There isn’t much at the SEMA show that isn’t built to completely devastate the braincells of passers by. Today the Las Vegas convention center is jam packed with parts and cars that are shiny, sparkly and loud, each vying for your attention. As I walked around in disarray I finally snapped to when I stumbled upon this beautiful ’63 Impala.
It’s not exactly a secret that the Lowrider world is on another level when it comes to paint and plating, but this car totally demolishes your average Impala. Regular Speedhunters readers will probably recognize “El Rey” from a Stephen Brooks’ video we posted a while back, but seeing it in person is a different experience entirely.
El Rey takes the concept of “attention to detail” to an entirely different universe, one where only the most obsessive compulsive can survive. There isn’t a single millimeter of the car which hasn’t been completely customized and flawlessly detailed. My brain hurts even trying to fathom one corner of the suspension, much in the same way that the concept of infinity is completely beyond grasp – I know it exists, but I refuse to accept it.
While I’m not exactly an expert on lowriders, I’ve admired them from afar for years and have a pretty healthy collection of Lowrider magazine’s, so I know they don’t give the lowrider of the year award to just anyone. My encounter with this amazing car has instantly rekindled my interest in this segment of car culture and seeing as how I live in Los Angeles I think it’s high time I start further investigation into this world.
But what was probably more astonishing to me than the work on this car was how it seemed to transcend any connotations of the scene it was spawned from. All day there was a rather large and eclectic group surrounding the car, gawking and shooting photos. At one point an older gentleman whom I’d peg as a hot rodder turned to me and said “holy $#*&, this thing is *#^$ing amazing isn’t it?”
Indeed.
More from SEMA 2012 on Speedhunters
-Sean
photo by Sean Klingelhoefer
photo by Sean Klingelhoefer
photo by Sean Klingelhoefer
photo by Sean Klingelhoefer
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its so shiny, i cant focus on anything... i like it... wire tucks are OLD SKOOL
Hell yes! I've been waiting for a SH feature on El Rey! I want more!
Hell yes! I've been waiting for a SH feature on El Rey! I want more!
I like your photo stance while taking the picture of the underside of the car.
All relaxed and stuff, ready to drink a piña colada or something.
Question: Can laying down be considered a photo stance?
I like your photo stance while taking the picture of the underside of the car.
All relaxed and stuff, ready to drink a piña colada or something.
Question: Can laying down be considered a photo stance?
Giant waste of time, money and if it ever goes out on the road, natural resources. That said, I do have to respect the devotion of the builder.
Giant waste of time, money and if it ever goes out on the road, natural resources. That said, I do have to respect the devotion of the builder.
@KH15 What you wrote is the equivalent of pushing someone over into the mud and then helping them back up, then expecting to still be friends afterwards.
@KH15 What you wrote is the equivalent of pushing someone over into the mud and then helping them back up, then expecting to still be friends afterwards.
@KH15 What you wrote is the equivalent of pushing someone over into the mud and then helping them back up, then expecting to still be friends afterwards.
Absolutely crazy crazy crazy automobile!! I must say judging for the supershow pictures the competition has a long way to go, even though they aren't that far behind.
Im confused about the sentence "But what was probably more astonishing to me than the work on this car was how it seemed to transcend any connotations of the scene it was spawned from." If it means what i think it means, i disagree with it. To me it still has deep deep deep undeniable lowrider roots. They just took it to the max without going radical.
Beautiful? Not so much.. Amazing, shiny, pretty, Kind of a ruined impala however :S
Lol at the reflection of you laying down in the front fender Sean! I struggle to really get this car though. For me once you get to this sort of level of detail and the car becomes basically a static display its no longer a car. Its more like an expensive picture hanging on a wall; great if you "get it" a total waste of money to those that don't.
This car is SO Las Vegas
Just look at it in the photos and then at the spectators or other surrounding things beside - it seems so unreal. It's not just shining but glowing!
Good old low riders, so over the top, but so awesome.
not my thing, but i can appreciate the work involved building them
Etched rotors hats... This is attention to detail.
Sean, you definitely should look more into the lowrider scene. Get some of that Cali Swangin coverage
@Perry Kveton Actuly this car had a full feature on here at the last Sema with significantly more detail than this one.
Why you post this again when you have so many cars to choose from, I have no idea.
I just cant tell what is going on in these pictures?
What I meant by that sentence was that typically Hot Rodders aren't interested by Lowriders, at all - but this car drew in EVERYONE at the show, no matter what their background - mudders, imports, exotics, hot rods etc.
@LouisYio I think laying down will be the photostance of 2013... you saw it here first!
@Perry Kveton I'd like to shoot a full feature as well!
@Robo_No1 Yep it certainly doesn't "make sense" but neither does spending millions of dollars on an oil painting. In that regard I'd consider them both in the same category - art.
Ya it's definitely something I want to look into in the future!
@LeDerp Honestly it's hard to tell what's going on in person, it's just so insanely shiny!
@LeDerp was thinking the same thing!!
did you have to wear sun-glasses when you were taking this pics sean?!
The amazing thing is that to compete in some of the shows these cars have to be able to run and move on there own, now imagine trying to clean it to this perfection.......
I've never been one for complete show cars, but damn this thing beautiful. Plus if I was tired of people telling me that; "it doesn't matter, no one is gonna see it," I assume this guy gets twice as much as me.
I seriously can't fathom the man-hours involved in this project. It's overwhelming!
Old news? SH featured this from SEMA last year... http://www.speedhunters.com/2011/11/car_spotlight_gt_gt_63_chevy_impala_low_rider/
i was going to say, haven't we seen this before?
Stunning car, but don't you guys even bother to read your own site??? WTF.
I corrected your sentence.
Regular Speedhunters readers will probably recognize “El Rey” from a Stephen Brooks’ video we posted a while back
Regular Speedhunters readers will probably recognize “El Rey” from a car feature on this very site last year. As someone said below, hundreds of cars to see including a big increase in (other)low riders at the show and this gets posted basically saying ' I don't know much about lowriders,,,,but'.
Seriously guys, if SH is going to be taken seriously, you need to read your own site!
@MikeyDD1 now thats a good write up with some good background. No wonder it won Lowrider of the year.
To be honest I didn't realize that Mike did a spotlight on this car last year, but considering the sheer amount of articles we publish it's quite easy to miss one here and there. I'd be shocked if there were someone that has read and memorized every post on the site. I'm sorry it has upset you, but clearly there was something to be enjoyed here and for some - like me - this was the first time they had seen the car.
@MikeyDD1 If you haven't noticed in the last several months we have changed the format of our Spotlight posts to an exact image count of 5, hence why I was so brief in my coverage
To be honest I didn't realize that Andy did a spotlight on this car last year, but considering the sheer amount of articles we publish it's quite easy to miss one here and there. I'd be shocked if there were someone that has read and memorized every post on the site. I'm sorry it has upset you, but clearly there was something to be enjoyed here and for some - like me - this was the first time they had seen the car.
@sean klingelhoefer You could do ten more articles on this beauty and i wouldn't get sick of them.
I remember reading the spotlight on this car last year, but that's OK! I never get tired of seeing this car. I'm not a lowrider guy at ALL, but this thing just blows my mind every time!
@sean klingelhoefer I'd be happy to see more articles on this car - it's un-real!!! More detail shots would be the best.