2009 SEMA Show: Better than expected, future looks greener

Another SEMA show has come and gone, and cleared its chopped, channeled, flamed and chromed self out of Las Vegas until next year.
 
We went to the show this year not entirely sure of what to expect. With the economy still reeling, it seemed like chrome wheels and custom accessories might not be on as many shopping lists as in previous years.
 
But according to Vice President of Communications and Events for SEMA Peter MacGillivray, the show held its own. Exhibitors were off by 12 percent, but compared to the 30-34 percent reductions seen on average by other Las Vegas trade shows this year, SEMA might even be considered something of a home run. Even in this economic climate, MacGillivray says 70 percent of new car buyers still make some sort of modification to their vehicles within 60 days of purchase, whether it be a floor mat or a metal-flake paint job.
 
As in previous years, attendance was good, topping out at 120,000 visitors, all of whom were industry buyers and professionals. SEMA is not open to the public. Whether buyers were actually buying is another question, but most of the show was jammed with wall-to-wall crowds.  
 
One area where both exhibitors and buyers seemed to be fewer and farther between than last year was the mobile electronics area. Whether that means fewer new products are coming to market, exhibitors are opting for other shows like the Consumer Electronics Show in January, or that the category is off is hard to say.
 
On the other hand, SEMA was looking greener than in the past, with everything from more vehicles powered by alternative fuels to more customs displaying water-based paint. The “Making Green Cool Zone” showcased a variety of products and vehicles, and was both larger and more heavily trafficked than last year.
 
MacGillivray sees the segment as an important growth area for SEMA and its membership, although he says it amounts to less than five percent of all business now. But he says SEMA is working to educate member shops and businesses about the importance of going green, and that savvy members will find going green both profitable and the right thing to do. The organization is conducting seminars to educate members about the changing marketplace and new technologies.
 
“My sense is this is an element that isn’t going to go away,” he says. “It is incumbent on us to help these businesses stay in business year after year.”
 
—Jim Travers

Also see from the 2009 SEMA show:
Tire testing and the transformation of the tire industry
Our favorite modified Chevrolet Camaros
New iPhone apps for auto diagnostics
World's fastest Honda Civic circa 1976
All shades of green project cars
Surfrider Toyota Camry hybrid CNG
Kustomizing the Toyota Prius
Hot rodders turning green
Auto aftermarket prepares for show time in Las Vegas

2009 SEMA Show: New iPhone apps for auto diagnostics

New iPhone apps seem to be appearing daily in the Apple iTunes store, if not by the minute or even second, and car-related ways to utilize the popular convergence device are no exception. (See our iPhone navigation application reviews.)

Two exhibitors at the Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) show brought devices that can turn an iPhone or iPod Touch into a vehicle diagnostic tool, maintenance minder, mpg meter, and provide performance-oriented drivers with customized gauges and track mapping for weekend racers. In fact, they offer many additional features, too numerous to list here.
 
The Kiwi Wifi from PLX devices and goLINK Protocol Converter both connect to the On-Board Diagnostics II (OBDII) system in your car to transmit all sorts of vehicle data and information. The big difference is the Kiwi Wifi (you guessed it) transmits the information to the phone wirelessly, and goLINK uses a cable to link directly to the iPhone. Both are compatible with passenger vehicles built after 1996.
 
The Kiwi Wifi and goLINK offer similar menus for iPhone users, partly because they work with some of the same software providers. They’re also priced the same, at $150 each. A number of add-on software options are available at the Apple apps store to take advantage of the connection. One such app is Rev by Devtoaster ($39.99), which records and displays real-time vehicle data like horsepower, torque, fuel consumption, and myriad powertrain details to aid tuners and racers (shown here).
 
The Kiwi Wifi module is available now. The goLINK device comes on the market in January 2010. Details can be found at gopointtech.com and plxdevices.com.

—Jim Travers with Liza Barth

Also see from the 2009 SEMA show:
Better than expected, future looks greener
Tire testing and the transformation of the tire industry
Our favorite modified Chevrolet Camaros
World's fastest Honda Civic circa 1976
All shades of green project cars
Surfrider Toyota Camry hybrid CNG
Kustomizing the Toyota Prius
Hot rodders turning green
Auto aftermarket prepares for show time in Las Vegas

2009 SEMA Show: All shades of green project cars

There are almost as many ways to go green at the Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) show as there are choices of chrome wheels, but not quite. (There are a lot of wheels on display!) Here’s a quick look at a few of the diverse vehicles on display at the “Making Green Cool Zone.”
 
