The Gran Turismo Awards
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| The Gran Turismo Awards |
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| The Gran Turismo Awards |
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| The Gran Turismo Awards |
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| The Gran Turismo Awards |
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| The Gran Turismo Awards |
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| The Gran Turismo Awards |
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| The Gran Turismo Awards |
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| The Gran Turismo Awards |
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| The Gran Turismo Awards |
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| The Gran Turismo Awards |
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| The Gran Turismo Awards |
As a young war vet, Ashby used his Camaro to honor his armed forces brethren. Look closely at the interior door panels and you'll see words like "Loyalty" and "Pride" emblazoned into the material. On the backs of the front seats reside airbrushed portraits of Army Rangers emerging from the underbrush. The Takata harnesses wear a camouflage color to continue the armed forces theme. Ashby's pride, joy, and hard work truly oozed from this unique and menacing Camaro, and for that, it earned my Domestic pick.
Taking the top honors in other categories were Scot Bailey and Tony Vanillo's Ford F250 Unlimited 2 Class short-course race truck (Best Truck/SUV), Chris Rado's World Racing Unlimited Front-Drive Time Attack Scion TC (Best Asian Import), and KC Howet's 2009 Underground Racing Lamborghini LP560-4TT (Best European Import).
2010 Chevrolet Camaro Nicholas Rear
But it was Phillip Koenen's 1970 Ford Mustang Trans-Cammer that scored the Best Hot Rod as well as the coveted Best in Show trophy presented by Yamauchi-san. Talk about an all-encompassing vehicle. Think of just about any modification category, and Koenen had it covered cleanly and purposefully. Not only do the enhancements look superb, but Koenen's creation is also a streetable and track-ready classic ride that can reportedly run with the best of today's sports cars. Features like a repositioned 600-horsepower Ford 427 SOHC engine that sits nine inches further back than stock for optimal weight distribution, a flat underbelly for supreme aerodynamic efficiency, a bevy of ducts supplying passing air to transmission, oil, and engine coolers, and an interior that gets straight to the point, all set this beast apart for Yamauchi-san.
1970 Ford Mustang Trans Cammer Front Three Quarters
Whoever said the SEMA show is following the withered way of the economy wasn't at SEMA. The show-stopping vehicles highlighted by the GT Awards and its judges were just an infinitesimal fraction of the amazing creations sitting around the convention show floor. With such zeal and devotion for cars still alive and well, the show will no doubt go on strong.
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| The Gran Turismo Awards |
The Gran Turismo Awards
The Gran Turismo Awards
