PUMPING IRON; Does muscle-car focus put domestic automakers at risk-or does it further expand the tuner marketplace?(News)

Byline: RICHARD S. CHANG

For trend spotters, it was a strange experience at the Specialty Equipment Market Association Show. Though the weeklong high-performance cluster offered the usual technological developments, design innovations and general kookiness, there were no widespread tuning trends-like drifting, hip-hop style, navigation systems or cars loaded with LCD monitors-as in the past.

But widen the focus and a clearer picture emerges.

The show's official theme was "American Muscle,'' and tuned cars from Detroit crowded the stage. Inside was more of the same: Trucks and hot rods packed halls leaving little room for sport compacts. Carroll Shelby and Alex Xydias, founder of So-Cal Speed Shop, kicked off the soiree.

Was muscle mania a bona fide trend or simply a SEMA-dictated theme? Either way, the separation between domestic car and aftermarket parts manufacturers and their Japanese counterparts couldn't be more apparent.

Over the past half dozen years, stalwart firms like Edelbrock and Flowmaster chased down Honda and Acura buyers and used SEMA to telegraph their direction. General Motors displayed tuned Pontiac Sunfires and Chevrolet Cavaliers; ...