While all of us are familiar with the big SEMA blowout every November in Vegas, the International Auto Salon is a better-kept secret. Originally it was held on the East and West Coasts, but the Los Angeles show was killed off last year, leaving only the Atlantic City, NJ, event to wave the flag for the sports compact crowd.
Our parent company, Primedia, takes a large booth at this event, so we went along to wave the eurotuner flag. We persuaded Eddie Farcon to bring his carbon-bodied E36 turbo (et 12/04) to the show, and Zach Smith's two-tone Mk4 Golf was also on display (et 8/05). In addition, we had the incredible Alpine X5 for all to see (et 8/05). It was awarded first place for manufacturer vehicles in the People's Choice vote. Costing $500,000, it's truly one of the most spectacular vehicles we've ever experienced and breathtaking to see up close, even for the third time.
Euros were well represented in Atlantic City and we've snapped up the very best for future issues. These will include MCP Racing's E46 M3. Resplendent in green paint and silver carbon fiber, the car is highly unusual and features a custom widebody, scissor doors, twin-caliper front brakes and stereo on motorized racks. We have our photographer winging down to Miami as we speak, so look out for this one in a future issue.
If all goes to plan, you'll find Krishna Lalwani's widebody 325Ci in this issue. It features the GTR widebody that was widened further to cover 20x14" rear wheels. Azevedo Motorsports then turbocharged the motor to turn the ridiculous rollers and fitted big Brembos for good measure. Kris then added a ton of audio/visual equipment, including a 17" widescreen in the dash, which was as outrageous as the rest of the car.
We also stumbled across Adam Khan's E36 M3 Convertible that's featured in this issue as well, and we have our eye on the Europrojektz E46 M3 in the K&N booth. It was demonstrating the company's newest intake but also had a nice combination of DPE wheels, Brembos, suede Recaros, carbon hood and big sound system.
It wasn't all BMWs. We found Dave Hary's B5 Audi S4 with its distinctive grey/blue paint scheme. He had gone to town on the matching interior with a really neat audio install and is planning a single turbo conversion, which could be interesting for S4 owners if it delivers good power.
Then there was Greg Kopiczko and his GTI 1.8T complete with Rieger kit, HPA scissor doors, 18" Projektzwo wheels and Porsche brakes. The car boasted a 353hp GT30 big-turbo conversion and a nice audio setup in the trunk.
In addition to the show-winning cars, IAS boasts some of the biggest parts suppliers and tuners, so it's a great place to go if you're looking for parts for a project or just inspiration. We'll be there next year, so put it in your calendar.