire attendees as the SEMA Show’s New Products Awards are announced and presented.