“Mecha” for autos, 2017 SEMA rolls into Vegas

Each year, more than 140,000 people descend upon Las Vegas to view the latest in vehicle parts and concept cars.

November 3, 2017

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) is hosting its yearly show in Las Vegas, and there’s plenty of vehicle parts, outrageous concepts and interesting stories coming from the event.

Much like other auto shows, SEMA has become a paradise for anyone interested in automotive and makes it onto many people’s bucket lists.

“I’ve always had an interest in SEMA, as it’s the mecha of all things that go vroom!” said Omandi Moikobu, of Seattle. “This is my first time and its everything I hoped it would be and more.”

More than 140,000 attendees will roam the Las Vegas Convention Center’s halls to see more than 2,400 exhibitor displays and plenty of concept cars.

“I’m a performance oriented guy and that’s what I flocked to,” Moikobu said. He drives a Mitsubishi Lancer evolution with modifications from English Racing in Camas, Wa. “I did spend some time in other sections to see what was hot and new.”

And there’s plenty of new parts to see. SEMA featured more than 3,000 products during SEMA, making it one of the largest collection of automotive parts and innovation. For Moikobu, that may just be a new set of wheels.

There’s sections for creature comfort or performance car upgrades, and also a plethora of mods for trucks and SUVs.

The Jeep Wrangler was named the best SUV 4×4 canvas, while the Ford F-Series was the trucks’ best to mod, as named by SEMA. The Chevrolet Camaro was the hottest coupe, hottest sedan was the Cadillac CTS-V, and the hottest hatch to mod was the Ford Focus.

For other attendees, it’s the same game as other years. Hamza Pecenkovic, from Denver, Colo., went for the second time to meet with potential and previous sponsors of his race-prepped 2016 Hyundai Veloster Turbo.

“My favorite aspect of the show are the conversations, the camaraderie, and the spectacle,” Pecenkovic said. “There was a pair of classic Porsche that were stylized in a steam punk theme that really caught my eye.”

With thousands of concepts, race cars, off-roaders and display vehicles, one is likely to get dizzy from all the rapid head turns. But, somehow, these same attendees don’t go straight to their chiropractor with a severe case of cool vehicle whiplash.

SEMA is a show that auto enthusiasts of every flavor don’t miss. If you couldn’t make it this year, SEMA comes around every first week of November, with plans already underway for the next show.