Domestic automakers make big showing at SEMA - Fixed Operations - Specialty Equipment Market Association - Brief Article

LAS VEGAS -- The customzation and aftermarket parts extravaganza that is the Specialty Equipment Market Association show here exhibited no signs of slowing down with other areas of the nation's economy.

General Motors Corp. is the sponsoring manufacturing of this year's show, and took full advantage of having center stage. Show goers were treated to more than 175 variously modified GM vehicles.

There was a quintet of Chevy Cavaliers -- obviously GM's attempt at grabbing Echo Boomers currently enthralled with the Honda Civic and PT Cruiser.

But it was the Cadillac Escalade XS500, with a twin-turbo 6L V-8 under the hood, that made jaws drop. The 580-hp engine also includes the Corvette camshaft and reworked aluminum cylinder heads. The Escalade, curiously, seems to be emerging as a "tuner" favorite, with another serious effort being centered on a supercharged, rather than turbocharged, version of the well-regarded GM small-block V-8.

GM turned to turbocharging again to beef up what might be the biggest wimp in its lineup, Malibu. The saucy Malibu Cruiser features 230 hp, rear spoiler, a raised cowl hood and a lowered independent Bilstein coil-over front and rear suspension.

Buick -- long GM's supercharging specialist -- offers a production-viable upgrade: a supercharged 3.4L OHV V-6 for the Rendezvous crossover that cranks out 240 hp.

The Grand Prix 40th Anniversary version showed how GM might fill the gap in Pontiac's lineup following Firebird's departure, and Sunfire HO 2.4 was a showcase for customizing -- Sparco sport seats, DVD video system, lowered ride height, fender flares and front air dam.

Over at DaimlerChrysler Corp., Jeep Liberty follows in the footsteps of PT Crusier, getting a Woodie version.

Speaking of PT Cruiser, the PT/10 ends the criticism of the stock car's power deficit: it features the Viper's OHV V-10 drivetrain and 500 hp. The passenger compartment also is chopped behind the front row of seats, with the resulting void turned into a covered cargo bed.

At the Ford Motor Co. stand, there were supercharged versions of the Lincoln LS and Ford Focus. And it unveiled a Harley-Davidson edition for the '02 F-150 SuperCrew pickup. The limited edition truck (no more than 12,000 will be made) features a supercharged 5.4L Triton V-8 engine delivering 340 hp.

Finally, well-known Corvette tuner Reeves Callaway works his magic on the Land Rover Freelander, a model for sale in the U.S. as a 2002 model. The "Freelander Supercharged - Performance By Callaway" features, as the name suggests, a supercharged version of the stock Freelander's 2.5L DOHC CV-6, delivering 250 hp (a 76-hp jump over stock) and 260 lb.-ft. (353 Nm) of torque.

There's also a host of chassis refinements and exterior appearance modifications.

For now, the Callaway and Land Rover camps call the vehicle a "concept" only.

COPYRIGHT 2001 PRIMEDIA Business Magazines & Media Inc. All rights reserved.
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group