The 2010 SEMA Show

Barry Manilow. Overpriced cocktails. Exotic cabaret shows. Street vendors dressed in the strangest of outfits (or lack thereof). Over-the-top casinos. Elvis impersonators. Ridiculously long lines. Visual and audible sensory overload. Hookers, hotels and hangovers, ah yes, these are some of the things that are synonymous with Las Vegas, Nevada. But, year after year, Sin City sets the stage for the largest gathering of automotive aftermarket companies in the universe, and is home to the annual SEMA show. 

If it is a new or interesting automotive accessory and if you can screw, glue, bolt, weld or nail it to your truck or car, it’s certain to be on display at the SEMA show. From grill to tailpipe, this is the super bowl of the aftermarket automotive accessory conventions and people from around the globe descend on Las Vegas arrive to check it out. 

Your gallant editors from 4X4Review Off Road Magazine pack their bags every year to bring you the latest and greatest 4-wheel drive goodies, and this year was no different. Well, perhaps our wives have wised up to our perpetual white lies that go something like this; “Honey, we’re going because it’s a business thing. It’s really hard work, honest”.

So what was the theme of this year’s SEMA show? We noted that the automotive accessory market has turned an economic corner and is slowly recovering from our global recession. Sales are up, product lines are expanded and there were more than a few new innovations to be seen.

As we always do for you, our editors had our cameras and notepads at ready and marched dozens of miles. And, without further adieu, we bring to you the latest and greatest 4-wheel drive products that SEMA 2010 had to offer.
 

See our Day 2 and Day 3 coverage of the 2010 SEMA Show

Bestop – www.bestop.com
Once again Bestop pulled out all the stops and brought a slew of innovative new products to the SEMA show.  The Trektop NX and the Supertop NX are both multi-function tops that can be used in a traditional fashion, or flipped back for sunroof style driving.  The Trektop NX can also be unzipped enough times to become a bikini top and put back together in a matter of minutes.  The Supertop NX comes with all O.E. hardware and enough options to let you create a custom top.  Both tops are available for the Jeep TJ and 2/ 4 door Jeep JK’s. Bestop also introduced the trek step, an innovative product that attaches to Bestop bumpers to allow access into your lifted Jeep.  A quick 15 minute install and you have a sturdy step that folds out of the way when not in use. Bestop also introduced a narrow version of the Highrock bumper, with all the same great features of the original Highrock Bumper, now in a smaller version. Lastly, Bestop showed us their all-new Highrock rear bumper which really blew us away… This bumper features sturdy construction and one of the best swinging tire carriers that we’ve ever seen – period. Just open the tailgate of your Jeep and the full load-bearing tire carrier swings out with it. Very cool indeed.  

Truxxx – www.truxxx.com
A relative new comer to the off road world, Truxxx company made a big splash at the SEMA show this year.  Innovative lift and leveling kits for most major truck brands that are both functional and super strong.   Truxxx also manufactures a complete line of competition shocks, coil-over’s and  bump stops.  The shocks feature larger bodies, shafts and reservoirs to stand up to the rigors of completion and tough weekend wheeling.  If you are in the market for a lift kit, or looking to upgrade your current suspension, be sure to check out the new products from Truxxx.

Warn – www.warn.com
This year Warn really upped the wow factor at the show. With a monster Toyota truck sporting hybrid portal axles and 49” tires to a 25 K winch that weighed in at measly 136 pounds, they really brought out they big guns. This year Warn also introduced a new line of ATV lighting. These super bright lights feature low amp draw, a slow start rate, and HID lighting. Warn also upgraded many of the winches in the line with a new contactor box and fully potted electronics, virtually eliminating water and dirt intrusion.

Cooper Tires – www.coopertires.com
Cooper may have hit a homerun with the introduction of the newest tire in their off road line, the Discoverer A/T 3. The AT 3 is an aggressive all terrain with many features off roaders crave: siping on the tread blocks, a self cleaning design, serrations on the lugs to prevent stone retention. They also had the new Discoverer S/T Max tire on display. This tire is specifically designed for industrial use, but has a great off-road tread and and a true 3-ply side wall to prevent punctures – most common O.E. replacement sizes are available. We also found the Discoverer STT on display, while not a new tire in the Cooper line; they feature an aggressive tread design with scalloped lugs, extra side wall protection, and sizes up to 37”. If you’re in the market for new tires for your 4×4, check out the offerings from Cooper tire.

Jeep – www.Jeep.com
Never ones to rest on its laurels, Jeep once again had some amazing new products on display. The Extreme Trail Edition camp trailer was loaded with features that would surely be at the top of any off roaders list. The Extreme Trailer features full skid plating underneath, 35” tall tires, an optional pintle hook, and all aluminum construction for a super light weight of just 900 pounds. Jeep also brought out a few of their project vehicles that have been featured elsewhere, but still deserve a second look.

