In the weeks leading up to SEMA 2018 I found myself working 16+ hours per day. I fell into a rhythm making significant progress as I prepped the all new RS Coupe and completed RS (Spyder) for the show. This would be my first time to SEMA and if that wasn't enough... I was bringing two cars to be shown at the KONI Suspension booth where we would announce a new partnership between Koni and Runge with a shock absorber tested and developed for VW and Porsche 356 Application.
I have to admit I don't particularly care for shows and I really didn't know what to expect at SEMA. My perception of the show was that it is typically geared toward hotrods and trucks, which turned out to be somewhat true however I was deeply honored and humbled at the comradery among builders and fabricators.
I had the two cars transported out while I hopped a flight from Minneapolis. I met the cars just outside Vegas to do a pre-SEMA inspection, which proved to be worth it. After spending over 80 hours polishing back in MN, the transport had leaked water in which dried into hard water spots on the RS. Even with an assortment of detailing products on hand, the spots would not lift. After running to a local auto parts store and picking up a few clever products, miraculously the spots lifted without having to sand/polish the aluminum. This is literally minutes before we were scheduled to bring the cars into the big show.
All went well with getting the cars to the Main Hall and positioned in the booth. Finally I could take a deep breath and momentarily soak in the calm before the storm...
The show opened first thing Tuesday morning and the response to Runge Cars from fellow builders, retailers and manufacturers was astonishing. The Koni booth was swarmed with cameras the entire week. I want to thank all who have supported the dream that is Runge Cars. It has been an incredible pursuit!