RideLust

It’s no secret that the SEMA show in Las Vegas is the pinnacle when it comes to the automotive aftermarket. Everyone who’s anyone in the industry is there, well, almost everyone. You see this year we (the Ridelust crew) couldn’t make it, but thankfully for us we’ve got loads of friends who did. The guys from HOT ROD Magazine and Cardomain.com were there all week snapping shots, so when they asked us to post up “HOT ROD Magazine’s SEMA Top 10 Trendsetters of 2012″, we just couldn’t say no.

Click through for the full gallery over at Hotrod.com

Our good friends over at Cardomain and Hot Rod Blog have been posting feverishly about all the cool bad-ass rides at this years SEMA Show in Las Vegas, NV. So, since we’re not there and they are, we figured we’d shoot you guys a couple of links so ya’ll can join in on the oogling…

• CarDomain Galleries
http://www.cardomain.com/gallery/15999628

• Hot Rod blogs
http://blogs.hotrod.com/

Well it’s finally over. The 2011 Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational and SEMA have now been put to rest and to be honest, I’m dead tired. As you know we ran our 1969 Dodge Daytona tribute in the competition and while a bit outgunned, we still managed to do pretty damn good. We had a few issues like a broken shifter bolt and a thrown belt, but for the most part, we came through unscathed. Unfortunately though there was still the 600 + mile drive home yesterday that I had to endure and to be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to it. Running with a group of cars is one thing as you have some kind of back-up, but taking a 42 year Dodge Daytona through Death Valley on your own… well that’s another story entirely.

Read More…

It isn’t likely that Hyundai will drop its new Tau V8 into the Genesis Coupe, since (in its eyes at least) it would make the Genesis Coupe too expensive and could potentially pirate sales of the Genesis R-Spec sedan. Lucky for us that Rhys Millen Racing doesn’t worry about details like this, since they’ve created a 5.0-liter V-8 powered Hyundai Genesis Coupe for SEMA 2011. Read More…

First Vehicle Finalists Revealed

Upcoming Invitational offers action-packed race entertainment with some of the highest performing and most diverse vehicles in the performance automotive aftermarket industry.

September 16, 2011 (MILWAUKEE) – OPTIMA® Batteries, the global leader in high-performance automotive and marine batteries, gears up for the fourth annual OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational, presented by K&N Filters and Wilwood Disc Brakes, by revealing the current list of drivers and vehicles that have qualified for and have been selected to compete in the event.

The current qualifying drivers range from newcomer enthusiasts to seasoned industry veterans, all of which will not disappoint spectators and fans that gather for the highly-anticipated competition. The vehicle selections represent a variety of industry-leading muscle cars, pro-touring cars, hot rods and street trucks, from both import and domestic manufacturers. Initial qualifiers were recruited through a series of events of similar format that tested drivers’ skills and vehicle performance power.
Read More…

The Mercedes 190SL is a classic, one of the prettiest cars to come out of Stuttgart. But with just 100-odd horsepower and drum brakes all around, it’s not exactly a high-performance machine. That’s why the mad builders at Hod Rods & Custom Stuff in L.A. decided to drop a 1961 190SL body onto a 2004 v12 SL600 with RENNtech mods. The result is a 190SL with more than 650 horsepower and 750 foot-pounds of torque at the rear wheels. To make it happen, they had to lengthen the 190′s body by eight inches and widen it by six. A completely custom interior was crafted, along with an aluminum grille and wheels. More than 4,000 hours went into the build and the result is simply stunning. The Mercedes Bent was displayed at SEMA this year. More pics after the jump.

Source: Mercedes Bent

Read More…

Do you own an 800 horsepower Shelby GT500 Super Snake? Are you tired of seeing taillights from Bugatti Veyrons and McLaren F1s? Do you have a donor GT500 Mustang and about $100,000 to spend? If so, I may have good news for you if you’ve got the garage space and a little bit of patience.

Read More…

The Z-Spec Cruze, Volt and Spark. Photo: © GM Corp.

General Motors’ High Performance Vehicle Operations division was responsible for the development of some great automobiles, including the current Camaro SS, the Cadillac CTS-V series and the ill-fated Saturn Redline and Pontiac GXP models. The division was disbanded in February of 2009, a victim of GM’s bankruptcy. Their engineers were scattered to the four corners of the GM globe, but let’s face facts: almost every automotive engineer is a car guy at heart, and car guys want to build faster, better handling cars. Two months ago, GM announced that a Performance Vehicles and Motorsports Division was forming, and SEMA was the first opportunity for the fledgling division to show their wares.

Read More…

Mazda brought a pair of sweet little Mazda2′s to SEMA this year. The duo, the Mazda2 Street, and its evil twin the Mazda2 Track, have been lowered over skateboard sized wheels and tires and given classy race-inspired livery. The Mazda2 Track is fitted with a full roll cage, and has had its guts ripped out in preparation for heavy duty track usage. The Mazda2 Street retains its refined interior, but hides it behind some seriously dark tinted windows. The two cars might just be the best-looking Mazda’s currently made, even if they are the size and shape of a big roller-skate.
Read More…

Jesse Rooke built this wild three-wheeler for injured veterans who may not be able to ride sport bikes. It is, essentially, a 200-horsepower liter bike race engine dragging a few bits of steel and aluminum behind it. The crazy creation, called Scarlett, appeared at SEMA this year. I can only imagine what it must be like to sit at eye level with that intake, engine at full scream, exhaust pipe belching hell and fury at your elbow. Scarlett was built in conjunction with Michael Jordan Motorsports/National Guard Superbike racing team.

Source: Jesse Rooke Customs