The Driving Woman

While customized cars often get a bad rap as basic tuners and restoration jobs, the Volvo XC70 Surf  Rescue is an exercise in form and function for your favorite divers, on display at the SEMA Show last week.  Adorned with the official seal of  the city of Avalon, a beach locale on Catalina Island, the amped up XC70 has everything a lifeguard would want to make waves on oceanside protection. You can't miss the canary yellow paint, but a closer look reveals logical add-ins such as skid plates for sand protection, a lifted body for ground clearance, sand-friendly Pirelli tires and a surfboard rack. Bells and whistles come in the form of emergency blue strobe lights.  The cabin is as cozy as a speedboat with neoprene seats (the material used to make wet suits). Of course, two scuba tanks and a first aid kit are included in the package. It's a  natural fit for Volvo, the industry safety barons to wade through these waters.

There are all kinds of cool functional car toys if you sift through the dirge of companies at SEMA. With 10,000 booths and over 100,000 attendees, SEMA truly has something for everyone, and will only grow as the massive Las Vegas Convention Center expands in years to come.  I'm waiting for a wing on green cars to be wedged in between the electronics and performance sections or maybe a section for parental friendly vehicles. A word of advice for planning should you attend SEMA in 08 --  skip the cabs. Ironically, the best way to go to and from SEMA is a $9 day pass on the Monorail.