Bernie's Car Show Coverage: 2014 SEMA Show- Day 1

The most photographed car at SEMA, the Liberty Walk Lamborghini Aventador.

On November 4th - November 7th 2014, car enthusiasts from all over the world gathered in Las Vegas, NV for the SEMA Show.  This year was my fifth time attending SEMA, and like every year, I was like a little kid on Christmas Day. I always say this, but what I love most about SEMA is that I get to go to a fabulous city with fabulous weather, get to meet people from all over the world while photographing some seriously customized cars.

I think this Lexus RC-F from Vossen Wheels is gorgeous

I landed in Vegas on the same day as Day 1, which explains why there's so few photos in the gallery. Normally on Day 1, I get started in the morning, but by the time I landed, checked into the hotel, arrived at the convention center and received my media pass, it was 3:00. So enjoy my first day and my remaining days will have way more photos.

RDB of Los Angeles brought this chrome red Mercedes SLR on gold Forgiato Wheels.

TS Designs strikes again!!! This time Topo customized a widebody Chevrolet Corvette C7 Stingray, but wrapped it in gold chrome.

Liberty Walk brought a lot of goodies, including the kiddie version of the Lamborghini Aventador, and we can't forget...

The fun-loving Wataru Kato, president of Liberty Walk Performance.

Another attraction- this Hummer H2 on 34 inch Forgiato Wheels.

This Jeep was kinda cute.

Lowrider had a 2014 Chevy Impala in their booth but it was painted like a Lowrider. The paint job looked great.

The pressure of wrapping a Rolls Royce Ghost in front of people without messing up.

Hot Wheels had a fun display. Along with the models above, they also brought..

A Darth Vader Car and...

A Hot Wheels Twin Mill. The twins that they're referring to in this vehicle are the dual Chevy 502 Big Block engines with two B&M Blowers.

The detail in this lowrider...

A 1966 Chevy Impala provided by Lowrider Magazine.

This lowered Lexus GS looks good.

But not as good as this matte blue Ford Shelby.

Yes, I used this chrome wrapped Chevy Camaro as a mirror. It served it's purpose well.

Widebody Mercedes Benz Coupe.

But there's nothing like a 2015 Ford Mustang.

RDB in Los Angeles also brought this Rolls Royce ghost on Forgiato wheels. Not a fan of the orange color.

Forgiato also had a matte black Lamborghini Aventador parked outside.

Another view of the most talked about car at SEMA.

While in the Savini Forged Wheels booth, I spotted this BMW M4 that has the Liberty Walk body kit with a wrap from Impressive Wrap. Also in the booth...

Savini showcased a Lamborghini Huracan.

To see the rest of the photos, check out Bernie's Car Show Coverage: 2014 SEMA Show... Day 1 gallery. Day 2, Day 3, and Day 4 is coming soon.

Bernie's Car Show Coverage: Caffeine and Exotics: October 2014...

On October 19th, Atlanta held it's fourth Caffeine and Exotics in the Buckhead section of the city. This month's show had a pair of special guests. Not one, but two Lamborghini green Huracans arrived at the show. I felt cheated because the Huracans didn't debut at the New York Auto Show, so I had to wait until they debuted everywhere else and then it found its way to Atlanta... I'm slightly spoiled.



Aside from the Huracans stealing the show (let's be honest, they totally did) the usual suspects showed up- Porsches, Maseratis, Corvette C7 Stingrays, Teslas, Rolls Royces, the other Lamborghini models, Ferraris, Ford GT, Aston Martins, BMWs, Mercedes Benz, Nissan GTRs, Bentleys, basically everything that you would expect an Exotic car show to have. Without further ado, here's my coverage...







































And finally for the first time ever at Caffeine and Exotics...

A Ford Shelby actually showed up.

To see the rest of my pics, check out Bernie's Caffeine and Exotics: October 2014 Gallery. And next month is the final one of the year...

Bernie's Top 45 Picks From 2014 Barrett-Jackson: Las Vegas Auction Part III

First I brought you Part I, then I brought you Part II, and finally here's Part III. But to recap...

The weekend of September 25-27, Barrett Jackson is holding their final auction of 2014 in Las Vegas, NV. Like most of their other auctions (I firmly believe that Reno has to become a little more established), the docket for Las Vegas fell nothing short of excellence.

