Approach Angle 16.8 - Ah SEMA!

Story and photo by Budd Stanley

Ah SEMA! It is the wild and congested epicenter of all things awesome in the automotive world. The Los Angeles, New York, or North American International Auto Show in Detroit may grab more attention from the mainstream media, however in terms of sheer size and collection of automotive artistry and innovation, there is nothing bigger than SEMA. If you love making just about any kind of change to a stock vehicle, Vegas is the place to be.

It’s been a while since the Las Vegas Convention Centre has seen my face, and what a monster the show has become in my absence. The wealth of properly insane vehicle builds is so great that even the most calm, cool, and collected veteran will go into an ADHD fit as booth after booth redirects their attention and direction of travel in a split second. However, along with all the awesomeness, there is also just as much that’s not.

The crop of project vehicles on display at this years SEMA show was spectacular, in both good and bad ways. Of course, with a show covering such a wide variety of genres, there is always going to be conflicting styles. 2014 was no different. More than a couple of times, Tech Editor Irons and I would unknowingly wander into enemy territory, personified by the eye squinting reflected light from massive amounts of chrome, shiny paint and tire shine, lathered on so thick it becomes the automotive equivalent to a dripping wet Jheri Curl.

“Don’t hate the player, hate the game,” was the annoying saying that resonated through my head every time I happened upon the many monstrosities on the show floor. I have no problem with jacking a vehicle into the sky if that is what you need. Throw 54-in tires on, if you require it. Need a massive amount of light for racing at night, several rows of LED light bars is probably a good thing. My issue is that I just can’t appreciate bolting tens of thousands of dollars worth of off-road equipment onto a truck, which will never see even a gravel road.

I’m the type of person that believes that, if it doesn’t make your vehicle perform better, it has no business being mounted. I loved the mass of SCORE and Ultra4 rigs on display built for speed, all the classic Jeeps at the Rugged Ridge booth that helped win the war, and the utilitarian builds displayed by the likes of Trail Gear and Radflo.

So, am I just hating? Well, yeah, a little bit. However, I can appreciate that the sole purpose of many of these trucks is to demonstrate, to the extreme, what is possible in the world of the automotive aftermarket. And with roughly 186,000 sq m (2,000,000 sq ft) of exhibit space – just over 23 CFL fields – these trucks help companies stand out.

No doubt beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I prefer substance over style. The good thing is, SEMA had lots of substance, much of which you’ll see in the pages if the current issue.