With opening day of the 50th Annual SEMA Show in the books, we hit the Las Vegas Convention Center for Day Two, expecting nothing but more amazing builds and new products to see, more awards to be announced, and even more people hitting the show floor. We weren’t disappointed.
To kick off the day, SEMA announced their Top 10 Finalists for the 2016 Battle of the Builders challenge– a competition started in 2014 that creates a friendly rivalry among some of the best builders in the industry to see just who built the best SEMA display vehicle each year. This year, the competition was fiercer than ever with over 250 vehicle submissions, which included a number of vehicles built by “Young Guns,” or up-and-coming builders under the age of 34 specifically recognized for their talent at such young ages. Of the 250 vehicle submissions, 98 of them were built by Young Guns. Three have moved on to the Top 10, with the winner being announced on Friday at SEMA Ignited.
Celebrity appearances, autograph signings and of course, all the fun activities like “Ford Out Front” (which featured three amazing modern-powered, Shelby-licensed Superformance MKIII Cobra repops putting on a show and giving out rides in the drift area), Chevrolet’s “Ride and Drive” experience, featuring some of Chevy’s newest cars and trucks, and tons of giveaways kept show participants busy all day long, while many other enthusiasts set their sites on tracking down previously unveiled cars they had missed on Day One. Others headed straight for the New Product Showcase or any hall of their liking for demonstrations and hands-on product testing. Of course, we can’t forget about the Pedal Car Shootout at the Axalta booth, pinstriping and screen printing of shirts at Red Kap, and virtual reality experiences at a number of booths throughout.
Though there may not be quite as many pro-touring vehicles at the show this year compared to years past, we’re still finding some impressive standouts throughout all three halls, as well as out front and in between the buildings.
Day Three is just hours away, so be sure to stay tuned for another update from SEMA 2016 tomorrow!