SEMA show

Latest SEMA 2011 show photos

Scion at SEMA 2011

Latest SEMA 2011 show photo galleries

130 sweet rides from the 2011 SEMA Show

The 2011 SEMA Show has come to a close, but I've still got an SD card full of photos of the hundreds of wild rides displayed there.

With that in mind, I've rounded up 130 photos of some of the hottest rides found on the floor of the SEMA Show. The cars have been split into four bite-size categories for quick navigation.

There were plenty of Asian imports to be found, with styles ranging from VIP to street tuner to race ready. This was the first year that I was able to check out the anime-inspired Itasha style more

Directus aftermarket stereo shows smartphone interface

At the 2011 SEMA Show, Directus debuted an aftermarket infotainment system that uses MirrorLink technology to integrate smartphone social media and entertainment applications.

The Directus Prodigy One Pro is based on the Android platform and uses MirrorLink technology to bring in approved mobile applications from paired smartphones, such as iPhone and Android devices. Directus' Redfly app controls which applications can be mirrored on the Prodigy One Pro, so you'll probably be able to access Pandora or iHeartRadio with its touch screen, but don't expect to play Angry Birds.

Hyundai remixes the Veloster, Genesis Coupe at SEMA 2011

LAS VEGAS--Hyundai's last few appearances at the SEMA Show have been so Genesis-heavy that I had to double-check I hadn't stumbled into Sega's booth.

Although the Genesis Coupe is still a large part of Hyundai's aftermarket strategy for the 2011 SEMA Show, the automaker's focus has been shifted to its new weapon of choice: the brand-new 2012 Veloster. Hyundai's booth was home to the unveiling of five custom Veloster models, including the ARK Performance Veloster that we saw previewed not too long ago.

The ARK Veloster features a laundry list of modifications that touch more

Sylvania aims its zXe headlights at the tuner set

LAS VEGAS--When a manufacturer of headlights and auxiliary lights shows you its newest products, it's probably not a good idear to look directly into the light.

Sylvania isn't shy about boasting that it is the leader in automotive lighting technology, but I'll admit that I wasn't expecting to be wowed by a bunch of light bulbs. I was, quite literally, dazzled.

Once the after-image had cleared from my vision, it was explained to me that the new Slyvania Silverstar zXe line of aftermarket replacement headlight bulbs attempts to mimic the ultra white light of HID headlamps more

Lexus gives its GS sedan an 'F' in performance

LAS VEGAS--A letter F on a report card is usually a bad thing. However, when Lexus slaps an F-badge on the back of one of its vehicles, you should know that the automaker means fast and not fail.

Actually, the F stands for finesse, but let's not split hairs. The GS 350 sedan with F Sport package that Lexus debuted at the 2011 SEMA Show is no mere appearance upgrade, it should also be faster than the standard model.

However, the extra performance comes in the form of suspension, aerodynamic, and chassis upgrades, as the GS 350's 3.

Honda reaffirms its Civic pride at the 2011 SEMA Show

LAS VEGAS--Last year's SEMA Show may have been the year of the hybrid, but this year Honda is throwing its weight behind its original golden child, the Honda Civic.

The automaker has filled its booth here at the 2011 SEMA Show with a collection of high-performance and high-styled 2012 Honda Civic Si Coupe and Sedan models.

Leading the high-performance charge is the Bisimoto Engineering 2012 Honda Civic Si Coupe, which spins the dyno's rollers to the tune of 1,004 horsepower. That's no typo: one thousand and four ponies. More amazingly, Bisimoto does so with the Si'

Vizualogic shows off Android-powered headrest monitors

LAS VEGAS--Vizualogic's Android rear-seat entertainment (RSE) system is not the first of its kind that we've seen, but it may yet end up being the first to market.

The replacement car seat headrest features an integrated full-color, 7-inch capacitive touch screen that allows rear-seat passengers to interact with the Android 2.3 operating system. When asked why Gingerbread was used rather than the newer and tablet-optimized Honeycomb (or Ice Cream Sandwich) versions of the Android OS, Vizualogic stated that the the unit would be updated to version 3.1 or better by the time it reaches production. However, more

Scion raises its iQ at the 2011 SEMA Show

LAS VEGAS--Only at the SEMA Show could a car as wildly styled as the Scion FR-S be the least eye-catching ride in a bunch, but that was exactly the case at Scion's booth.

Scion is no stranger to SEMA. The automaker never makes a big fuss (there's no press conference and its booth is best described as humble). However, Scion has consistently showed off some of my favorite concepts during the three years that I've been attending this show.

This year, the star of Scion's show was the new iQ. Four custom examples of the microcompact

Mazda borrows a page from Porsche's playbook

LAS VEGAS--If I told you that a performance car manufacturer has developed a lightweight version of a popular roadster with a tent-style fabric roof, dubbed "Spyder," you might assume that I'm months late with my Porsche news.

However, I'm talking about Mazda, not Porsche, and the car in question isn't the Boxster Spyder, but the Mazda MX-5 Spyder.

The MX-5 Spyder starts with the MX-5 Miata and ditches the retractable roof in favor of a single-panel grenadine-red soft top made by Haartz. Additional weight savings come from the swapping of the lead acid battery for a lightweight more

Ford developing glow-in-the-dark chrome

Chrome badges look great during the day, but they mostly go unnoticed at night. The opposite is true of illuminated trim; it can look great at night, yet horrible during the day. However, Ford's new illuminated chrome trim should, in theory, look as good at night as it does during the day.

Ford says that it has developed a technique to project light through a chrome finish for small parts and had examples on display at the 2011 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. The particulars of how Ford pulls off this trick of light are beyond me, but the more