After determining that Mr. Donald Trump's discerning Atlantic City style wasn't the correct backdrop for 2006, the International Auto Salon shipped out to the "City of Brotherly Love." IAS has always been a sort-of "SEMA on the go," featuring the same great display cars, new products, sexy models and automotive semi-celebrities that grace the massive SEMA extravaganza. The biggest difference for East Coast fans, though, is the simple fact that this show is 2,500 miles closer than the Las Vegas-based SEMA show.
The massive IAS show was open to the public, and allowed average joes the chance to catch a glimpse of the aftermarket world's offerings. HKS, GM Racing, Sun Automobile, GReddy, Vortech, Falken, Mackin Industries, Darton and Full-Race were just some of the names present at this show of shows. Hot models were a given, and if you wanted to see some fixed-up cars, you were in luck. On display within the expo center were such cars as HKS' Evo VIII, GReddy's turbo kit-equipped tC, the infamous time attack Chevy Cobalt, a V8-powered AE86, Mackin's WRX and a full assortment of Team Emotion's incredible lineup.
So, for those who can't make it out to Sin City for the yearly SEMA orgy, make sure to give the East Coast IAS a stop. You won't be disappointed.
Scion Evolution, one of the largest and most popular Scion car crews around, celebrated its second anniversary with a party crash at the Petersen Automotive Museum in downtown Los Angeles. Almost 1,000 Scion enthusiasts from California, Hawaii, Arizona and Las Vegas made the journey to the three-story auto mecca in order to pray to the gods of xA, xB and tC. Past 2NR feature cars such as Paul Natividad's xA ("Big Block Terror", Feb. '05) and the 5Axis xA Speedster ("Counterstrike," Jan. '06) were on hand, offering plenty of opportunity for spectators to speculate and share info about what works best on a Scion.
Proving that no car meet, show or event is complete without a shopping opportunity, vendors such as turn3 Creative, Jada Toys and Jaz Wheels all came out to show their support, with full displays carrying their wares. But the Scion Evolution anniversary celebration was more than just a car meet, it was a time for all SE members to just hang out and enjoy the sense of community. The event included live performances by local bands Apocalistick and Pretty Clever, 1/10th scale R/C car racing, and giveaways by Jaz Wheels, Hotchkis, Crossfire Car Audio, Weapon-R, AEM and Goldline Springs. With the 5Axis xB's DJ stand spinnin' the beats, there was ample time and atmosphere for all to just kick back and be part of the Scion world.
Scion Evolution can be tracked down on the World Wide Web at www.scionevolution.org.