1956 Ford F100
Built by Steve’s Hot Rods of Marcy, New York, this pickup is powered by a 460-cubic-inch Ford V8 engine fueled by liquid propane. Builder Steve Hale says horsepower is estimated to be in the 450-500 range, and that the truck produces close to zero emissions. Other benefits include lower fuel costs, and that the cleaner burning fuel means the engine stays cleaner on the inside, too. Another green touch: The paint is water-based.
 
1985 Chevrolet Blazer hybrid
A regular smorgasbord of alternative energy, this Blazer hybrid starts with a 1.0-liter diesel engine and lead-acid battery power. A solar thermal collector on the roof heats water that is then routed to an exhaust gas-driven turbine that powers an auxiliary alternator to help charge the battery. A large wind turbine mounted in the grille drives another alternator. But all that’s rookie stuff compared to the Blazer’s shock absorbers, each of which spins yet another energy-producing turbine as their hydraulic fluid goes through compression and rebound.
 
Nissan Altima “Hot rod hybrid” race car

This Altima started out as a stock hybrid, but has morphed into a racer and test bed for battery maker Braille Battery of Sarasota, FL. With a gutted interior, full roll cage, and racing suspension, brakes, and tires, the supercharged Nissan is claimed to produce 450 hp and be able to run a 12.9-second quarter mile. Further, it is capable of 1.02 g of lateral acceleration—that’s road-holding beyond what most sports cars can claim. Students from the Universal Technical Institute in Orlando assisted in the build, along with high school students from Clermont, FL, who applied the green water-based paint.

—Jim Travers

Also see from the 2009 SEMA show:
Better than expected, future looks greener
Tire testing and the transformation of the tire industry
Our favorite modified Chevrolet Camaros
New iPhone apps for auto diagnostics
World's fastest Honda Civic circa 1976
Surfrider Toyota Camry hybrid CNG
Kustomizing the Toyota Prius
Hot rodders turning green
Auto aftermarket prepares for show time in Las Vegas

2009 SEMA Show: Surfrider Toyota Camry hybrid CNG

Toyota partnered with Metal Crafters of Fountain Valley, CA, to convert the 2.4-liter gasoline engine in this Camry hybrid to run on compressed natural gas (CNG). The stock battery and hybrid system remains, and the powertrain is said to produce 170-hp total. Toyota claims a cruising range of better than 250 miles, and fuel economy of 33 mpg overall. This being SEMA and all, cosmetic changes include a lowered suspension, 20-inch wheels, body kit, and custom grille and rear bumper.

—Jim Travers

2009 SEMA Show: Kustomizing the Toyota Prius

Back in the 1960s, long before marketing types had the option of simply ignoring spell check as has become the norm today, George Barris was known as King of the Kustomizers.
 
The King was the guy behind a number of designs recognizable to millions today, including many car-spotters who weren’t yet born when George and his team created them, such as the original Batmobile.
 
George is still in business, and he and his team chose SEMA to show their take on a Toyota Prius. The car was here last year, too, but what makes his Kustom more interesting is that Toyota is showing their own customized Prius this year, and it’s just down the hall. 
 
The Barris Kustom sports a trademark metalflake paint job, in this case a green and gold that could be, well, right out of the ‘60s. Toyota opted for a more subtle look, a pale metalflake blue that might indicate a corporate desire to not get too crazy with the Prius faithful. No harm, no foul.
 
Both opted for custom wheels, but where George went down the eighteen-inch chrome road with hubs painted green, Toyota chose clear plastic discs over their wheels for less drag. Toyota also fitted clear curved panels over the A pillars they say further reduce drag, but no information was offered as to how much drag these accessories reduced. Looking odd is just a bonus.
 
Those A-pillar panels probably wouldn’t have worked for George, because he added scissors front doors to his Prius. No information as to what those doors might do or not do for drag was offered, either.
 
But hey, they’re cool. And green. And metalflake.
 
Could hybrids be the next great frontier for hot rodders?
 

