SEMA is a world class trade show for the automotive community. Ideas unveiled at SEMA set trends for years to come. In 2012 an Accord was picked by Michael Guice and his sponsors to be unveiled at SEMA 2013. But first there had to be a design. The theme was JGTC (Japanese Grand Touring Championship) with a wide, and low look coupled with an eye catching livery. The design phase normally takes about 6-8 weeks, but in the automotive industry everything is on a time crunch. In a short 3 weeks not only was styling and a full livery completed but also a custom wide body kit. Unfortunately the body kit would not be produced for the unveiling but the design  proved to be ahead of its time as it took until SEMA 2014 for similar wide body kits to dominate the show. The result, in spite of the factory body, was very well received at SEMA and all the sponsors were left satisfied and proud to be part of the project.

Final render and graphic placement.

The FRS had a huge impact on the automotive market, especially the aftermarket. Ready to throw their hat in the ring, STILLEN created a contest to design front, side, and rear aero pieces for the FRS. This design was taken a step further and included a few bonus items. Not only was a body addressed but a spoiler as well as tail light/headlight “eyelids” to enhance the aggressive appearance even further. STILLEN is known for it’s subtle accents as apposed to loud and aggressive add-ons which is hard to accomplish. With a second place finish, and many compliments from STILLEN corporate employees, it is safe to say this design was successful.

In 2013 Aero Kit launched a design contest for a new bumper to compliment the iconic Nissan 240sx (200sx/Silvia in Europe) S14 Kouki. The following design was selected and produced. Sales of this design remain high giving credit to the success of the design.

It’s girls night out. The night is over and the long walk back to the car begins. The shadows move and sway in the long dark ally-way. Lights flicker in the parking garage as one by one friends part ways and enter their respective vehicles and journey home. One woman remains as she walks to the lower level parking lot. Her high heels click clack and echo off the concrete walls. Her clutch purse carries only her money and car keys. Suddenly a form steps out from the shadows and advances towards her. She has no mace or taser to protect herself. She can’t run in her heels and ditching them is not an option. But fortunately for the cost of her designer heels they came with a built in self defense for situations just like this. With two 6 inch blades glinting in the overhead lighting the predator thinks twice. The thought of a scuffle with those blades are more than enough to discourage him. As she enters her car the woman smiles to herself. She can look good and be safe.

Car culture is something that is important to the world, and myself as well. There are a few people who stand out however. When Paul Walker was tragically killed in 2013 I decided to do three digital renderings of individuals who had an impact on me.

Having produced a crowd favorite livery for driver Mauricio Marin in 2013, it was automatic that the 2014 livery would be done in similar fashion. With the return of all his sponsors except two, but the addition of a few others, Mauricio wanted something with simple but bold statement. However after the initial design, it was agreed that something different was needed. The Philadelphia theme was done, and it was time to move on. Drifting is a sport that originated in Japan, and the Japanese have their own flare for doing things. Finding the Japanese inspiration but giving it a U.S. grassroots twist was a great challenge. But this year the timeline was very tight. Given only a few days to complete a design might seem like torture to some, but pressure can yield great inspiration, and necessity is the mother of innovation. Not to overstate the impact of the design, but what developed was received by many as the best design for a U.S. Drift vehicle to date. Many inquiries as to design commissions resulted. The car and design was featured on the B.C. Racing web page, a major sponsor of Mauricio’s.

In 2012 Mauricio Marin, a competitor in the Streetwise and U.S. Drift series saw a project that sparked his interest. He loved the look and feel of the design and he wanted the same for his competition car for the upcoming drift season. This project was straight forward in the sense that all the parts would be off the shelf and not custom as some projects in the past have been. However for 2013 a Philadelphia theme was the focus as it was Mauricio’s home town. Ideas were discussed and over the course of 4 weeks the design came to life. It started with the look of the car and grew to the livery. As usual two final options were given, a mild and a “wild” in the event of major sponsor support in the form of financing. However the final design was widely praised and inserted into many promotional videos and photo’s. The balancing of the sponsor logo’s and the design itself was a difficult but rewarding task.