Ivy Hartman: Welcome to SBTV.com's coverage of this SEMA 2008 show here in Las Vegas, I'm Ivy Hartman and with me is the Vice President of Technology for SEMA John Waraniak, John welcome. I've mention to you off camera, it's just not a SEMA show without a sit-down with you, so get us kind up, absolutely for having to have you, get us kind up what's new in technology?
John Waraniak: Oh, well thank you Ivy, yeah it's wonderful to be I think this it's a really cool show, now with things happening in the economy the way they are, it's a testimony that customization is more than just about cars, it's about lifestyles. This is really a lifestyle show you know all the cool things are going on, you see it all around here, there is still our passion for the automotive environment and that's what the SEMA, the SEMA show particularly, really represents.
Ivy Hartman: This year in 2008 you guys are introducing a new what's Cool and Green Zone; talk about that.
John Waraniak: Oh, yeah oh that's the one of the most exciting things at the show here I think. SEMA is making history this week. We do have all the car that Making Green Cool Zone. Now we've got some great exhibitors, I'll get it to that in a bit but it's the first time SEMA has ever done that and when you think about SEMA. SEMA has the unique ability and the SEMA members, to really make green cool, as my good friend Miles Washko and Dough says, it takes just as much effort to make the car ugly as it does to look good. And again all of the members, you know, they're blank canvases these vehicles. When you think about the new hybrid, the electric vehicle is coming. Those are blank canvases for a members; not just from a customization, in terms of, what they look like but the technology that's going into them. That's what we're really highlighting in the Green Zone, the Making Green Cool Zone.
Ivy Hartman: I was thinking about two, you mentioned the economy and then I thought, in terms of that we are now, it almost seems like the Aftermarket for people is more than customization, it's not what can I do Aftermarket to make my vehicle more fuel efficient and green and --.
John Waraniak: Absolutely. I mean businesses migrate to where the large -- the bigger margins are and I tell you the automaker, the only aims are taking a lot closer look at the Aftermarket because that's where the margins are and that's where the vehicle gets personalized, that's where the customization takes place, that's where the consumer makes it their own, and they're looking at it in the end. This is where the trans are born. I mean SEMA is still the birth place for the American customization and again you can feel the passion there and that's what's it all about and now that we've got the Green technology coming, again the hybrids, the electrics and the biodiesels, that we will be displaying there, that's a whole new opportunity for our members to get involved and again we've got some of the coolest vehicles here. We are going to have LincVolt by Neil Young, Jonathan Goodwin, we've got Bob Bachman(ph) brought 800 HP, Chevy Impala Diesel that they debut on MTV that the guys are gas built and we've got a technology seminar just before the press conference to talk about what really makes these vehicles green and what makes them cool, and most of them have over 500 HP to go over 50 miles a gallon.
Ivy Hartman: In your life, was everything thing was you're running was possible I didn't...
John Waraniak: Yeah and that was so cool to guys we're talking at it now we have a meeting with staff and I said, no we don't want to waste this crisis. What we're doing now it's happening in the auto industry as forcing people to think differently. This is the time to think differently. This is the place where you see all that different, thinking all the adversity, come together in new business opportunities.
Ivy Hartman: Talk about what SEMA does for the smaller company and manufactures.
John Waraniak: Okay, that's such a great thing about being a SEMA member; there is a lot of market research obviously. We do a lot of what we call the technology and the research scouting; what's happening, what's coming down to the road in terms of technology. We have 4 technology briefing seminars this week focusing on mobile the electronics, all the green technologies that we talked about and certainly the integration of electronics and by the vehicle dynamics because vehicles are getting so complex. You tap in to get a clean 12 volt off this signal and the airbag expose, things of that size. So you really have to know what you're doing from the systems engineering perspective or helping members understand this is the architecture as they called the vehicle, this is the way you integrate your accessories, and components whatever they maybe.
Ivy Hartman: Well I don't know if you've exhibited yourself but I know you've mentioned the Green Zone is probably, I don't know was it your personal flavor but you really hire out it that you think it's one of the best things, what aspect do you small innovators have in the industry in the Aftermarket industry?
John Waraniak: Oh, absolutely when you see there is a, I give you an example...
Ivy Hartman: Okay, please.
John Waraniak: There is a vehicle there 1950's Toyota fire truck that two two young guys from Seattle put together and I believe it is. Seth Warren is here. He will be speaking to us. They kayakers, they didn't have any money to actually kayak every where. So they built it into a bio-diesel. They actually drove it from, I think it's northern part of Alaska down to the tip of Argentina and they've driven 61,000 kilometers on salmon oil, pig oil, chicken oil and not of drop of gas or petroleum, 61,000, it almost like one and half times around the world.
They have got a documentary film all along the way of what they gone there and they teach, they stop at the American embassies all along the way, teach the kids about the alternative fuel and the sustainability and all that kind of stuff and that vehicle is here. So we'll have that at the press conference with Seth talking about they did that.
Ivy Hartman: Any new or other technologies that you want to highlight that we haven't talked about already?
John Waraniak: Electric technology because basically it's a true motor and the coolest thing is these are the vehicles that are going to be the new cruiser, the next generation cruisers, and hot rods for the next 10, 20 30 years and take the average kid today is probably 10, 14 years old; they grew-up on video games, computers. These are the folks that will be able to work on these vehicle. Yeah there was a transition there where, you know, the garage mechanic a lot of us couldn't work on these vehicles, these kids know the stuff. They've got software. They know how to do this. So they're going to be tapping into that and there's 4 million new drivers every year for the next 10 years. Those are the guys and women, and girls, and gals and guys, they are going to be driving these cars. They easily, the one could make, customizing these cars and look at the generation of guys we got. We've got Myles Kovacs, Chip Foose, all these guys Bob Bachman(ph), that's the passion and they're taking these Green vehicles and making them cool.
Ivy Hartman: Oh gosh. Anything else? So have already talked about that you want to highlight as the VP of Technology.
John Waraniak: Again, I think this is the time to think differently. This is, I think, one of the most exciting times to be in the Aftermarket. As I mentioned automakers are taking closure look at the Aftermarket, how do we collaborate, no one is rich enough or smart enough to do it alone, we need each other. I think again, as Ralph Gilles from Chrysler says, vehicles have to have good bonds and then you'll have to let it loose on SEMA, then you see what the real art becomes of a vehicle.
Ivy Hartman: That's well said, well said. John thanks for being here with us with SBTV.com, keep up right here as we bring thing, all things automotive to you at this 2008 show here in Las Vegas.
John Waraniak: Cool.
Transcription by:
Scribe4you Transcription Services