MotoIQ at SEMA 2009

Sarah before her shirt shrunk and her finding out that her spares that Jeff ordered were Asian booth model x small.  Photo from Lea Croteau

MotoIQ at SEMA 2009

By Sarah Forst

No other city in the United States besides Las Vegas could possibly host the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Manufacturer's Association) show without being upstaged.  This amusement park for autophiles displays some of the most extreme car builds and aftermarket products.  Crazy concepts surround attendees at every direction from Ken Block's Suburu STI equipped with Trax for snow and ice excursions to the 500 horsepower Rhys Millen RM460 Hyundai Genesis coupe powered by the Tau V-8 that comes in the sedan, relocated conveniently behind the front seat passengers.  The V-8 was outfitted with new JE pistons for a higher compression ratio, eight individual throttle bodies, and uses an AEM engine management system to push 500 horsepower.  KW coilovers and a custom body kit keep the coupe grounded while StopTech brakes will slow the car from its 182 mph top speed.  SEMA is the playground for transportation pipe dreams brought to life.

The MotoIQ staff was working hard at the SEMA 2009 show!  From Left;Jeff Naeyaert, Martin Gonzales, Sarah Forst, Mike Kojima, Annie Sam.  Sarah's MotoIQ shirt had shrunk in the dryer to an obscenely small size.

The economy definitely played a role in the size and rollout of the show.  Some manufacturers (Toyo and Nissan, for example) didn't even have booths this year.  Curtains cordoned off empty spaces in areas usually occupied by all sorts of products.  The outdoor space was much more condensed than in the past.  And although seats to relax were a rare commodity in previous years, restaurant space and meeting tables were used abundantly to fill the voids this year.  But asking most of the exhibitors about the turnout, the resounding response seemed to be the show needed an overhaul anyways and better business was accomplished than ever before.