Mountain Off-Road Equipment (M.O.R.E.) – www.mountainoffroad.com
Mountain Off-Road Equipment was in-force this SEMA with quite literally, MORE products. More focus on Jeep products and new approach on hard-core Range Rover bumpers. MORE showcased a number of new JK products including their skid-plates for JK engine/transmission pans, evaporative emissions canister and rear muffler (fitments for stock and MagnaFlow mufflers). Also on display was MORE’s new bumper-mounted, swing-away tire carrier for the JK and dead pedals for JK (automatic only) and TJs (auto & manual trans models).

American Eagle Wheel Corporation – www.americaneaglewheel.com
Made in the USA. Not many companies can say that these days, even in the most American of automotive sports, off-roading. While the majority of their competitors have taken their manufacturing facilities off-shore, American Eagle Wheel Corp has doubled-down in the US manufacturing space by producing their wheels from raw material to the finished product. Speaking of finished products, American Eagle Wheel Corp., has partnered with Winona PVD Coatings, LLC www.winonapvd.com to offer ECO Chrome wheels with a bright and black chrome finish that is both more durable than chrome and easier on the environment to produce. These low-maintenance wheels offer great looks, great appearance and low maintenance, just wash and drive.

BluePrint Engines – www.blueprint.com
BluePrint Engines released a new line of Pro-Series engines this year with a focus on high-horsepower offerings. These highly tuned crate-engines offer the extreme enthusiasts with a range of Chevy and Ford based engine sizes and horsepower ratings. For the Jeep owner with a need for a 4.0L replacement BluePrint Engines currently offers replacement long-blocks (cast iron head) and is preparing to release a high-performance option in January, 2011 offering aluminum head, roller rockers, new fully balance crankshaft, forged pistons and stainless valves. Stay tuned for that product release in 2011.

Falken Tire – www.falkentire.com
This year, Falken Tires released the WildPeak A/T. This all-terrain tire offers great on-road and off-road performance in OE-focused sizes up to 33” in diameter today with 35 and 37 inch applications for 17”, 18” and 20” wheel diameters coming in January, 2011. Falken has put the WildPeak A/T tire through it’s paces with testing of the 35” options at the 2009 Moab Easter Jeep Safari and testing of the 37” tires through the JK Experience. If you are in the market for a set of tires that offer great on-road manners mixed with real off-road cred, the WildPeak A/T would be worth a look.

Hankook Tire – www.hankooktireusa.com
In 2011, Hankook Tires, the 7th largest tire manufacturer, will celebrate 70 years as a manufacturer and 30 years as a tire distributor in the USA. More recently, Hankook Tire has gained additional “traction” in the marketplace by winning the OE supplier contract for Ford vehicles including the F150, F250, F350 and Ford Edge SUV. Hankook has a broad set of tire offerings including options for the 4WD, Truck and SUV enthusiast. Hankook’s Dynapro ATm and Dynapro MT tires offer All Terrain and Mud Terrain tread patterns designed in OE sizes as well as popular aftermarket sizes.

K&N – www.knfilters.com
In the never-ending quest for more power and greater efficiency, one of the first “rocks to turn over” should be your vehicles intake track. An engine that can breathe (inhale) more freely will show tangible improvements in throttle response, typically resulting in “seat of the pants” performance gains. K&N offer intake solutions for most popular applications as well as a whole host of universal filter solutions designed to deliver improved engine breathing and the advantage of lifetime durability.

Mickey Thompson – www.mickeythompsontires.com
Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Mickey Thompson was on hand this year with a new take on their classic wheel offerings. The Classic II and Classic Lock wheels are back with new finishes (now including a satin black option), revised center cap design (more durable finish) and enhanced MT logos. Tirewise, Mickey Thompson also release several new products including the Baja Claw TTC commemorating their support of the Top Truck Challenge in radial sizes up to 35” and bias-play sizes up to a monster 54” diameter for a 20” wheel.

Dick Cepek – www.dickcepek.com
Dick Cepek was profiling the Radial F-CII All Terrain tire during the 2010 SEMA show. This product could be considered a cross between an All Terrain and Mud Terrain due to the All Terrain tread pattern applied to a heavy-duty Mud Terrain carcass and sporting Mud Terrain-like tread depth. The benefits of this design include great highway performance and long tread life.

Toyota – www.toyota.com
Toyota was on deck as one of the OE car & truck manufacturers to show off a few new concept vehicles along with this standard line-up of trucks and 4-wheel drives. A few that caught our eye; The Toyota X-Runner race truck, The VERY cool Toyota Bass Pro Shops truck with an ever-expanding bed and camping system, and the Four Wheeler sponsored 4Runner. Let’s hope a few of these great ideas make it to production somehow.