The Specialty Equipment Market Association sure knows how to put on a show, and the most recent event in Las Vegas was the largest to date. There were so many concept vehicles, project trucks, and unique rides, they covered 3.2 million square feet of convention-center space-trucks took up the convention center and there were acres of displays outside as well. After combing the show floor and surrounding grounds, we came up with our favorite trucks from SEMA. Enjoy! TT
Toyota Tundra Dually
When we first got wind that this project truck was going to be built for SEMA, we knew it deserved special attention. In fact, we put it on the cover of our previous issue (January/February 2008). The CrewMax Tundra is powered by a 300-horsepower, 600-pound-foot, 8.0-liter Hino inline-six, backed by an Eaton five-speed manual. The dually rides on a 160-inch wheelbase with 22.5-inch commercial-duty tires, has a 6-1/2-foot bed, and can tow up to 25,000 pounds. Would we like to see this truck go into production? You bet!
Hot Wheels Deora II
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Hot Wheels, Mattel brought several life-size models to SEMA. There were cool cars on display-full-size versions of scale concepts based on full-size cars-but this was the coolest. It's the Deora II, created as a tribute to the original cab-forward 1968 show truck. It's powered by a rear-mounted V-8 and rides on 22-inch wheels and tires. Mattel created the truck, and the project was headed by Chip Foose.
Deberti Ford F-450
The idea of converting an F-450 to front drive sounded so strange, when designer Doug DeBerti told us that's what was done on this truck, we had to double-check that we'd heard him right. Dallas Smith Corp.'s conversion allows the bed floor to drop down through the rear axle, making the ramp angle incredibly small-and making this the ideal toy hauler. The bed, given a healthy dose of spray-on bedliner, is large enough to hold a Harley-and then some. The Power Stroke-equipped Ford started as a SuperCrew, but DeBerti added the equivalent of an extended cab behind the second row for extra space.
Diesel Suburban
Here's a vehicle General Motors displayed that isn't production, but should be. The Chevrolet Suburban HD Z71 is referred to by the company as a "what if" exercise. It's powered by a new 4.5-liter Duramax rated at 310 horses and 520 pound-feet of torque. We've been hearing about this new smaller Duramax for a long time, but this was the first chance we'd had to see it up close and personal in an existing platform's engine bay. The heavy-duty 2500 Suburban uses the Z71 suspension (a combination not currently offered from the factory). Also added to the truck are a new rear axle, 20-inch wheels, and a custom interior.