Has the sport compact tuning market bubble burst?

B

BLADDER_MASTER

is no more
Has the import scene lost steam? That’s what was on our minds as we headed to Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, for the SEMA International Auto Salon last month.

Just three years ago the Auto Salon, SEMA’s annual consumer and trade show for the sport compact segment, was held at the Los Angeles Convention Center next to the Staples Center, where the Lakers (and Clippers) are entertaining movie stars in the NBA playoffs. Two years ago it moved to Atlantic City. It remained there last year, though more in spirit than in size. The Fort Washington Expo Center is the least glamorous venue yet. Thirty minutes down the interstate from Philadelphia, it looks more like an industrial park. Inside, electrical sockets were exposed. The roof leaked. “Grassroots,†Peter MacGillivray, vice president of marketing for SEMA, called it. On the plus side, parking was free.

This raised questions about the health of the sport compact segment as well as the future of the Auto Salon. All over the show there were rumblings of its pending demise. “There are a lot of things on the table right now,†MacGillivray said the following week. “There are a lot of things being discussed. But my boss has challenged me with coming up with outrageous and crazy ideas.â€

For example, there is talk of rolling it into another SEMA event—the SEMA Spring Expo—or collaborating with the NHRA Sport Compact Series. “We’ve discussed things like that and everything in between,†MacGillivray continued. “Even to have a similar show to what we had this year—what about having it in Toronto? Bringing it to a different market altogether.â€

If the options seem wide open, that’s because the sport compact market has gone through a recent shakeup. Companies have filtered out. Budgets have been trimmed. In other words, the market has corrected. Is it losing steam? Maybe. But more than that, it seems to have fractured into many different scenes. This year’s smaller “grassroots†Auto Salon revealed how the new landscape might take shape.

Drag cars—once the superstars of SEMA events—occupied a limited space inside the Expo Center and didn’t include the usual clutch of pro champions. Once upon a time sport compact enthusiasts wanted only to go faster—you know, live life a quarter-mile at a time. These days consumers seem to be less interested in full-bore engine performance, or less impressed by it, anyway.

There were as many Scions—a brand built on style over speed—as Subaru WRXs and Mitsubishi Evos. In the Falken Tires booth an Infiniti M45 and Lexus GS showed off yet another recent trend from Japan. Nope, not drifting. It’s VIP style (pronounced “bippu styleâ€). If anything, variety was the message at the show. Maybe the most glaring wrinkle was how few Hondas there were. The brand synonymous with the sport compact aftermarket was limited to a few exhibitor booths.

Another sign of the times: Across the hall from the official Auto Salon stage, which had a full schedule of guest speakers, import models and featured show cars, radio-DJ-turned-Ford-shill FunkMaster Flex held court under a small E-Z Up, blasting hip-hop and offering showgoers a chance to win a Flex-customized vehicle—a Ford F-150 truck.
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Source: http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060427/FREE/60424020/1024
 
VIP style will be the new trend. That's for sure.

As for SEMA, times are always changing. Drag racing won't be on top forever.... especially with the law enforcement campaign against speeders/racers.

- Erick
 
jdm ae86t said:
Does this mean less ricers? If so...........WOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
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We are the ricers now... am I the only one who sees this? a 240 goes up for sale on Tampa racing and ten different people offer to trade their Civic for it, get used to it drifting is the next drag.

To any normal person I'm a "ricer" ... I have a three inch exhaust with a big *** cannon on it (getting a magnaflow muffler welded on insted but still..) and my other car has a flat black front end.. I'm running a welded differential which is a ghettofabulious way around paying a lot for a good LSD... etc.. etc..

Do I care what people think? not really I enjoy drifting and that's all that really matters to me
 
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rwdrift said:
VIP style will be the new trend. That's for sure.

As for SEMA, times are always changing. Drag racing won't be on top forever.... especially with the law enforcement campaign against speeders/racers.

