Chevrolet Tahoe Street Tuner with DUB D22 Wheels
General Motors and TIS Industries, operated by the creators of DUB Magazine, announced today at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show that they will team up on a D20 collection of aftermarket wheels exclusively for GM trucks and SUVs with the hope of eventually including additional vehicle personalization accessories for GM cars and trucks.
The collaboration brings the trend-setting power of Myles Kovacs and the team behind DUB Magazine, considered the leading urban automotive lifestyle authorities because of their successful integration of music, celebrities and car culture - with the industry-leading quality and massive reach of General Motors.
GM will offer 20-inch and 22-inch wheels featuring the new "D20" brand created by Kovacs and his creative team in what the two companies hope is the first step in a long-term collaboration between GM and the creators of DUB Magazine. The D20 and D22 wheels will be sold exclusively through GM dealers nationwide and will begin hitting dealer showrooms in the first quarter of 2008. Both companies hope the current agreement for D20 wheels will lead to co-branded and co-designed special grilles, ground effects kits and electronics.
"Vehicle personalization gets hotter every year, and while much of that is driven by wheels and tires, it has become so much more," said Eric Cunningham, director of marketing for GM Accessories. "DUB co-founder and president Myles Kovacs and his team at TIS Industries and DUB Magazine are design innovators, and they have amazing credibility among urban automotive enthusiasts and important celebrity influencers.
"This collaboration gives us a tremendous creative edge as we tap into the eyes, ears and creativity of the DUB Magazine team to enhance our accessories portfolio and meet the demands of GM's diverse customer base, everyone from moms to tuners."
The vehicle customization business generates more than $37 billion a year and is growing at an annual rate of 4 percent to 5 percent, according to SEMA. GM designs accessories at its GM Accessories Design Studio, which opened in 2005. The studio, an industry first, connects the accessory and vehicle designers to help ensure a factory-quality fit and finish as well as an integrated, tailored appearance.
"Flip through the pages of DUB Magazine and you'll see a lot of great GM vehicles embraced by some of the biggest names in music, sports and entertainment," said Kovacs. "Our team is impressed that GM integrates accessory development with its design studio, as well as its insistence on quality and safety. Clearly GM takes customization as seriously as we do, so we think our great brands complement each other." For DUB Magazine, TIS and GM, that means reaching new customers.
TIS is known for products that appeal to what it calls `innovators' - drivers who want to make a powerful statement of style. "What we see in this relationship with GM and in the new D20 brand is a chance to reach a whole new segment of consumers," Kovacs said. "D20 is for those who want the style we bring, but who also want to know that their accessories were designed specifically for their vehicle, and backed by GM."
A great example of this vehicle integration can be found in GM's wheels and tire combinations that will be at the center of a comprehensive product portfolio. GM has developed and matched specific tires and wheels for each GM vehicle application.
"D20 branded GM wheels, together with the tires specifically approved for each combination, will give our customers a known quality, backed by extensive engineering, testing and verification that the wheel and tire system they're purchasing will deliver performance and handling within the vehicle's defined characteristics," Cunningham said.