The Specialty Equipment Manufacturer's Association sounds so stuffy and corporate. Not at all the vibe that the SEMA show gives off. The entire event bold, creative, and sometimes even flamboyant, but if you're a petrolhead, you can describe it simply as awesome.
There's something for (almost) any kind of car nut - import tuners, hot rods, exotics, low riders, off-roaders, and resto-mods. Even among motorsport vehicles, you can see cars that compete in F1, touring car, drift, Indy, NASCAR, drag, and other events. The only thing you won't find in abundance at SEMA are concourse cars (though there were a couple of restorations and preserved vehicles on display).
The show itself is 4 days long, and if you hurry, it is possible to see the whole show within the allotted time. However, if you want to immerse yourself in the SEMA experience, then be prepared to miss out on a few things. I attended all four days, from 8:30am to 6pm, and I estimate that I only saw 70% of the show. It's that big.
So big that it would be impossible for me to write a review in a single entry, which is why I will devote a whole week - from today until next Wednesday - to SEMA. Six entries in seven days. Each entry will focus on a different part of the SEMA experience, and will have a Top-5 list in the end.
And today's list: My Top 5 Favorite Wheels from SEMA
5. 1964 Lincoln Continental Lowrider
22" 2-Piece wheels (unknown)
I couldn't figure out what rims these gigantic 22" two-piece wheels were, but God were they clean! I loved the old-school plate look with the new-school deep dish twist, and the studs just set them off right. Classy and bold and a perfect match for this super clean Linc.
4. Monster Cable/West Coast Customs Audi R8 "Tron Car"
20" West Coast Customs custom acrylic-center "Tron" wheels
This insane-looking chrome R8 isn't for everyone. But I'm pretty sure everyone can agree that these WCC custom wheels are something to behold. The famous builder replaced the center portion of a two-piece wheel with a thick acrylic dish to give it that "floating" effect, and added colored LEDs to complete the Tron-look.
3. 2 Brothers 1960 Ford F100
24" Raceline Custom "Hoop" Wheels
One of my favorite cars of the whole show, this truck-rod had everything - gorgeous two-tone paint, clean lines, a twin-turbo 292ci (4.8L) motor bored out to 338ci (5.5L), and those 24" wheels. Those sweet looking, one-off, deep dish wheels. Proof that the wheels truly make or break a car.
2. Ruah-Welt "Pandora One" Porsche 911 (964)
18" RWB Mesh Wheels by Rotiform
Among the giagantic 20+ inchers stands a wheel that doesn't seem that big - just 18 inches. It's not flashy, has no LED lights, and doesn't have any chrome or bright paint to draw attention to itself. And yet here it is, near the top of my list. These one-off RWB race-spec wheels, with the matte black finish and classic mesh design (with a solid middle twist) are the epitome of great wheel design - functional, light weight, and stunning.
1. KW BMW 1-series M Coupe
19" BBS Super RS 3-piece wheels
If the BMW 1-series M is the modern day incarnation of the iconic e30 M3, then it's only fitting that this car wears it's grand-daddy's shoes. The classic 3-series BMW always looked best with mesh BBS's, and the classic 16" RS wheels were perhaps the ultimate expression of that look. But with a bigger car comes bigger wheels, and these 19 inchers are just perfect for the car - big enough to fill the arches, but not so big that they are too heavy for the car. After all, to really fill the e30 M3's shoes, this 1M needs to handle as well as it (and it's wheel) looks.
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