Maybe you haven’t thought about spark plugs much lately, but NGK’s SEMA announcements show the technology continues to drive ahead

Drag-racing driver Megan Meyer, sponsored by NGK Spark Plugs,
greets automotive-industry attendees of the 2018 SEMA Show
at the NGK booth.

By Bill Hayward

If you don’t spend much time thinking about automotive spark plugs these days, don’t feel guilty. You’re in good company. Thinking about spark plugs a lot less often is something that has been to some extent encouraged since, say, the 1980s.

That said, some of us are old enough to still remember a time when folk wisdom, perhaps with a push from the auto repair industry, held that an “annual tune up” that included changing ignition parts like plugs, points, and ignition wires, was an essential element of automotive maintenance.

‘This Hellephant is a beast:’ FCA unveils 1,000-horsepower 426 Hemi engine at SEMA 2018. World so not shocked. World thinks it’s awesome anyway. World right.

Photo by Bill Hayward.

You’ve got to give FCA credit: they sure know how to put on one Hellephant of a show at a tradeshow.

A ginormous crowd was gathered at the FCA booth on the lower level South Hall at the Las Vegas convention center, well ahead of the traditional 4:26 p.m. start time, commemorating the 426-cubic-inch displacement of the original Mopar hemi engine.

See you at SEMA 2018?

Photo: SEMA.

Yes, it’s official. Auto Enthusiasts Newsblaster will indeed be represented at SEMA 2018 (October 30-November 2 in Las Vegas) this year, by yours truly.

I will of course want to check out the many cool builds scheduled to be on display, like the Maxlider Brothers/Union Pacific Industries 1966 Ford Bronco resto-mod and the Prestone Javelin AMX by Ringbrothers. Watch for photos of goodies like these to show up on our website and social media.  I plan to be posting throughout the show to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The votes are in: and this year’s SEMA Award finalists are…

Photo: SEMA.

The Specialty Equipment Manufacturing Association announced yesterday that automotive-industry exhibitors of the upcoming 2018 SEMA Show (October 30–November 2 at the Las Vegas Convention Center) have voted to select finalists for the SEMA Award, which honors automakers for producing accessory-friendly vehicles.

Finalists for the 2018 SEMA Award were selected in five categories: car, truck, 4x4/SUV, sport compact, and powersports vehicle—the latter of which is a newly created category for the SEMA Awards competition. Awards will be presented to winners at the SEMA Vehicle Reveal in Las Vegas on Monday, October 29, the day before the official opening of the 2018 SEMA show.

Alfa Romeo Introduces Stelvio Quadrifoglio to Asia at Auto China

The Alfa Romeo Stelvio holds a performance record for its class, having clocked a time of 7:51.7 at Green Hell. Photo: Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles media site.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles introduced the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio to the Asian market at the Auto China trade show in Beijing last Wednesday. The new high-performance premium SUV will remain on display at Auto China through Friday, May 4. Alfa Romeo's exhibit stand is in Hall E1 at the New China International Exhibition Center of Beijing.

Rotary Engine May Make Comeback as Range Extender for Electric Vehicles, Hybrids

Wankel Rotary Engine architecture (left)
compared to LiquidPiston Rotary "X" Engine.

Remember the Wankel Rotary Engine that powered the Mazda RX-7?

Today, the original Mazda RX-7 power plant continues to have a devoted cult following of enthusiasts, even though it never achieved wide commercial success. That said, Mazda did continue producing rotary engine cars until 2012, the last one being the RX-8, and plans to release its next rotary engine next year, according to Fox News.

Meanwhile, LiquidPiston Inc., an  advanced internal combustion engine technology company based in Bloomfield, CT, has other plans for a new engineering approach to the rotary engine. The company envisions its Rotary "X" engine as a better alternative for range extension in electric vehicles and hybrids.

SEMA Names New Artist for 2018 Show

SEMA 2018, set for Vegas from October 30 through November 2, will showcase the artwork of Alex Carmona, who will become part of a tradition that was established by celebrated automotive artists Max Grundy and Ed Tillrock.

Carmona’s work will be displayed throughout the show and featured in its marketing material, including signage, onsite and online, to help heighten the energy of the SEMA Show experience by striking a chord with showgoers at the exclusive event.

Historic Vehicle Association Announces Highlights of Lineup for 'Cars at the Capital' Exhibition, Coming to Washington DC in April

1985 Modena Spyder California

The Fourth Annual Cars at the Capital Exhibition, organized by the Historic Vehicle Association (HVA) and scheduled for April 2018 in Washington, D.C., will feature the replica 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California from the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off, the Fifteen-Millionth Ford (a 1927 Ford Model T), the 1984 Plymouth Voyager Minivan, the 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback from the movie Bullitt, and the 1918 Cadillac Type 57.

These featured vehicles are, respectively, the 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 21st, and 4th vehicles to have been added to the National Historic Vehicle Register in recognition of their significance in American automotive history.