SEMA 2011: Kicker Integrated Stereo Upgrades for Late Model Muscle

Automakers are paying more attention to the “In-Car Entertainment” options available straight off the showroom floor, which is both good and bad. Good, in that the general quality of factory systems has gone from “awful” to the acceptable-to-outstanding range, but bad in that the way car stereos are increasingly integrated into the vehicle, both physically and electronically, means that upgrading them can be a daunting task.

Kicker has taken that challenge head-on, and at this year’s SEMA show, we got a chance to see some of the ways they’ve developed plug-and-play solutions for the cars we love. Kicker has had Mopar-branded upgrades for late model Chargers and Challengers available for a while, and the same level of integration is now available for Mustang and Camaro owners as well. Digital amplifiers with model-specific plug-and-play harnesses, midrange speakers and tweeters that fit into the factory mounts, and custom-designed powered subwoofer enclosures are all available for these popular muscle cars, making a serious stereo upgrade a much less intimidating prospect for the do-it-yourselfer.