Each November, the SEMA Present brings the world’s main automotive aftermarket producers, suppliers, and fans collectively in Las Vegas. Eastwood hit the bottom final week to uncover the newest aftermarket improvements and traits at SEMA Present 2024. This 12 months’s occasion showcased groundbreaking merchandise, revealed cutting-edge builds, and redefined what’s doable in automotive customization and restoration. Our staff walked 4 large conference halls searching for the whole lot from high-performance upgrades to modern design traits.
Formally, the SEMA Present (Specialty Gear Market Affiliation) is an industry-only occasion for professionals within the discipline. Nonetheless, the present in the end influences what’s out there to hobbyists, inspiring new methods to boost and personalize their autos. Generally known as the last word gathering for the {industry}, SEMA is the place the newest efficiency components, instruments, equipment, and automotive applied sciences are first unveiled. For DIY automotive hobbyists, SEMA provides a glimpse into the way forward for automotive customization and restoration. It showcases the instruments, strategies, and improvements that may make tasks simpler, extra environment friendly, and extra impactful.
Having absolutely recovered, we are able to now give you a glimpse behind the scenes of this superb present. Listed below are 5 of the most important traits we picked up on as we examined the lots of of unimaginable builds that crammed the flooring. We are able to’t wait to see how quickly a few of these ideas discover their method into present vehicles across the nation.
Overland Every thing!
Twenty years in the past, overlanding was merely referred to as automotive tenting. However during the last twenty years, it has taken on the next type. Equipping an all-capable car with all of the facilities of house and hitting the street much less traveled is all the trend right this moment. We credit score publications like Overland Journal for uplifting us all to get outside and uncover. In fact, the Covid years helped gas development on this section as properly.
At the moment, what was as soon as reserved for Land Rovers, Jeeps, and 4 Runners is now out there to anybody prepared to mount a rooftop tent and a set all-terrain tires to no matter car they’ve readily available. We noticed overlanding-equipped Porsches and Lamborghinis able to deal with the zombie apocalypse, together with all the standard 4×4 suspects. The West Corridor of the conference middle was crammed with an array of latest manufacturers with roof tents, solar energy technology, electrical fridges, and all method of elevated camp furnishings.
Engraved Metallic Paint End
Overlook about ghost flames and carbon fiber for a minute. We noticed one of the unique finishes ever on a pair of vehicles painted by a Japanese artist. The 1958 Chevy Impala by Rohan Izawa Artwork regarded to have been hand-engraved and left in naked metallic. The black Mercedes G-wagen subsequent to boasted a equally ornate end.
An optical phantasm created by a proprietary paint floor preparation course of and completed with ultra-fine metallic paints, the 2 autos had us fooled into believing somebody had hand-tooled their physique panels. Take a look at the photographs and inform us you’re not additionally satisfied.
Mellow Colours
There was definitely no scarcity of brilliant-colored tasks at SEMA this 12 months. Nor was there an absence of completely painted deep black paint jobs on show-worthy autos. Nonetheless, among the many extra conventional present automotive colours we additionally observed a definite lean towards extra refined hues.
Echoing traits within the new-vehicle market, various top-quality builds (a number of the greatest, in actual fact) featured muted shades. These included grays, tans, off-whites, and different demure colours. The look will not be everybody’s shade of milky tea, nevertheless it definitely places the concentrate on the standard of the work. Relatively than wow you with the shock of sweet brilliance or a deep sea of clear coat, these impartial tones let you replicate extra deeply on different particulars of the construct.
The pattern might not final without end, nevertheless it’s an attention-grabbing twist on custom. We’re followers of the look when the correct colour is selected for the car. And with so many nice OEM colours within the combine proper now, there’s no scarcity of inspiration.
Refined Interiors
It was once a pleasant leather-based conceal with contrasting stitching and possibly some embroidery made for a pleasant inside. At the moment, that appears boring. For one factor, leather-based is now ubiquitous. There have been actually dozens of firms displaying off high quality leather-based both as full hides or as ready-to-install kits. And most of the ready-fit choices might be specified with numerous customizations from contrasting inserts to diamond quilting and extra.
Nonetheless, essentially the most attention-grabbing tasks of included a mixture of leather-based and… material? That’s proper, patterned material inserts with leather-based outer bolsters is the recent pattern in the meanwhile. We blame VW for kicking off the pattern with the fifth-generation GTI practically 20 years in the past. What was as soon as a quirk is now the trend.
We noticed houndstooth material on the seats AND on the dashboard inserts of 1 customized Jeep construct. Numerous vehicles and vehicles included varied plaids and examine patterns of all colours into their interiors. Lots of the upholstery suppliers had samples of retro-themed and conventional material patterns of their books.
Foor coverings have additionally turn out to be extra refined, with a number of autos utilizing carpet options. A cream-white Ford Bronco used a woven fiber matting on its flooring, completely complementing the tone-on-tone look of its inside. A Blazer constructed by Ring Brother featured the same remedy, as did an immaculate ’57 Chevy. And we noticed many top-quality builds returning the refined luxurious of German wool carpet in a sq. weave.
Small Particulars Matter
Lastly, we observed a whole lot of the nicer vehicles had small particulars that matched the general theme. That cream-white Bronco we simply talked about had a pair of leather-wrapped suitcases in its roof rack that matched the inside leather-based. It additionally had a duffle bag of the identical materials sitting on its again seat.
On the different finish of the spectrum, we noticed a Cummins diesel engine detailed with 24-carat gold plating on its engine parts. When requested about the associated fee, the builder mentioned a mere scratch within the gold represented $30 price of injury. It’s something however refined, nevertheless it’s exhausting not to take a look at.
