After spending half the day on the road to Las Vegas, I rolled into town late this afternoon and headed directly to the convention center to grab my credential for the SEMA Show. Since there was quite a bit of activity going on in preparation for day one of the show tomorrow, I decided to grab the camera and take a little peek at what's to come over the course of the week.
The majority of the outside cars are already in place, and it was actually quite nice being able to get a look at them before the big crowds roll in tomorrow.
Among the cars I caught outside was this unique first generation Impreza that's sure to generate some discussion.
Inside the Las Vegas Convention Center though, there's still much work to be done. Forklifts and cherry pickers are everywhere as the floors of the exhibit halls are readied for tomorrow. It's really quite amazing, the behind the scenes work that goes into preparing a huge show like this.
In between dodging forklifts and standing clear of huge crates, I got a look at a few of the cars being shown this week. A pretty wicked looking Chevelle right here.
Scion meanwhile has the FR-S Concept on display in their booth. It's so close you can taste it!
A very sweet looking bagged Benz in the outdoor area. My early impressions say there's more European machinery at this year's show than in the past.
But let's not get too Euro just yet. You can't have SEMA without a bunch of brotastic monster trucks. Even if you aren't into this sort of thing, you gotta admit theses rigs are pretty wild to see.
One of many GTRs I caught during my short visit today.
Nice to see some Fox Body love at SEMA.
In keeping with its roots, this one was sporting the modern version of Ford's famous 5.0 mill.
The Cobb Tuning Focus. Ford loves to hype up the gas-sipping qualities of the new Focus, but who would have thought it'd look so natural in Time Attack trim?
Ford's main booth is as big as ever. That's where I caught this tidy looking Fiesta.
There's something positively cool about a performance-minded Lexus. This drift-inspired GS certainly favors quick moves over smooth luxury.
How strange the contrast between this Audi and the huge trucks in the background. Such is the oddity of SEMA.
How about some Aussie Muscle?
Another for the Subaru crowd. It's always both strange and cool to see a wagon with a roll cage.
Just one of many modified Hyundai Velosters we'll be seeing this week.
A Dodge Magnum wagon that's been converted to a two-door. Cool idea.
Alright then, it's time to grab some dinner and get ready to launch our full attack on SEMA tomorrow.
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-Mike Garrett