Toyota partnered with Fender Guitar and Phoenix-based Sucker Punch Sally's to build the Tundra Hot Rod pickup. Underneath its red flames, the truck is a flat black regular cab Tundra, but custom components inside and out turned it into a street rod that would look at home during '50s and '60s cruises. Tuck 'n roll upholstery and a curly maple truck bed (straight from Fender's shop) are two of the Tundra's special features.

_{Photo by Dale Wickell}

The main focus at Chevy's SEMA display was the automaker's new Camaro, but the Silverado ZR2 concept truck attracted its fair share of onlookers. Built for off-roading, a good portion of the truck's steel body has been replaced with lightweight carbon fiber panels. Instead of paint, designers clear-coated some of the panels so that the material's intricate patterning would remain visible. The ZR2 truck is powered by a 550-horsepower supercharged engine, and wears unique accessories inside and out. Chevy says it's taking a close look at some of the truck's components to determine if they can be used in future production vehicles.

_{Photo © Dale Wickell}

P-Ayr is a company that builds lightweight models of all sorts of components. For the auto industry the list includes engines, carburetors, manifolds -- pretty much anything they're asked to build. The parts are realistic and built to OEM specs, so accessories can be hooked into the models for on-site displays that look just like the originals.

The company decided to display some of its products by building a "show car" for SEMA, and the result was a unique "vehicle" that drew plenty of attention during the event.

_{Photo © Dale Wickell}

Ford's SEMA exhibit includes several trucks, like Superlift's Hot Wheels F-150 and the K-Daddyz Kustomz pickup. Be sure to look at the airbrushing on the F-150 Freedom Truck, by Malibu Customz. The artist, Mickey Harris of Knoxville, Tennessee, is at the SEMA exhibit, working on a project -- airbrushing the hood of a Ford Mustang.

Another truck on display is the candy-red 2010 Project FX2 Sport, by the Ford Vehicle Personalization Team. The FX2 Sport package is available now from Ford dealers, but the show truck is equipped with features not included on the production vehicle.

_{Photo © Dale Wickell}

Hummer brought four trucks and SUVs to this week's SEMA Show in Las Vegas. The display opens tomorrow and will include two concepts, the H3 Moab, which is packed with off-road accessories, and the H3T Sportsman, billed as "the ultimate outdoorsman's truck." Rod Hall Racing's H3 Alpha and Robby Gordon's Off-Road's Dakar Hummer will also be shown.

SEMA Pre-Show Previews

ICON Vehicle Dynamics built its own off-road pickup truck from a Suzuki Equator, using ICON inventory plus parts and accessories from other suppliers. The truck will be on display at next week's SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

It's impossible to view everything at SEMA, but the Las Vegas event is one of my favorite auto shows. Last year, exhibits were spread out over 2-million square feet of space, and two-thousand new automotive products (in every category imaginable) were introduced. This year's show (four days beginning November 3rd) will probably be similar.

Is there a specific product you'd like me to watch out for? Leave a comment or send me an email.

_{Photo © Suzuki}

Adam Berry is the Lead Creative Designer at GM's Accessory Studio. He appears in a new YouTube Video, talking about six Camaros scheduled to be on display at this year's SEMA Show and asking viewers to vote for their favorite Camaro graphics package on the car's Facebook enthusiasts page. But that's sure not a Camaro behind him. The video clearly shows a raised Silverado truck, and if you enlarge the page you can read the text that accompanies the graphic -- Silverado Baja Off Road Vision. He doesn't mention the truck at all, but the illustration is sure an interesting teaser.

Watch the Video

_{Photo © Chevrolet}

Ford released sketches today of five custom F-Series trucks that will be on display at this year's SEMA Show in Las Vegas. The Freedom Truck shown here is a 2009 Ford F-150 by Malibu Customz. The company teamed up with artist Mickey Harris to design the truck -- a tribute to everyone who's served in the U.S. armed forces. Superlist Suspension Systems created a Hot Wheels version of the F-150, and Ford Vehicle Personalization added to its FX2 series with a candy-red truck.

New heavy duty Dodge Ram trucks will begin arriving in dealer showrooms sometime in November. Engine choices remain the same (a standard 5.7L HEMI V-8 or the optional 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel), but most other systems have been enhanced. Like towing -- it increased to 17,600 pounds. An integrated trailer brake control and a Class IV receiver hitch are two new tools put in place to help your towing jobs.

Five trim levels are available, with prices starting at $28,165 for the 2500 regular cab ST 4x2 with an 8-foot bed (or about $2,000 less than last year's model). Take a look at interior and exterior shots of the new Ram, and check back for more details about the truck.

_{Photo ©Chrysler}

Chrysler released a preview of its Mopar Dodge Ram Bianco, a customized Ram 1500 that will be on display at the upcoming SEMA Show in Las Vegas. SEMA is packed with custom cars and trucks of all kinds. Automakers have displays and so do aftermarket parts and accessory companies. The show isn't open to the public, but draws enough members of the press to report on  about everything there. I'll be at SEMA to take a close look at concept and custom trucks -- and the thousands of accessories on display.

_{Photo © Chrysler}