—Jim Travers

Also see from the 2009 SEMA show:
Better than expected, future looks greener
Tire testing and the transformation of the tire industry
Our favorite modified Chevrolet Camaros
New iPhone apps for auto diagnostics
World's fastest Honda Civic circa 1976
All shades of green project cars
Surfrider Toyota Camry hybrid CNG
Hot rodders turning green
Auto aftermarket prepares for show time in Las Vegas

2009 SEMA Show: Hot rodders turning green

In among the acres of gleaming hot rods with untold hours of build time, lift-kitted Jeep Wranglers, and dazzlingly done ’57 Chevy customs here at Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) show, there’s another element to the Las Vegas event that seems to be gaining momentum.

The “Making Green Cool Zone” features a variety of customs with no less attention to detail than seen elsewhere in the show, but these cars and trucks are powered by an assortment of alternative powertrains, from diesels to hybrids to electrics. 

Tucked away at the back of the giant South Hall, traditionally the home of truck accessories, off-roading equipment, and at least one 10-foot tall Ford Expedition, the new kids in the hall provide an interesting contrast to SEMA’s more traditional roots as the organization develops its green side.

The Progressive Automotive X Prize also has a presence back there, and has brought 12 vehicles slated to compete in their competition to build a safe and production viable 100-mpg car. 

We’re as easily distracted by horsepower and a nicely done Camaro as anybody covering SEMA, but we plan to spend some time in the green zone while we’re here. We’ll report back with more details and pictures of what we see. Stay tuned.

—Jim Travers

2009 SEMA Show: Auto aftermarket prepares for show time in Las Vegas

The annual trade show of the Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) is the Lollapalooza of shows for automotive and truck equipment, accessories, and customization. (See our other SEMA coverage.)  
 
SEMA, as both the organization and its show are known, is about to open its doors in Las Vegas, running from November 3-6. And we’re talking about a lot of doors. SEMA occupies virtually every square inch of every hall in the Las Vegas Convention Center, and spills out onto surrounding sidewalks, parking lots, and nearby hotels. The related AAPEX show covers more aftermarket equipment, and it runs from November 3-5 at the nearby Sands Expo Center.
 
SEMA says more than 100,000 attendees from some 100 countries come to their annual extravaganza, making their way through two million square feet of exhibits containing everything from custom wheels to brake pads, to electronics and the latest safety equipment.   
 
But sorry, gearheads, SEMA is not open to the general public. We’ll be there for the whole show, reporting on what we see and acting as your eyes, ears, and feet. You can thank us for that last one. Last year, I brought along a pedometer and logged eight miles the first day, seven the second, then decided I’d had enough and left it in my room after that.  
 
But while we’re walking, what would you like to see and read about? Let us know, and we and our sneakers will do our best to find it.
 
—Jim Travers

OnStar will aid electric-car rollout, GM says

Telematics systems can give unique benefits and insights to plug-in cars. In building a fleet of prototype Chevrolet Volts, General Motors has tapped into its OnStar system to monitor batteries, driving data, and charge cycles, as well as update software on the fly. The company has also been studying how drivers use their conventional cars equipped with OnStar in the hopes of gaining insights into their driving and refueling habits.
 
So far, they have made some interesting findings: Looking at ordinary cars in the markets where GM plans to sell the car, OnStar determined that if Chevrolet Volts were used in those same driving cycles, 35 percent of them could run all day in electric mode. Others would have to use gasoline some of the time. (The Volt is advertised to have batteries big enough to drive the car 40 miles without the engine starting.) This differs from Census Bureau numbers that show 78 percent of Americans drive 40 miles a day or less. The government numbers, however, come from a 2002 survey of household travel, and it wasn’t focused on GM drivers.
 
A key lesson here is the importance of adding so-called opportunity charging stations at workers’ office buildings to raise the number of Volts able to drive all day on electric power.
 
Once plug-in vehicles roll out to consumers, OnStar could help for example by providing a remote communication link to the car to tell it when to recharge or avoid recharging at peak energy loads, for example, or remotely turn on the heat or air conditioning to make the interior comfortable using grid power, rather than the on-board battery or engine.
 
This week at The Business of Plugging In conference in Detroit, we had a chance to tour GM’s OnStar Command Center, a high-tech space with monitors along one wall showing nationwide reports of car lockout reports, people asking for directions, and cars in accidents.
 
