Commendable Commander
What it is: '06 "Polar Expedition" Jeep Commander
Found at: DaimlerChrysler booth
Particulars: American Expedition Vehicles of Missoula, Montana, created this yummy Hemi-powered concoction. It has a slew of special features and one-off products including a 4.5-inch suspension lift; 5-inch extended wheelbase; custom wheels; 37-inch tires; AEV custom bumpers with Warn winches; AEV custom fender flares by PolarFlares; and AEV rocker guards and roof rack.
One more thing ... : The interior is a techno paradise with gobs of communication equipment, as well as mapping GPS with mobile satellite Internet.
Herculean H3
What it is: '06 Hummer H3
Found at: General Motors booth
Particulars: We're going to go out on a limb here and say that this is the coolest H3 we've seen thus far. This bad boy has the new Rancho 4-inch suspension lift; 22-inch Weld Cheyenne wheels finished in titanium; 355/55R22 BFG Mud-Terrain tires; SMA fortified steel front and rear bumpers with Ramsey winches; SMA tire carrier, low-profile front and rear lightbars, aluminum roof basket, stainless steel dual exhaust, and free flow induction system; and titanium-finished grille, tow hooks, billet door handles, and billet fuel door.
One more thing ... : Hey GM, can we borrow it?
Vicious Volvo
What it is: '05 Volvo XC70
Found at: Ford booth
Particulars: This Volvo All Terrain concept has street cred and trail cred. Its mind-boggling list of mods includes a Garrett turbocharged five-cylinder engine with Aquamist cylinder intercooling, 750cc RC Engineering injectors, and 3-inch stainless steel turbo-back exhaust by Time/Heico; Brembo brakes with four-piston Brembo calipers; IPD 4-inch body lift; 20x10 KMC XD Rock Star wheels; 285/50-20 BFG A/T tires; IPD front bumper (with Warn winch), tubular roof rack (with back-up and side lights), side cladding, flares, and lightbar (with PIAA lights); and a roof-mounted 1,000-watt generator, gas can, Hi-Lift jack, spare tire, and AWD.
One more thing ... : This Volvo has bark and bite-it generates 408 hp and 398 lb-ft of torque.
Drool Machine
What it is: '06 Ford F-150
Found at: Ford booth
Particulars: It should come as no surprise that this awesome rig was designed and built by Bigfoot Offroad and Performance (you know, the original monster truck guys). Its long list of mods include a 5.4L V-8 engine with Whipple supercharger, Ford Racing headers, and Magnaflow exhaust; NP271 transfer case; custom coilover suspension; Detroit Lockers; Interco 49-inch IROK's; MRW 20x18 bead locks; Suncoast Creations ram air hood; Warn 16.5ti winches; DuPont Hot Hues custom paint; PRP custom racing seats; RJS five-point harnesses; MTX Audio components; Auto Meter tach and gauges; and Lowrance Iway 500C GPS
One more thing ... : That beefy Dana Super 60 front axle is from Ford Racing (PN M-3002-F4488).
Dune Hopper
What it is: '06 Suzuki Grand Vitara "Dune" concept
Found at: Outside the North Hall
Particulars: This Grand Vitara is one of four specially built Suzuki concept cars that will tour the '06 auto show circuit. They were designed to explore the viability of alternative accessory packages for consumers. This beefy little machine has flared fenders; integrated cladding and running boards; Lightning Yellow paint to match the color scheme of Suzuki ATVs; rear off-road gear storage; a "mobile garage" work station; and built-in GPS and navigation system.
One more thing ... : There's a front-mounted winch and forward-facing roof-mounted lights.
Rollin' On 24s
What it is: '05 Ford F-250
Found at: Outdoor Skyjacker booth
Particulars: This unique Super Duty has an 8.5-inch Skyjacker lift with 1-inch front coil spacers; clear differential covers; Four Real Steel traction bars and front and rear bumper overlays; fiberglass fenders; powdercoated driveshafts, sway bars and track bar; Undercover bed cover; black leather seating with silver suede centers; Eclipse in-dash DVD/navigation; and a number of Kicker amps and speakers.
One more thing ... : Those bumpin' 24x12s are KMC XD Rock Stars, and they're wrapped with 37x13.50 Toyo MTs.
Six Wheels 'O Fun
What it is: '05 Hummer H6
Found at: All Stretched Out booth
Particulars: For those who feel the H2 isn't quite large enough, there's the H6. It's a stretched H2 with an extra axle (bogey wheels at the present time, though a drive axle is on the drawing board) and a cavernous, luxurious interior. Inside, standard equipment includes L-shaped rear seating; fiber optic lighting; neon lights; floor lights; DVD player; a 3rd rear A/C unit; chrome ceiling; and three video monitors. Other standard H6 equipment includes a vinyl top; dual batteries; dual alternators; and computerized rear springs.
One more thing ... : Base price is $103,000. Holman is arranging a road test as we speak.
The General's Ride
What it is: '06 Rock Buggy
Found at: Ramsey Winch booth
Particulars: General Sam Patton of Sam's Off Road created this rock racing buggy using a modified '89 Maxim sprint car chassis as a foundation. It sports a 385ci Fast Burn Chevy crate engine with Howell fuel injection; TCI-enhanced TH350 transmission; Atlas 3.8:1 transfer case; Tera CRD 60R axles with Moser axleshafts, 5.13:1 gears and Detroit Lockers; three-link front suspension; four-link rear suspension; and Walker Evans nitrogen shocks.
One more thing ... : It has an onboard halon fire suppression system that has three sprayers pointed at the driver [who's fully clad in fireproof gear, one hopes.-Ed.]
SEMA is a show consisting of radical extremes. Take wheels, for instance.
 Trail Ready On the one hand...  Trail Ready
On the one hand ... there's this 16x7.5 DOT-approved two-piece internal bead-lock wheel we found at the Hutchinson booth. It uses Humvee wheel-like tech without the run-flat capability. It can keep a bead from breaking or slipping down to 15 psi. It's rugged and available through Amstar (www.amstarfun.com).
|  Not So Trail Ready On the...  Not So Trail Ready
On the other hand ... according to Asanti, this is the most expensive wheel ever made. It has 12,000 diamonds and 800 sapphires totaling 1,100 carats. For those of you who dilute your rig's antifreeze with Perrier, you need these. A set of four is only $1,000,000.
|  Dear Sally Jo, This here SEMA...  Dear Sally Jo,
This here SEMA show has more booths than you have moods. They got durn near everything here. Heck, I even got a free tattoo at the Dunlop Tire booth.
Don't be mad.
Love, Bubba |
 Sugar Pie, Working my butt...  Sugar Pie,
Working my butt off here in Vegas. Don't worry, there's nobody at the show 'cept big hairy mechanics and such. Oh, I'm gonna be late getting home-have to drop some film off at the drugstore. See you someday-I mean Sunday. -Joe
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