A Record Year For Sema And A Record Year For Pirelli

More and More of the Vehicles at SEMA Are Wearing Italian Rubber Las Vegas, November 4, 2005 - The SEMA Show's reputation as a must-attend event for everyone connected to the automotive aftermarket attracted more than 100,000 industry professionals to the Las Vegas Convention Center November 1-4. This year's show covered over two million square feet of space and included more than 2,000 exhibitor displays. Among those exhibitors was Pirelli, but if you walked even a small percentage of those two million square feet of convention center space you would have sworn that Pirelli owned the show. One of the stars of the Ford exhibit was the Ford GTX1 roadster and to celebrate the introduction of this topless GT concept, both of the GTs on the stand were shod with 19-inch Pirelli P Zero Rossos. Also at the Ford display, 19-inch P Zero Neros could be found on the allnew Fusion. Ford's Mustang, which was recognized by SEMA at last year's show as the most accessory-friendly new vehicle for aftermarket tuners, was not about to be upstaged by the profusion of tuner Fusions. Many of the numerous hot V8 'Stangs were seen rumbling around the Ford exhibit on Pirellis, including one on 22-inch Neros, quite possibly the biggest fitment to date. Every year at SEMA a proliferation of street rods populate the Ford stand and 2005 was no exception. Three of the most significant Ford hot rods wore Pirellis, including the 75th Anniversary Dearborn Deuce Convertible. 2007 will mark the 75th anniversary of what is now recognized as the quintessential American Hot Rod. Known simply as the Deuce, it was Henry Ford's classic roadster and has proven the most popular hot rod body style of all time. The other two were the gorgeous Wedge Roadster by Dan Webb, based on an original drawing by Thom Taylor which was chosen "Best of Show - Heritage Vehicle", and the absolutely spectacular Ford '40 GT. Visualize the appearance of a 1940 Ford combined with the raw adrenalin of the 2006 Ford GT. Make that body of pure copper and the powertrain the 5.4-liter DOHC 550 horsepower V8 and transaxle from the Ford GT and you've got the '40 GT. Wow! At the "quieter" end of the OE spectrum was the new Toyota Yaris. But small size and a low price don't preclude Pirellis as this Yaris and its 18-inch Neros so aptly proved. Also on the Toyota exhibit, and a complete contrast to the Yaris, was a bright (and we do mean bright) yellow Tacoma pickup truck decked out at every corner with 20-inch Scorpion Asimmetricos. Pirelli used the SEMA Show to introduce the biggest and wildest Scorpion Zero ever, the 325/35R28 Scorpion Zero Asimmetrico. Built in Pirelli's MIRS facility in Rome, Georgia, this tire sets itself apart as the strongest 28-inch truck tire on the market. Suitable for the most extreme truck and SUV conversions, the tire is one of several new sizes in Pirelli's Scorpion Zero Asimmetrico range available. These 28-inchers were found on the Hummer H2s from the Giovanni and MHT wheel companies. Pirellis this bad have got to be good! Once again at SEMA Pirelli scored a major hit with the aftermarket wheel specialists with their high- and ultra-high-performance P Zero Nero and Rosso passenger tires and their Scorpion Zero SUV and light truck radials. At Lexani wheels the emphasis was on the exotics. Their Ferrari Enzo had 19- and 20- inch fitments of Pirelli Rossos, nicely complemented by a Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR on 22- inch Neros and a Rolls Royce Phantom with diamond-studded wheels and 24-inch Scorpion Zeros! Over at the HRE display was a Corvette Z06 shod with Rossos while MHT had a BMW 7 Series on Neros and a Chrysler 300 fitted with Scorpion Zeros. Da Vinci wheels emphasized Neros on its two Bentleys and Scorpion Zeros on its Range Rover Sport. Add all the sums and more than a dozen wheel companies featured Pirellis on their showcased vehicles, which numbered well over 40. It was a great show for SEMA and a great showing for Pirelli, which is becoming more and more frequently the choice of both the OEs and the aftermarket tuners.