Originally I picked out 62 cars that I would have loved to bid on, but I had to trim it down to 45. And here's my final 15...

Lot 453 has a customized Bentley Continental GT parked in it. This Bentley was painted flat black with custom 22" Forgiato wheels. Just serviced and ready for its next cruise. 6.0 Liter W12 twin-turbo 552hp engine.

Next door to the Bentley is a Lamborghini Aventador located in Lot 454. This Adventador has a special order Arancio Atlas pearl paint, one owner, glass engine bonnet, parking assist sensors, color rearview camera, branding package and front lift system.  

Stationed in Lot 458.1 is a 1958 Chevy Impala Convertible. This beautiful example has had a frame-off restoration. It is equipped with its 348cid V8 engine, Powerglide transmission, dual exhaust, power steering, power brakes, and Continental kit with 3-piece rear bumper, dual rear anntennas and fender skirts.

A rare, triple black 1965 Pontiac GTO Convertible is up for grabs at Lot 465. It has a Tri-Power 389 that was upgraded to a 421 cid Tri-Power. Power steering, brakes, top and windows. Factory trachometer. PHS documented.

Parked at Lot 473 is an ultra gorgeous 1950 Chevy Deluxe Custom Convertible. This Deluxe has driftwood metallic PPG paint with beautiful chrome work. 383 stroker V8, Edelbrock aluminum intake, Edelbrock aluminum heads, 700R4 4-speed automatic, Ford 9"rear end, front tubular A-arms, Mustang II power rack and front disc brakes.

Up for auction is a 1968 Chevy Chevelle SS 396 in Lot 502. This is a real deal, true 138 SS 396 car with copy of original sales invoice. Beautifully resored with a Pro-Touring stance. Features a Turbo 400 automatic transmission and 12-bolt heavy duty rear axle.

Located in Lot 601 is a 1977 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible. This classic California Beetle has been recently restored to top condition and is now ready for the next princess.

Stationed in Lot 611 is a 1956 Cadillac Coupe. This Caddy has a stunning Pacific Coral exterior with matching interior and 40 miles since frame-up resoration. Runs and drives great.

A 2008 Custom Mercedes Benz CL550 is up for grabs in Lot 624.2. This CL550 is painted in matte gray with 22" Giovanna wheels. Highly optioned car with a $104,000 original MSRP. Fully serviced.

Spotted in Lot 694 is an ultra rare 1994 Lamborghini Diablo. This Diablo is in Nero over black and red custom finished interior with carbon fiber accents. A true premium exotic V12 in excellent condition.

Ladies and Gentleman, this is as close to my dream car as I am going to get in this docket. In Lot 706, there is a 1953 Pontiac Sky Chief Custom Woody Wagon. ZZ430 engine #173 of 430 built, 700R4 transmission, custom interior, custom gauges, power windows, power door locks, front disc brakes and '07 Corvette Mango Orange exterior.

Lot 789 belongs to a blacked out 1970 Chevy Chevelle. One-off Chevelle built by the Roadster Shop to be an ultimate Pro-Touring machine. LS7 with 6-speed transmission. Roadster Shop complete chassis with 14" Wilwood disc brakes. Proven street and track performance. Featured in over 10 magazines.

...But one of my dream cars have made it to the docket. In Lot 791, expect to find a 2011 Bentley GTC Supersports Convertible. This Bentley has a Renntech Stage 1 upgrade to 710hp. The Supersports package is an $80k factory high performance package alone.

Now the last two cars have yet to hit the dealerships yet...

In Lot 3003, Ford Motor Company will personally auction off the last production unit of the 50 Year Limited Edition Mustang (2015 Ford Mustang). All proceeds will benefit Henry Ford Heart and Vascular Institute. Will be sold at approximately 5:00 p.m. (PST) on Saturday, September 27, 2014.

And finally... In Lot 3004, there is the newly redesigned (Thank goodness) 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. Vin 700001 is powered by the new supercharged 6.2 Liter HEMI V8 and an 8-speed automatic transmission. All proceeds to benefit Opportunity Village Foundation. Will be sold at approximately 6:00 p.m. (PST) on Saturday, September 27, 2014.