Car Audio Trifecta

Top Cars, Top Judges at SEMA's Auto Salon

Does the world need yet another car show? Of course! That is, if it's run by Car Audio magazine and sponsored by Arc Audio, Alpine, Morel, Kicker, Kenwood, Acoustic Edge, Focal, Audison, Pontus, Crossfire Audio, A3, Icon-TV, Extreme Autofest, Lowrider, Car Sponsorships, SEMA and IAS. Trifecta is a little different from your typical show car competition. We gathered some of the top builders and automotive-related designers in the country to judge enthusiast rides. These guys judged not only the overall car in terms of aesthestics and build quality but also the sound quality of the audio systems. And just for fun (and some bonus points) we measured the SPL (sound pressure level) as well. Something else that's different about Trifecta? The top two winners from each event are invited to be onstage at the SEMA Show for ultimate judging and a big cash prize.

The first leg of our three "regular" shows took place at SEMA's Auto Salon in Philadelphia, PA. Thirty cars were assembled for the invitational, including some high-end demo vehicles such as Rob Ida's Tucker, Dave Fowlkes' '69 Buick Riviera and Dave Johnson's (of Acoustic Edge) Cobra. Not to be out-done, some of the competitors had cars that stacked quite nicely against the demos. The diverse field included everything from a Chrysler 300M to a Ford F-350 to a right-hand-drive Skyline.

The judging came down to about five cars. In the end, the winner was no surprise. Justin Efkowtiz and his 300M packed with Focal and Audison gear took the $500, the invite to SEMA '06 and a feature in Car Audio and Electronics Magazine. Second place went to a bit of sleeper. Dave Hary's Audi S4 with Rockford Fosgate amps and subs picked up the max SPL points and scored very high in sound quality to earn $250 and the invite. Third place and the $125 went to Ryan Shutt's Civic with a Polk Audio-equipped system. As for the other competitors. Those in the top ten will be ranked and have the opportunity to work on their mods and systems and compete again to move up the chain.

Look for full coverage in the August issue of Car Audio mag. Next stop: Denver, Colorado, where Trifecta will be held in conjunction with a Lowrider Show, July 9th.

Profile of Judges:

Troy Sumitomo, Five Axis
Builder of the xB, tC and xA, featured in SuperStreet and Car Audio

Mark Eldridge, currently with JL Audio
Builder of the 4Runner, featured in Car Audio
Sound Quality Expert

Mike Vu, Mike Vu Designz (formerly w/ Alpine)
Builder of Alpine's Mini and Ultimate Listening Machine, Featured in Car Audio and on cable TV's Rides

Dave Johnson, Acoustic Edge
Builder of the Cobra featured at the event

Rob Ida, Rob Ida Concepts
Builder of the Tucker, Winner of the 2005 SEMA Design Excellence Award

Dave Fowlkes, President of Davin Wheels
Wheel designer, co-builder on the Riviera featured at the event

Gary Bell, Alpine
Builder of the Sinister Six, Best of Show winner at the Auto Salon, featured in the June issue of Car Audio

Cabe Sipes, MTV's Pimp My Ride
New builder on this season's show

Ed Ng, Rolling Thunder
Sound quality judge

Don Whitmire, Ai Design
Builder of the Ultimate Van featured in the April issue of Car Audio mag.

Keith Turner
Sound quality judge