Aftermarket

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 … Read more

At the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas, seeing 100 different custom incarnations of big, powerful Ford Mustangs is par for the course. This year, however, Ford is thinking small.

This year, Ford is choosing to focus on the B- and C-segment 2011 Fiesta and 2012 Focus and will be filling its booth with custom examples of each. We got a sneak peek at 10 renderings of these tiny customs and are happy to see that they run the gamut. From high-performance examples by Roush, Steeda, and Cobb Tuning to styling exercises by the ID Agency, M2-Motoring, and 3dCarbon, if … Read more

Whether you're a fan of its vehicles or not (and we're pretty split here at Car Tech), Scion's booth at the SEMA Show is always a treat. With the automaker's support of the aftermarket and a veritable army of customizers putting their individual spins on their xBs, tCs, and xDs, the Scion booth is always home to crazy customs and tricked-out tuners. Scion sent us a preview of this year's show cars, which includes a nautical themed xB dubbed The Squid and an All Stretched Out xB that's been extended by 48 inches into … Read more

Yesterday, we took a sneak peek at some of the custom Ford vehicles that will be on hand at the 2010 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, NV. However, that list was all Fiestas, Explorers, and Fusions. Where were the Mustangs?

Today, Ford delivers with an all-pony car preview of a few of the custom Mustangs, most of which started life as 5.0 GT models, that we'll see at the show. From the pink Creations n' Chrome convertible to the street-warrior-themed MRT custom coupe, it's always a thrill to see the completely different directions the customizers take when … Read more

Earlier, we featured the 470-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT8 392, boasting more displacement and more power than the standard SRT8. But for pure bragging rights, the aftermarket can always do better. Enter the Cult Motorsports Challenger SRT8. This menacing custom, set to debut at the 2010 SEMA Show, has a look that borders on demonic and an estimated power output that you wouldn't believe.

Photographer Webb Bland of Not Bland Photography brings us the first look at the Cult Challenger. Details are slim, but the rumors circulating this matte-black beast point to an 8.3-liter blown V-8 replacing the standard … Read more

Las Vegas, Nevada is a city where you normally keep your cards close to the vest. However, with the 2010 SEMA Show just around the corner, Chevrolet gives us a sneak peak at what it plans to bring to the show floor in a slick promotional video.

As was the case last year, expect to see more Camaros than you can shake a shift knob at, both at GM's own booth and peppered about at the booths of third parties. From the looks of the video, Chevrolet will be rounding out the selection with what look like a few heavily modified Silverados and at least two custom Corvettes.

Check out the video after the jump and stay tuned to our continuing coverage of the 2010 SEMA Show. … Read more

It wouldn't be the SEMA Show without a few tire-smoking drag racers. Toyota throws its hat into the ring early, previewing the heavily modified Tacoma X-Runner RTR. The "RTR" stands for Ready to Race. Obviously, Toyota means business with this project pickup truck.

Toyota calls the RTR a "parts bin" build, meaning that nearly all of the components that went into the project are available Toyota products--supposedly, only the traction bars and driveshaft are non-OEM parts.

Starting with the larger Tundra's standard 5.7-liter V8 and automatic transmission, Toyota's gearheads bolted a TRD … Read more

Is Kia the new Scion? That's the question I kept asking myself over and over again as I tested the 2010 Scion xB, all the while comparing it to the 2010 Kia Soul. (Although to be fair, the Soul is closer in size to a tall xD than the xB.)

At the 2009 SEMA Show, I was able to get a closer look at the way Kia is embracing the aftermarket and its array of Kia-branded dealer-installed mods. What I saw reminded me of Scion's first years, which featured partnerships with well known tuners and an array of … Read more

With the absence of the major car audio OEMs at the 2009 SEMA Show, it would be easy to assume that car tech has taken a backseat to tuning and muscle. However, the more compact electronics section allowed smaller companies with truly innovative products to shine. We found ourselves spending more time learning about cool products like the PowerSafe jumper cable, instead of rushing from booth to booth looking at amplifier after amplifier.

For example, On-Board Diagnostics (OBD-II) interfaces were a major part of the tech scene at SEMA. From add-on modules for your GPS device to standalone OBD-II devices … Read more