The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show is up and running strong on its second day, and we already have the winners of the show’s hottest awards. The winners were not picked by a committee but were a simple tally of the number of vehicles accessorized at this year’s show (i.e., these cars represent the rides most often featured in the vendor booths). This year’s winners are no different from last year, except for the addition of one more award— Hottest Sport Compact Car—into the fray. This is the second year that SEMA has handed out awards.

The hottest car, period, goes to the Chevrolet Camaro. One such Camaro that attracted our eyes is the Hot Wheels Concept. Its bright green-over-chrome paint was inspired by the metallic paint finishes of the original toy cars, which many of us can kindly remember from our younger years.



The Hottest 4x4 SUV went to the Jeep Wrangler. One standout Wrangler comes from American Expedition Vehicles (AEV), which brought a new four-door Brute Double Cab to this year's show. The original AEV Brute was unveiled at SEMA in 2002 as a Jeep/pickup conversion. Just a year short of ten years later, AEV has introduced its Brute Double Cab. It starts with a four-door Wrangler and stretches the chassis 23 inches. Overall length grows 30 inches for a total length of 216 inches, or three inches shy of a Rolls-Royce Ghost Extended Wheelbase.

Other winners include the Ford F-Series for the Hottest Truck and the Fiat 500 for the Hottest Sport Compact Car. SEMA says its awards identify the most accessory-friendly new models from more than 2,000 exhibitors, and the ability to accessorize a vehicle influences the purchasing decision of many people.

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Icon provided us with a few studio photos of its new Bronco project as it prepares for its live showing at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 1st. As we have been telling you, Icon is celebrating 45 years of the Ford Bronco with the new limited-edition Icon Bronco.



The project’s focus has been to modernize the classic American SUV while retaining the original car’s spirit. Icon even went as far as to access the truck’s original blueprints to stay true to its basic form. Icon says the result is a Bronco with modern conveniences and manners that retains a classic and timeless aesthetic.





The 5.0-liter V-8 engine, currently found in the new Mustang GT and Ford F-150, was worked into the Bronco. It produces 412 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque for relatively speedy acceleration while still returning above-average fuel economy of 25 mpg. The Coyote engine is connected to either a five-speed manual or automatic transmission and powers all four wheels through a part-time 4x4 transfer case. Each Icon Bronco will be hand-built and available with a number of different options. The first ten vehicles will be a part of a limited series of serial numbered and signed units.

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Icon sent us a couple photos of its reinterpreted 1966–1977 Ford Bronco, and we must admit that we are so far impressed with the concept. With the support of Ford Motor Company, including the help of Ford GT-designer Camilo Pardo, the project’s focus has been to modernize the classic American SUV while retaining its spirit. Icon even went as far as to access the truck’s original blueprints (something we hear required quite a few hours from Ford employees to find because they literally had to sort through old archives) to stay true to the original's basic form. Shoe-company Nike even assisted Icon on the design of the new Bronco, sending over a ten-person team comprising some of its top designers, engineers, and fabricators from various divisions.

Ford also helped Icon engineer the new 5.0-liter V-8 engine, currently found in the new Mustang GT and Ford F-150, into the Bronco. It produces 412 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque for relatively speedy acceleration while still returning above-average fuel economy of 25 mpg (speed and fuel economy are two attributes that other Icon products are not know for doing well). The Coyote engine is connected to a five-speed manual transmission and powers all four wheels through a part-time 4x4 transfer case.

Like the Ford GT, the interior of the Bronco will feature a classic design in a contemporary package.

The car will launch with a limited-edition numbered-and-signed series of ten Broncos. Icon has already pre-sold the first five, the first of which will be debuted in Las Vegas at the SEMA show in November. With its reinterpreted Bronco design, current powertrain, and the company’s tough-as-nails reputation and craftsmanship, we believe the newest Icon SUV should be a big success.

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Icon, infamous for its FJ and CJ 4x4 reinterpretations, did not know what to do with the 1952 Chrysler Town & Country wagon it found in someone’s back yard in southern California in 2000. It was rusty, but it loved the interior design and the lines of the body. It dripped history with great vintage lube stickers in the door jamb and drive-in receipts under the old mats. The design of the hood and front fenders, however, was less appreciated. And so it sat.

In 2006, while picking up a vehicle for a client’s project at a shop in Glendale, Owner Jonathan Ward noticed a rotting 1952 DeSoto sedan. Viewed as one of the coolest front clip designs of the 1950s, it just so happened that it was almost the same color and patina as the wagon Icon had acquired six years earlier. Knowing that De Soto and Chrysler had the same parent companies and shared platforms, Icon immediately envisioned the front fender and hood from the De Soto being adjoined to the body of the Chrysler Town & Country wagon.

Icon normally works on five “one-off” projects each year. Projects range wildly, yet always focus on melding modern with vintage. It took two years to complete the DeSoto / Town and Country combination. It became known as the Derelict.

Although the body is old, the mechanicals are nothing but top-notch new bits. The engine is a 6.1-liter SRT8 Hemi V-8 producing 500 hp and connected to a six-speed automatic transmission. The suspension, brakes, wheels, and some interior bits were all switched out with new modern units but purposely given a vintage look. Even the DeSoto figure on the hood was milled out to accept light diodes, so it can glow ominously at night.

The result is respectful of the original design values but provides modern performance and utility. Icon does not consider it a “rat rod” or a street rod. More of a wabi-sabi style, a Japanese aesthetic centered on the acceptance of transience. It is better described as beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete."

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As a follow up to our “Girls of the 2010 SEMA Show” spread, and to prove our interest in these shows goes beyond attractions of the flesh, we are proud to bring to you the Cars of the 2010 SEMA Show. View all the cars of the 2010 SEMA Show here. Photos come courtesy of Richard Robello at Auto-focus.us. Follow the link for the full Auto-Focus Facebook gallery.

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Getting just as much attention as the cars of SEMA are the girls of SEMA. Like a ton of aftermarket and tuner publications have proven, girls and fast and exotic cars go well together. You will have a favorite and we welcome you to share it. As for us, you can find it below. We found during our voting a direct correlation between how much skin is exposed and our interest levels; what can we say, sex sells. View all the girls of the 2010 SEMA Show here. Photos come courtesy of Richard Robello at Auto-focus.us. The full Auto-Focus Facebook gallery can be found here.

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Heide Performance Products (HPP) will unveil its Trans-Am concept at the 2010 SEMA show. The converted Camaro pays tribute to the 1969 Pontiac Firebird, the first year the Trans-Am package was offered.

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