Welcome to the final installment of my SEMA report. It's been really fun writing about what has been so far the biggest automotive event of my life, and I hope this is just the beginning. And I start with the car that helped convince me to make this the year that I go to SEMA - the Michel Gitano.
If you're a regular reader, then you know I'm a fan of the car and the company, and I've been working with the Michel guys in developing the glass. The Michel Motorsports booth was situated right next to the Shelby booth - a double edged sword. On the one hand, the Shelby booth draws crowds, and some can spill over to Michel. On the other hand, you have to accept that you will likely be second fiddle to such a storied and famous name.
I dropped by the Michel booth a few times, and every time I was there, it looked like people were interested in the car. And not just in a "look, let's take a photo" kind of interest. But people were walking up to Jan, Reggie, Chris and the other Michel guys for some serious car talk. Good on you guys, and all the best!
Aside from Michel Motorsport, there was another Filipino exhibitor - wheel manufacturer Rota. Their booth was well received, with a simple and clean white Evo X on display. They were giving away caps to fans, and you could see many SEMA visitors leaving the show rocking the Rota logo on their heads.
(photo credit: Wheeldude Crew)
After that, I started thinking... I wonder if Filipinos have made any impact on the American aftermarket scene. I'm sure there are a lot of our countrymen working in the background, contributing to the growth of the industry. But can I find them in SEMA?
Aside from Michel, the first sign of Pinoy presence was that of renowned designer (and comic book inker) Jon Sibal. He first entered public consciousness with a constantly-evolving BMW e36 M3 that has graced several magazine covers. In SEMA 2011, his Scion iQ RX won first place at the Scion Tuner Challenge, winning him a trophy and a cool $10,000. Meeting Jon and chatting with him was definitely one of the highlights of my visit.
Working with Jon on several projects is a well known name in the American import tuner world, RJ de Vera. He may be best known to the general public for hosting the MTV show Trick It Out, and a cameo in the first Fast and the Furious movie, but he was also a car consultant for the film. Though I didn't see RJ, I know he was around the show, perhaps most notably being interviewed alongside Jon in Barry Megiuar's Car Crazy. His presence, however, was felt in Meguiar's Wraptivo booth, in an Acura TL that he designed. Hopefully I get to meet RJ next time I attend SEMA.
A more obscure name for all but SoCal petrolheads is paint and body legend PJ Bonifacio. A super clean gray Celica at the Primax booth caught my eye amidst the supercars and mega-horsepower monsters. It was only later that I found out that the exterior was done courtesy of Mr. Bonifacio!
While these are the only ones I am aware of, I'm sure there are more Filipinos making an impact in SEMA. If you know of any I've missed, please leave me a comment!
And now tonight's Top 5: the Top 5 Euro Cars of SEMA 2011!
5. Hemi Mini aka "Maxi Cooper"
I'll let the car's sign do the talking for this car:
4. Kevin Byrd's e30 "LSM3"
Like the Maxi Cooper above, this is about shoehorning a huge motor into a tiny car but with less power - "just" 500hp. So why is this slotted one place higher? Aside from surely being more driveable in the real word, the e30 is just a cooler car. (It is a cooler car, and that't the end of this discussion.)
3. Foose 300SL Gullwing
The mere mention of the name Chip Foose and most petrolheads will instantly think of tricked-out Mustangs, resto-modded Camaros, and all manner of hot rods. But the common theme is AMERICAN. Foose doesn't do Euro... or at least, that's what we thought. Though it's just an aesthetic job, what a job it is! Two-tone paint with gray and red pinstripes? Big chrome wheels? and a "wide body kit" - which actually just meant larger wheelarch bulges and smaller chrome bumpers? But it works, and it's beautiful. Just goes to show that Mr. Foose is also Mr. Versatile.
2. BMW Motorsport M3 GT
I was a little star struck by BMW's factory race car, better known to some as the cover car of the popular video game Need For Speed: Shift. Driven by F3000 and ALMS champion Jorg Muller, three-time WTCC Champ Andy Priaulx, and 2011 24hrs of Daytona Winner Joey Hand, this M3 is tuned specifically to compete in endurance races. The run has been a successful one, with the M3 chalking up wins at the Nurburgring (2010), Zhuhai (2010), a 1-2 finish at Sebring (2011).
1. Mark Arcenal's Ruah-Welt Pandora One Porsche 964
It's wide, it's green and it's the "illest." It's got nearly 400rwhp at just 6psi of boost, and is estimated to hit nearly 550hp with the turbo dialed up to 15psi. It's the RWB Pandora One. It's the 2011 Best European Import Car of the GranTurismo Awards. And it's owned by Filipino petrolhead, blogger and entrepreneur Mark Arcenal (check out his blog at fatlace.com). What an awesome way to finish up the Pinoys at SEMA report!
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