- Erick
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see I told you guys that, haha Im one step ahead....umm yea! :rolleyes:
 
You were.... now you joined the bandwagon.

You only earn your VIP title when your 4dr sedan gets over 5 degrees of camber, tire width at least 2 sizes smaller than what it should be, minimum 1" wheel lip, and the inability to slide a credit card in between the tires and the fender. :D

Extra points if you cannot slide your cellphone under the front lip.
 
hey i take offense to the trade the honda in thing....well not totally but ....okay here goes
i had a 91 civic hatch with a b16....i raced in the SM class for autocross....i hit back roads full out on the daily....but i was never a ricer. i never traded my civic for my drift car....i kept my civic till i moved here....i loved it and will always love it. i only sold it cause i have too many vehicles and it started to rust badly. plus its hard to drive a civic an rx7 a van and a motorcycle 1200 miles at the same time. this whole forum is full with the new wave of ricer style......drift ricers....look like you drift talk like you drift.........but eeeewwww actually drift thats gey, illegal and dangerous. i mean seriously i know some poeple get annoyed with me but i hold back on my negativity more then some of you will ever know. who here has their car actually set up for drifting? not just some random parts that make you car seem more like a drift car. and no im not a hater or new people **** some 16 yo kid might come along find out about drifting and in a few months destroy us all...cause he just happens to understand drifting. but you will call him a bandwagon jumper and keep driving your JDM tail light open dif s13 with a ka rolling on 18x10's in the rear for 3 years and think you are the real deal....get real you ricer.
 
POLE-POSITION said:
hey i take offense to the trade the honda in thing....well not totally but ....okay here goes
i had a 91 civic hatch with a b16....i raced in the SM class for autocross....i hit back roads full out on the daily....but i was never a ricer. i never traded my civic for my drift car....i kept my civic till i moved here....i loved it and will always love it. i only sold it cause i have too many vehicles and it started to rust badly. plus its hard to drive a civic an rx7 a van and a motorcycle 1200 miles at the same time. this whole forum is full with the new wave of ricer style......drift ricers....look like you drift talk like you drift.........but eeeewwww actually drift thats gey, illegal and dangerous. i mean seriously i know some poeple get annoyed with me but i hold back on my negativity more then some of you will ever know. who here has their car actually set up for drifting? not just some random parts that make you car seem more like a drift car. and no im not a hater or new people **** some 16 yo kid might come along find out about drifting and in a few months destroy us all...cause he just happens to understand drifting. but you will call him a bandwagon jumper and keep driving your JDM tail light open dif s13 with a ka rolling on 18x10's in the rear for 3 years and think you are the real deal....get real you ricer.
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this is what i've been saying for quite a bit ...you're right
and for those ricers who want to be in the next wave of ''cool'' it's: VIP, rotaries, gtc, old school and the always cool...sleeper.
 
Regardless Of What You Guys Say,"honda Kicks Azz".yeah Right Now Its Very Fashion To Have A Nissan ,but Hey Remember What Goes Up,most Come Down.so Guys Enjoy While It Last. ;)
 
DEEGORILLA06 said:
Regardless Of What You Guys Say,"honda Kicks Azz".yeah Right Now Its Very Fashion To Have A Nissan ,but Hey Remember What Goes Up,most Come Down.so Guys Enjoy While It Last. ;)
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Dude you're on the wrong website...
 
no he's not .....perfect site for him....just make sure you have the rims on your honda flush...and some jdm something or other...make sure everybody knows you don't drift on the street and then never go to events.
 
POLE-POSITION said:
no he's not .....perfect site for him....just make sure you have the rims on your honda flush...and some jdm something or other...make sure everybody knows you don't drift on the street and then never go to events.
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AHAHAHA lol you know you're right... I'M on the wrong site. :p
 
i have been seeing that VIP will be the next thing and although i drive a maita (not very vip) i do like it. you just gotta do what you like if it involves getting on the bandwagon then so be it, its there for a reason ;)
 
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