SEMA 2008: The Best of the Worst

If you've never been to SEMA, it may take the entire show's entire four-day run to recover from the shock and awe associated with being assaulted by so much automotive eye candy. SEMA veterans like your author are less affected. Having survived 15 years of the November ritual, there's not much shock or awe to be perpetrated on this journalist, but some "craftsmen" still succeed.

The following are TheCarConnection.com's picks for the most egregiously extreme creations of SEMA 2008. We had to walk the show's entire 1.8-million square feet to bring these to you. Enjoy--or grab a barf bag.

Once a 6 Series
This stands out as the absolute worst of SEMA 2008. The unfortunate abomination started life as a BMW 6 Series. It occupied valuable carpet space in a booth hawking audio systems, explaining the single-seat interior covered in acres of oddly flowing fiberglass. The shiny surfaces were painted to match the exterior motif, and were pocked by dozens of speakers. What a terrible end for what has once a very nice car.

Thankfully, there weren't more of these at SEMA 2008. The other creations on our Nightmare on Paradise Avenue list highlight extreme creativity and/or a complete lack of taste … as opposed to a wanton disregard for everything sacred.

Mercedes Madness
Presumably to generate excitement for their new GLX, Mercedes enlisted four customizing houses to create "unique" versions of their new sport utility. Boulevard Customs made the GLK pictured here. Built strictly for sunny weather, it has no top and no side windows. Regardless of what you think of the overall piece, the bolder GLK grill works, as to do the doors released of their clunky handles.

Thomas DuPont (of DuPont Registry fame) oversees Boulevard Customs. He confidently asserts some rational behind the build, "This GLK generates excitement, and we're seeing interest from enthusiasts who live in developing countries where the skill to build customized vehicles simply doesn't exist. We want to be able to design and create custom vehicles for clients in places like India and China, and this vehicle is a calling card for us."

Don't Tread on Me
HUMMERs are easy to make fun of these days, especially ones like this H2. Instead of sporting regular doughnuts, this one uses mini bulldozer treads. One assumes the setup works, but we can't help but wonder what good that spare tire is.

Barris's BatSmart
George Barris is the undisputed King of Customizing. While he's getting up there in years, he still knows how to stop showgoers in their tracks. The crazy BatSmart car transfers elements of his original Batmobile onto the diminutive smart fortwo. Between the rear fins are the requisite Bat Rocket launchers. Twin Bat Parachutes flank what appears to be the Bat Jet Engine exhaust (but could have been a repurposed conical air filter). Flames were not shooting out when we happened by the display--which was good because the car was backed into its booth and the resulting fire would have readily burnt SEMA's North Hall to the ground.

Land of the Giants
Sport Chassis is a division of the Freightliner truck company. They make very large trucks for "personal use," and their newest models is the P4XL. This truck is a leather-lined monster. Coddled by the same hides that pamper Mercedes AMG owners, you look down on traffic from a height of about 10 feet. Its four-wheel drive and Cummins diesel power (1,000 pound-feet of torque) will take you anywhere. During the height of our country's super-size fad, this truck was the ultimate in cool. Today, despite how capable and comfortable it is, it's the height of irrelevance.

