Sales, Cars, and SEMA

In the coming Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas, Chevrolet will introduce its Cobalt SS as well as the HHR Panel SS that will both be on sale come the second quarter of 2008. Toyota will introduce its 2009 Corolla and Matrix on the said show and other automakers will have their own vehicles to showcase on the said event. This is not surprising for the SEMA really affects and influence the consumers. Have a car featured in SEMA and it will surely get sales.

The Silver Car

If you have the money for it and is just head over heels for silver, the Audi A8 is just the vehicle for you. Yeah, it consumes a lot of fuel. But if you have the money for it, for the amount of fuel it eats up, go ahead and have one. The Audi A8 is made of solid silver. Yeah, you read it right. It’s made of solid silver. This shiny, shiny bling is something that’ll compliment you in many, many ways.

2007 SEMA Show and the 2008 Ford Concept Cars

The 2007 SEMA Show, as a caravan of one of a kind show cars as well as concept cars that are mostly built to show off new aftermarket products, will preview Ford’s latest concept cars. As the price of fuel continues to be erratic, small cars that consume relatively less amounts of fuel are the hit. Since small cars are the “in” cars nowadays, Ford concept cars are relatively small. The 2007 SEMA Show will showcase nine customized 2008 Ford Focus models. According to Al Giombetti, which is the executive director for Ford’s Customer Service, “[t]he small car market is now the largest vehicle segment in the country with more than 2.7 million sales annually. We want to signal that we have what it takes to help small-car buyers make a big statement in their vehicles. That’s why we’re offering a full spectrum of personalization options ranging from full-body kits and wheels to audio systems and racing parts for under the hood.”

The 2009 Nissan GT-R

For those who are seeking for a cool car. The wait is over for the 2009 Nissan GT-R is now here. Pictures are available online but as for the car’s specifications, it is not yet announced. At the Nissan’s Tokyo show press conference, which will be taking place this coming October 24, more information on the all-wheel-drive 2009 GT-R with a 3.8 liter twin-turbo V6 that has the capacity to produce 473 horsepower and 434 pound-feet of torque is expected to be made known to the public. As of the moment, we know that it has a transmission of a GR6 dual-clutch six-speed automatic and an ability to accelerate up to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds.

A Scene at the O.C. Auto Show

One of the highlights of the O.C. Auto Show at Anaheim is Toyota's "Off-road, on-site" test drive. The people who attended the auto show fall in line in order to have a test drive of the FJ Cruise, Tundra and Tacoma over mounds of dirt, bridges and small ramps—kinda like a obstacle course. It reminded me of bumper cars—where kids will fall in line to be able to drive the small cars that they could use to bump other cars. But one can only do that in games. In real life, it’s a no-no to bumping other cars. It could lead to serious, serious trouble.

A Car, a Lottery and a Chance

Boyd Coddington is a big name when it comes to customizing cars. This is not at all surprising for he stars the show “American Hot Rod” and all. Aside from being a celebrity, he is known to design one-of-a-kind custom and handmade roadsters that are worth thousands and thousands of dollars. Fortunately, there is a lottery tagged as the Capital Pontiac Buick Cadillac GMC’s Boyd Coddington Solstice Lottery that allows one to have the chance to own a Pontiac Solstice that is customized by Coddington. The lottery ticket is priced at $25 each and the proceedings will go to Kinsmen Telemiracle Foundation and the Regina Inner City Family Foundation.

The Boyd-customized Pontiac Solstice is worth $109,000 Canadian. Whoa! Imagine, with just $25 bucks, one gets a chance to own it.

Frankfurt Motor Show: A Hands-Free Fiat 500 Test Drive

In the recently concluded Frankfurt Motor Show, the Fiat has set up this very very cool stand. The people who were in the Frankfurt Motor Show could take a ride in the Fiat 500. It’s not quite a test drive for there is a trail and the car runs on automatic. I’ll say it’s more of a test ride. The people who were there were able to sit back and enjoy the Fiat 500’s seats and had a general feel of the car. The Fiat 500 is said to have hit on Europe with a bang with its enormous sales.

This Fiat 500 is similar to the classic model of Fiat which went into circulation from 1957-1975. The original Fiat 500 or Cinquecento as it was called then, was known for being a fun to drive that goes easy on the pocket. The Modern Fiat 500 that was exhibited at the Frankfurt Motor Show can be availed of at $14,500 and is expected to follow the track the original Fiat 500 took especially when it comes to high sales.

A Change of Wheels

A lot of people nowadays look at their vehicles as something more than a machine. For them it is something akin to a work of art. Similar to the clothes that one wears, the music one has on his player, the accessories one chooses to wear as well as the stuffs that one calls his own, the kind of vehicle one has tells a lot about the person who owns it. It’s kinda like you get to know a person by looking at his shoes. While some people are hopelessly practical and stick with the basics, some are willing to explore and customize their babies, wheels, whatever you may call it.

One does not necessarily need to be a car aficionado in order to give the vehicle a touch of one’s personality. There are actually a lot of things one can do to modify their vehicle. They could add on accessories, custom parts, gadgets, spoilers, bumpers, grilles guards, window tints and the list goes on and on. These things, however, could go heavy on the budget. A good way to improve the look of one’s vehicle without shelling so much money is to install a new set of wheels. Trust me. Changing your wheels can do a lot to change your “wheels.”