In another OnStar development last week, for the first time, police disabled a vehicle that had been carjacked in California. The service has been available for about a year in certain 2009 GM vehicles equipped with OnStar. In this case, the driver called OnStar, in addition to the police, after his car was stolen by a man with a shotgun. After verifying the situation and coordinating with police, who were following the car and verified the situation was safe, OnStar disabled the throttle so the engine returned to idle. The car was recovered 16 minutes after it was stolen.
 
Getting the most from electrified powertrains requires smart electronics management, and telematics may play a key role in helping drivers and even communities manage their power.

—Eric Evarts

Learn about driving green in the Consumer Reports special fuel economy section.

Navigon Mobile Navigator adds features and real-time traffic upgrade for iPhone

Navigon was quick out of the gate as the first major GPS maker to offer a navigation application for the iPhone. (See our Navigon Mobile Navigator review.) Graphics on the original version resembled the company’s portable GPS devices, though the software was missing some key features. True to the spirit of app development, Navigon has since released an update that is available for free to existing users and included with future downloads. The latest version adds helpful text-to-speed for spoken street names, rather than simply turn-by-turn directions as found on competing applications.

The update also adds a function that allows users to share their location, an address, or point of interest with other Mobile Navigator users. Such on-the-go social features are expected to become increasingly common. Garmin recently announced that its new Nuvi 1690 portable will provide such social networking features. (See our Garmin Nuvi 1690 preview.) 
 
Navigon has also announced for imminent release an innovative real-time traffic app to team with Mobile Navigator. Traffic Live pulls information from several sources, including traditional traffic alerts and road sensors. It also uses historic traffic data to provide smart route guidance that can account for expected changes based on time of day. For example, historic data can react to weekday rush hour differently than a Sunday drive. The real ace for Navigon is in factoring speed information from actual drivers. Navigon claims it draws data from more than 1 million drivers, including commercial vehicles. A key benefit of this approach is that information can be made available on roads that are not monitored, expanding the reach of traffic information beyond major metropolitan areas.
 
Traffic Live will be offered as a $25 application, and it is used from within Mobile Navigator ($90). Initially, Traffic Live will be $20. Unlike streaming, server-based solutions such as AT&T Navigator, Traffic Live does not require monthly fees, just the upfront purchase.

We look forward to evaluating the new Mobile Navigator version and testing the traffic service as we continue our iPhone app tests.

See our reviews of AT&T Navigator, iGo My Way, Gokivo, Navigon Mobile Navigator, Sygic Mobile Maps, TomTom iPhone application, and X Road G-Map for iPhone.

For more information on portable automotive GPS navigation systems, see our Ratings, first looks, and buying advice and watch our video guide. Discuss GPS devices in the forums.

—Jeff Bartlett

2009 Frankfurt Motor Show: Mini Cooper Coupe and Roadster concepts

One of the highlights of the Frankfurt Motor Show is Mini Cooper’s unveiling of coupe and roadster concepts. OK, so that’s two highlights. Either way, these pocket-sized two-seaters are headed for production and eventual sale in the United States, according to corporate parent BMW. The Frankfurt festivities were staged as part of the 50th birthday celebrations for the original Mini, one of the cleverest mergers of fun and frugality in automotive history.

These two additions are brand extensions of the Mini Cooper line, helping to fill out a family that already includes the existing hatchback, cabriolet, and the Clubman wagon. A crossover is expected soon, as well. It’s a pretty clever strategy, since the Mini’s iconic design seems to have no end of appeal. Consider, too, that this gives BMW a channel to market premium small cars to a population that is in no position to buy a new, increasingly pricey BMW this year… or maybe ever.

The coupe and roadster look a little stubby, but they are around the same size as a regular Mini, admittedly with a slightly lower roofline. Disposing of the rear seats makes for more luggage (or roof-stowage) space. Front-passenger leg- and head room was already commodious. The show cars were equipped with the Mini’s largest 1.6-liter turbo engine offering, but we expect the production model will also offer the thriftier normally aspirated engines, as well. 

See our New Car Preview site for more photos of the Mini coupe and roadster, plus check out other new cars heading to market.

 —Gordon Hard