Rides : Kia Brings Surfer-Friendly Rio and Hockey-Themed Forte to SEMA 2011

Kia Motors has released the first images of a pair of radically tuned cars that will make their debut today at the 2011 Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas. Both the Rio 5-Door Surf and the Forte 5-Door Hockey were built in partnership with Antenna magazine.


Starting with the 2012 Rio, the surf-themed tuning project features a sunset-metallic golden-brown paint along with a custom body kit with a front splitter made of wood that matches the surfboard on the roof, and rear fascia with center-mount exhaust. A set of 17-inch three-piece gold wheels and a Thule roof rack that holds the surfboard complete the look.

As for the interior, Kia says that the Antenna-tuned Rio gets custom seats, dash and door panels upholstered in brown and beige plaid waterproof bathing suit fabric, a wood grain center console, and headliner upholstered in dark brown suede with a towel holder.

However, one of the most intriguing features of the surf-themed Rio is hidden in the boot as Antenna modified the rear hatch area to hold a retro gaming console that plays 80’s-style arcade games, a retro-looking record player, mood lighting, and shelves to hold various items such as sandals and clothing.

Antenna's second project car is the hockey-themed Forte five-door hatchback. On the outside, the car gets an aviator gray exterior paint with 18-inch blue wheels, custom body kit and front bumper sourced from the two-door Forte Koup with carbon fiber accents and LED lights, quad tailpipes, a carbon fiber roof and a lowered suspension.

Naturally, the Forte study features a custom hockey stick holder that stretches from the boot through the center of the vehicle into the cabin. The rear seat bench was replaced with a pair of bucket sport seats while other highlights include the rubberized flooring designed to simulate the floor outside a skating rink, custom drink holders and a pair of 7-inch TV monitors that are integrated into the front headrests and wired to a PS3.

In addition, Antenna fitted a mini air hockey table on arms that slide out for game play into the trunk area

Rides : Interesting Custom Cars From the 2011 SEMA Show

Although the 2011 SEMA Auto Show brings out some of the most intriguing and innovative modified cars, it also brings about some of the worst.

And, to be straightforward, we don't take joy in picking these cars out.

There's so much pride and fulfillment from each one of these cars -- it's nothing personal, it's all subjective anyway.

But at the end of the day, there are some screamers out there. Not screaming as if I was excited, more like screaming as in "Holy hell! Cover your eyes!"

With that said, take a look down below and pick out the douchiest of them all. Whether it was cheap or worth a quarter million bucks, no car was spared...

Rides : Roush Mustang Stage 3 Premier Edition revealed at SEMA

The North American based aftermarket specialists at Roush Performance and Sherwin-Williams have joined forces and developed the Stage 3 Mustang Premier Edition which was recently presented to the public at the 2011 edition of the SEMA Motor Show.

Sherwin-Williams has provided a palette of its Planet Color exterior paints like the Red Blooded American, Mean Green and Motor City, which raised to a total of 12 colors available for base, accent and graphic.
The 2012 Roush Stage 3 Mustang Premier Edition shown at the SEMA Motor Show was powered by a 5.0 liter V8 engine which was developing a total output of 540 HP, but the North American based tuner didn’t announce its performance times or other interesting details.
The SEMA showcar was painted in Mat It Mango with graphics rendered in Performance Pearl and Sin City Silver and it was fitted with a Roush-tuned suspension.
Roush Performance didn’t provide a price for the Mustang Stage 3 Premier Edition.

Rides : 2011 Honda Accord Coupe V6 Concept goes supercharged

Honda showed off a gaggle of wild concepts for SEMA 2011, but the most interesting of the bunch may very well be a demure 2011 Accord Coupe V6. The two-door has been worked over by the go-fast fiends at Honda Factory Performance and boasts a range of bolt-on goodies that include a HFP suspension and body kit. More importantly, the Accord Coupe V6 Concept is laden with a smattering of prototype engine components. Engineers crafted a prototype supercharger, intake and exhaust systems just for the vehicle, and the end result is a very respectable 335 horsepower 285 pound-feet of torque.

Those figures mark an increase of 64 ponies and 34 lb-ft of twist over the stock 3.5-liter V6, which should do plenty to make the Accord a more interesting piece of metal. Right now, Honda says that the concept was built purely to gauge public interest and determine whether or not Accord Coupe buyers would actually be interested in a hotter version of the vehicle. We say extra horsepower is always a good thing, especially when it comes with a factory warranty.

Rides : Check Out The AEV Wrangler Brute Double Cab

American Expedition Vehicles has broadened its Jeep Wrangler pickup conversion offerings with the new Brute Double Cab. Offered as a turn-key conversion, the vehicle features a combination of stamped-steel and composite body panels for an OEM-level fit and finish. Using a combination of structural adhesive and welding, AEV says it has managed to reduce noise and vibration in the cabin and ensure the longevity of the build. While the original AEV Brute bore a stamped-steel bed, the company has switched to a new composite design that is both lighter and more durable than its predecessor.

Using carbon fiber outer skins, beefy reinforced fiberglass innards and a foam core, the company says that the new kit weighs in at around 200 pounds. That's nearly 200 pounds lighter than the old one.

AEV is currently running a cost analysis to determine how much the conversion will set you back. The Brute Double Cab on display at SEMA 2011 also benefited from the company's 6.4-liter V8 Hemi conversion, complete with a special stamped-steel hood. In addition, Dynatrac served up a special set of axles for the build, including a heavy-duty Dana 44 up front and a Dana 60 rear.