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    THE AUTO BUILDER
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    SEMA 2023 Product Showcase

    Explore the highlights of SEMA Show 2023 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, featuring exclusive videos of the latest automotive performance products, vehicle trends, and expert-led sessions from this premier event for car enthusiasts and industry pros, only on The Auto Builder.

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    THE BUZZ IN WINDOWS

    There was a time not all that long ago, between station wagons and SUVs, when big conversion vans were the family transportation of choice. In the beginning, the Big Three considered vans to be commercial vehicles, fitted with rubber floor mats, vinyl seats and short (if any) side windows, not the decked-out, posh family transport they would become.

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    Gear, Grit, & The Great Outdoors

    Overland Expo Mountain West 2024 just wrapped up, and if you weren’t there, you missed out on one heck of a great weekend. Held from August 23-25 in Loveland, Colorado, this event was the ultimate gathering for anyone who lives and breathes off-road adventure. We’re talking thousands of overlanding die-hards, hundreds of exhibitors, and more gear than you could shake a winch at.

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    POPULAR READS

    THE ENGINE ROOM

    Prime Space for the Heart of Your Car

    Whether you’re in the driver’s seat or looking underneath the hood, it’s the first place enthusiasts come to find out what a car is all about. After all, without the right engine package, everything we long for in our cars would be nothing more than static displays of creative artistry.

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    Picture of Stephen K. Anderson

    Stephen K. Anderson

    Photography by The Auto Builder Staff

    The Power of a Purpose-Built Engine

    With the right engine under the hood, even the most mundane transportation can be truly inspiring, and when treated to the proper dose of imagination and purpose-built hardware combining the best elements of function and beauty, it’s here we find a prime expression of automotive nirvana. True inspiration comes on with a rush as the accelerator pedal calls horsepower to action and power passes traction to the pavement, pressing you deep into the seat and beyond your wildest imagination. Even at a standstill, peering into a well-stocked engine room can set your passions into motion as your heart races from the mere sight of the right components united with your engine of choice.

    Why the Engine Bay Captivates Enthusiasts

    It’s no secret that as long as car enthusiasts have been pining over their favorite automobiles, the engine has been the first place they look for excitement, and so it is today. Now more than ever before, it’s the engine compartment that fans the flames of automotive enthusiasm, as it’s never been easier or more fulfilling to explore the capability of our most valued vehicles.

    Endless Possibilities with Today’s Aftermarket

    Today’s automotive aftermarket offers us all the ability to fire up even our most powerful dreams with a range of componentry that even recently would have amazed the most jaded gearheads. From fasteners to complete engine packages to an endless array of related hardware, the possibilities of fulfilling your wildest visions are practically endless. All it takes is the passion to realize these possibilities and see them through with the almost endless array of products that are but a phone call or stroke of the keyboard away.

    Innovative Engine Room Concepts

    While we all have our own design that creates a special engine and how that power is integrated into its surroundings, we’ve brought together a few prime examples of what is possible when amazing powerplants meet with clever and innovative ways of packaging it. While your concepts of engine room creativity and performance may not reach the extremes seen here, you can find inspiration in these clever approaches to power and beauty.

    Ignite Your Automotive Imagination

    So, cast your eyes on these engine rooms and it’s likely you’ll come up with new ideas of how you can realize the most powerful concept of all. Fire up your dreams, express your desires, and feel the power!

    It’s hard to top the visual impact of twin turbos feeding dual intercoolers and a custom intake manifold pushing a small-block Chevy to the limit. Capable of producing crazy amounts of horsepower and jet-like sounds, it all adds up to power in the extreme.
    Even after a few years, the engine compartment in this Nova is still a stunning example of engine compartment design. The body is low key and high fashion, and it’s hard to beat this kind of detail.
    Flat-black surroundings and silver-painted trim give this new Mopar Hemi plenty of appeal. The custom twin-filtered intake system is a nice touch, as it adds high-tech appeal to an already potent powerplant.
    Displaying GM’s advanced design plans for the ’09 Camaro, this incredible compartment provides us all with ideas that could translate to a wide range of vehicles based on today’s favorite engines and components.
    Everything about this ’Cuda compartment is over the top, starting with the extensive trim work in brushed aluminum and carbon fiber. Thundering with over 800 hp, this is a prime example of what is possible.
    This cool approach combines twin superchargers plumbed in a subtle style and framed within smooth surroundings. The key here is symmetry in design accented with low-key detailing disguising total function.
    Another example of a subtle performance package is found in this Camaro, where supercharged performance is hidden away. Straightforward in its approach, the detailing is nothing short of trick.
    A potent Roush Ford small block surrounded by functional bracing brings a racing appeal into this Mustang engine compartment. Add the advanced induction accented by plenty of brushed brightwork, and you can’t argue with its appeal.
    While some might overlook this subtle update, a closer look reveals the appeal of a modern Hemi wedged into a vintage GTX. Add the right combination of paint and chrome and the roar of horsepower, and it’s a match made for Mopars.
    Sometimes simple approaches are the best way of maximizing the appeal of an engine and its surroundings. This supercharged power source makes its statement without screaming, “Here I am,” until the power says, “There I go!”
    This awesome Ford large block is nothing if not radical, and just the thing for the big Ford it’s fitted in. Shrouded beneath a custom air cleaner and accented with lots of cool touches, this engine speaks of the extreme and can back it up.
    In contrast to its bright green counterpart, this early Galaxie houses Ford’s 4.6-liter mod motor, and as you can see, it looks right in place with a combination of fine detailing that is well suited to its place of residence.
    Sporting a custom injection system, this small-block Chevy has been detailed nicely with custom touches, chrome and polished detailing and a paint scheme that is certain to draw attention, just like the Corvette in which it’s mounted. Wow!
    While engine shrouds seem to be going the way of other approaches that expose more of the engine, this is still a great way to bring a new identity to an engine, as in the case of this relatively rare LT5 Chevy.
    For a rich approach, there’s nothing quite like the look of black-on-black with just a bit of brightwork to fill in the gaps. The custom trim on the valve covers and the custom air cleaner/intake cover really set it off and the car it powers.
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