SEMA 2008Enlarge PhotoIf you've never been to SEMA, it may take the entire show's entire four-day run to recover from the shock and awe associated with being assaulted by so much automotive eye candy. SEMA veterans like your author are less affected. Having survived 15 years of the November ritual, there's not much shock or awe to be perpetrated on this journalist, but some "craftsmen" still succeed. The following are TheCarConnection.com's picks for the most egregiously extreme creations of SEMA 2008. We had to walk the show's entire 1.8-million square feet to bring these to you. Enjoy--or grab a barf bag. SEMA 2008Enlarge Photo Once a 6 Series This stands out as the absolute worst of SEMA 2008. The unfortunate abomination started life as a BMW 6 Series. It occupied valuable carpet space in a booth hawking audio systems, explaining the single-seat interior covered in acres of oddly flowing fiberglass. The shiny surfaces were painted to match the exterior motif, and were pocked by dozens of speakers. What a terrible end for what has once a very nice car. Thankfully, there weren't more of these at SEMA 2008. The other creations on our Nightmare on Paradise Avenue list highlight extreme creativity and/or a complete lack of taste … as opposed to a wanton disregard for everything sacred. SEMA 2008Enlarge Photo Mercedes Madness Presumably to generate excitement for their new GLX, Mercedes enlisted four customizing houses to create "unique" versions of their new sport utility. Boulevard Customs made the GLK pictured here. Built strictly for sunny weather, it has no top and no side windows. Regardless of what you think of the overall piece, the bolder GLK grill works, as to do the doors released of their clunky handles. Thomas DuPont (of DuPont Registry fame) oversees Boulevard Customs. He confidently asserts some rational behind the build, "This GLK generates excitement, and we're seeing interest from enthusiasts who live in developing countries where the skill to build customized vehicles simply doesn't exist. We want to be able to design and create custom vehicles for clients in places like India and China, and this vehicle is a calling card for us." SEMA 2008Enlarge Photo Don't Tread on Me HUMMERs are easy to make fun of these days, especially ones like this H2. Instead of sporting regular doughnuts, this one uses mini bulldozer treads. One assumes the setup works, but we can't help but wonder what good that spare tire is. SEMA 2008Enlarge Photo SEMA 2008Enlarge Photo Barris's BatSmart George Barris is the undisputed King of Customizing. While he's getting up there in years, he still knows how to stop showgoers in their tracks. The crazy BatSmart car transfers elements of his original Batmobile onto the diminutive smart fortwo. Between the rear fins are the requisite Bat Rocket launchers. Twin Bat Parachutes flank what appears to be the Bat Jet Engine exhaust (but could have been a repurposed conical air filter). Flames were not shooting out when we happened by the display--which was good because the car was backed into its booth and the resulting fire would have readily burnt SEMA's North Hall to the ground. SEMA 2008Enlarge Photo Land of the Giants Sport Chassis is a division of the Freightliner truck company. They make very large trucks for "personal use," and their newest models is the P4XL. This truck is a leather-lined monster. Coddled by the same hides that pamper Mercedes AMG owners, you look down on traffic from a height of about 10 feet. Its four-wheel drive and Cummins diesel power (1,000 pound-feet of torque) will take you anywhere. During the height of our country's super-size fad, this truck was the ultimate in cool. Today, despite how capable and comfortable it is, it's the height of irrelevance. SEMA 2008Enlarge Photo Graffiti a la Flex Ford Motor Company did a fine job of getting its Flex into the hands of customizers. This one was created by Kal Concepts and Air Syndicate Inc. in honor (?) of graffiti artists (?) whose names we didn't recognize. Apparently, the Flex's slab sides physically resembled abandoned warehouse walls, so the artist, Craig Fraser, felt right at home painting away. SEMA 2008Enlarge Photo Not So Smart There is one car at every annual SEMA event that is "The Car." For 2008, it was the smart fortwo. We saw literally dozens of fortwos on the show floor. Most were just adorned with questionable paint schemes, but this unfortunate example received a little something extra. Based on what tubular bumper guards and side rails usually weigh, we figure this smart exceeds its max GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) before a passenger ever climbs aboard. We also wonder whether the fitment would irritate those EU regulators who are striving for pedestrian-friendly vehicle front ends. SEMA 2008Enlarge Photo Up for a Spin? Sometimes guys who can build anything, do. What you're looking at is a unified truck and chassis that can be driven on the street. But when parked, the body lifts off the frame and can perform moves that would have made Michael Jackson jealous back when he was at his dancing prime. The bald guy sitting in the background of the shot helped build the thing. If you need something similar, you'll find Z. Galeana (general mechanic) in Glean Avon, California. --- Make sure you check out our partner sites dedicated to focused news, reviews and more for Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, Honda, and the Toyota Prius.