Rex Roy: Car Culture

Detroit area car shops ramp it up at SEMA

By now, most Detroiters are getting their hot rods, exotics, and muscle cars bundled up for a long winter's nap.

But in Las Vegas, this week's SEMA convention is supercharging enthusiasts from across the globe. This industry-only trade show lays out an unrivaled smorgasbord of custom vehicles and hardware.

Organized by the Specialty Equipment Market Association, the event features about 2,000 booths -- in 2 million square feet of the Las Vegas Convention Center -- hawking everything from complete cars and leopard-print seat covers to in-dash PCs and sets of 32-inch chrome wheels (that sell for $200,000 with tires).

This is where TV shows "Pimp My Ride" and "Overhaulin'" go for inspiration.

Those folks from California will draw from the best, including many cars shipped West by craftsmen from the Detroit area.

Among them are a 2010 Ford Taurus SHO and an unassuming 2010 Ford Fusion from Mustang Racing Technology (MRT), a shop started by Scott Hoag in 2003 after a solid engineering career at Ford Motor Co.

As if the stock 365-horsepower twin-turbo Taurus SHO wasn't powerful enough, Hoag's team upped the horsepower with new exhaust system components, a more efficient air charge intercooler, and recalibrated engine management software. Rocket science is the standard in high-performance circles these days.

A souped-up Fusion

While the Taurus SHO presents a no-bull option for those wanting a premium performance car, MRT also modified a less costly Fusion equipped with a 2.5-liter engine.

Most companies would have taken the easy road and stopped with cosmetic modifications (the most popular segment of the aftermarket), but Hoag's team turbocharged the four-cylinder and forced another 100 horsepower to the wheels. These guys are as serious as the tire marks from the Fusion's smoking front wheels.

Not coincidently, Hoag's responsibilities at Ford included special-edition factory Mustangs, including the Bullitt and Mach 1. These experiences prepared him to build his own creations and market the parts to support an ongoing business.

Hoag's Plymouth shop focuses on Fords but produces parts for popular high-performance Chevys and Dodges, too.

The gang from MobSteel also put their mark on the Ford Taurus SHO. With plenty of black paint and billet metal, there's no confusing the intimidating MobSteel SHO with the sportier MRT creation.

MobSteel twisted the performance knob on the SHO's twin-turbo EcoBoost V-6 to 11. Adam Genei, the company's 34-year-old founder, estimated that horsepower is up by 78 at the tires. That may be enough for four-wheel burnouts.

MobSteel is known for its sinister renditions of classic 1961-69 Lincoln Continentals (the brick sleds with suicide doors).

These custom Continentals have become favorites of entertainers and athletes who want something more distinctive than an Escalade.

The Brighton company evolved much differently than MRT.

"I never had a plan. I only had a name and a place to work. My friends would come hang out and work on their rides, and we'd build cars the way we wanted to. Then one day we had a business," Genei said.

Detroit creations popular

If the crowds around the cars from MRT and MobSteel were any indication, these creations have done Detroit proud at SEMA.

Let's hope their success leads to orders for parts or entire cars in the months to come. Hoag and Genei have their fingers crossed.

Rex Roy can be reached at www.RexRoy.net.