Las Vegas - From innovative to insane, modified rides come under the spotlight as the Sema aftermarket motor show gets underway in Las Vegas this week. Pick-ups, or bakkies in SA speak, are increasingly demanding their fair share of the spotlight at the Sin City show. And Americans sure know how to do pick-ups, as these five illustrate.
Bojix Ford F-150 XLT 4x4
If there's one pick-up that turns South African bakkie lovers green with envy, it’s Ford’s F-150 and this concept, developed in conjunction with Bojix Design, would happily tackle our roughest terrain.
A rebel in an increasingly urbanised bakkie world, this F-150 was built for going extremely fast in severe off-road conditions and features an 18cm lift kit, Fox Racing coilover shocks and 22-inch alloys among the raft of exterior updates, while the vehicle's 3.5-litre V6 is boosted by two Borg Warner turbochargers and a race-car intake system.
Chevrolet Colorado Z71 Hurley Concept
Chevrolet teamed up with surfing brand Hurley to create a concept that's purpose-built for wave wanderers and their gear. Incidentally the Colorado is closely related to the Trailblazer SUV and Isuzu KB bakkie sold in South Africa, and this concept would certainly not look out of place in our coastal parking lots.
In addition to a board rack, bespoke storage systems and water resistant breathable seat covers made from ventiprene, the concept boasts raised suspension and a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot for following surf reports.
Power comes from GM's new 230kW 3.6-litre V6 petrol engine, mated to an eight-speed autobox. Wouldn't you like to see that in the Isuzu KB, notwithstanding what it might cost to refuel?
2017 Ford F-150 Raptor prototype
SA roads are littered with Rangers wearing Raptor-style grilles, but this is the real deal and Ford is using this year's Sema event to show off the very latest F-150 Raptor, in prototype form at least.
Set to compete in the 49th Baja 100 off-road endurance event from November 16 to 20 with Four-time winner Greg Foutz at the wheel, the racing truck is powered by a 336kW/691Nm 3.5-litre EcoBoost V6 turbopetrol engine.
Foutz was particularly impressed at how race-ready the F-150 production vehicle already is - all his team needed to add was the roll cage, racing seats, puncture-resistant fuel cell and LED lighting package.
Ram Macho Power Wagon
Reviving a popular trim grade from the '70s, this accessorised creation of Chrysler's Ram brand is all about utility of the adventurous kind and features an innovative 'toy' rack for that can slide up against the cab when it's not needed.
To get you to the ends of the earth, the Ram concept features a lift-kit, 37-inch heavy-duty tyres and a 306kW 6.4-litre Hemi V8 mated to a six-speed autobox.
Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD Carhartt Concept
Chevrolet could not have wished for a better brand collaborator than iconic work jacket producer Carhartt for this concept based on its full-sized Silverado pick-up.
GM calls it a tribute to the thousands of people that go to work every day in a Chevy truck while wearing a Carhartt jacket. The cabin features Carhartt's signature duck brown garment material and triple-stitched seams and, moving outside, the tonnau cover is also made from Carhartt fabric.
Powering this Silverado is another object of inevitable SA envy in the form of GM's Duramax 6.6-litre V8 turbodiesel, rated at 332kW and 1234Nm.