Posted: 11/16/11
As most of you know, Axial attended the 2011 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada recently. We had been secretly working with some strategic technical partners to give a sneak peek at the show of our latest vehicle, the Exo. Since Axial is predominantly known for making R/C crawlers, the release of the Exo was a big surprise to the general public because it was so vastly different then our previous vehicles. So, a handful of us made the trip to SEMA to witness the reactions and get some first hand feedback. This was my first trip to SEMA, and it was amazing to say the least. There is so much to see, that it is tough to cover everything. We were only in town for a few days, and barely scratched the surface of what SEMA had to offer. Armed with my camera and a backpack, I ventured out into the sea of people and shiny metal components. Here are a few of the photos I snapped along the way.Cool low-rider Dually......
.....with some serious chariot-like wheel spikes.
Got to love green and black.
They had a drift track set-up in an empty parking lot. Spectators could take a ride along with them if they wanted.
If you are into Jeeps, like me, there was no shortage of eye candy at the show.
A few more shots outside on the first day.
Sweet Overland Journal JK, with integrated roof rack tent.
Another sweet 4 door Jeep JK.
More random goodness from inside.
Got milk?
Our first stop was at the Griffin booth.
What do we have here?
Raw metal and carbon fiber together just looks cool.
The Wilwood booth
The Wilwood Wraith
Cool Jeep pick-up.
Shannon Campbell's rock racer, IFS front and solid axle rear. I have seen this rig in action a few times at King of the Hammers, and it's just sick!
The Tron Audi built by West Coast Customs
The Raceline wheels booth.
The Raceline Wraith was on display too.
More randomness.....
Walker Evans wheels.
Custom 4 door Jeep JK 6X6 pick-up...........say that 10 times in a row as fast as you can.
Next stop was the Icon Vehicle Dynamics booth.
Another custom JK build. Not really my style, but I can appreciate the time that went into it.
The Dana Spicer booth. If you are looking for tough off-road axles, most people start here.
Got driveshafts?
There were tons of cool trucks to drool on at the show as well.
Or maybe old Broncos are your thing?
How about an old school Bronco built to play in the desert? One of my favorite vehicles from the show.
More desert vehicles.
Cool Jeepspeed build.
There were a few sand-rails on display too.
More photos from around the show.
After lunch we ran into a couple of Rodney's old friends, Dennis and Ryan Anderson.
Chevy displayed several variations of their new Sonic. I have to admit for a small car, these things are pretty cool.
Got ear plugs?
Another one of Rodney's old friends/co-workers Andy Williamson (right), he is one of the masterminds behind the Chevy Sonic display.
I even managed to spy a few nice full suspension mountain bikes, another one of my hobbies.
Giant's Reign X1. I have a 2010 X2 at home.
More random shots......
I don't remember the ice cream truck in our neighborhood looking anything like this when I was a young lad. Kids these days have it made!
More Jeep based vehicles.
My favorite Jeep from the show, AEV's 4 door JK pick-up.
Next we went by the Hankook booth.
Does this tread pattern look familiar?
A little F1 action, Kimi Raikkonen's Mercedes.
More spy shots...... not very often you see a Ferrari that isn't red.
There was an immense number of wheels on display.
I think they made these custom for either Liberace or Elton John.
My last stop for the day was the Turn Key booth.
Even Charlene, the Turn Key model, couldn't keep her hands of the Exo.
Woah, my feet and back were beat after a few days!! Those are my highlights from the 2011 SEMA show. If you have never been, it is well worth the trip for anyone that considers themselves a gearhead.
Here's one last little sneak peek for you guys.................enjoy!!
