The 33rd Bangkok International Motor Show is taking place right now at Impact Arena in Nonthaburi. If you’re a petrol head you’ve probably already made plans to go, but most of us will see all the cars we’ll ever want to on the god-awful, traffic ridden, long-haul journey all the way out to the venue. Besides the flocks of pretties (skip to paragraph ten for the scoop), what makes this year’s show worth the trek out to Impact Arena?
The 33rd installment of the show brings the usual suspects like major auto manufacturers Honda, Toyota, and Nissan with their family friendly eco-cars and point A to B machines, but it’s the overwhelming emphasis on sport and luxury cars that makes this years show a must see. Sure there are plenty of small econobox eco-cars, but that’s not the draw here.
Attendees get a chance to see uber-rare cars that you wont find in the Paragon showrooms like theLamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Super Trofeo Stradale, a road going version of their racecar that enters the Blancpain Super Trofeo Race in Europe. The Gallardo is given a massive wing and a carbon fiber makeover, and only a very limited number have made it to our shores.
Chances are you won’t see another Rolls Royce Ghost in a factory two-tone paint scheme in Thailand as the factory option costs more than a Honda Jazz, Nissan March, and Mazda 2 combined.
[JUICEBOX_GALLERY]
An incredible car doesn’t have to cost more than a small village though , as Toyota has showed us with its new sports coupe, the Toyota 86. The rear wheel drive car is the modern day reincarnation of the iconic Corolla AE86, a lightweight sports car that entered production in 1983 and has earned a cult following among drift fans. The production model is shown alongside the track-prepped GT version at the show
Thailand’s ridiculous auto tax structure has created a market for pre-modified luxury and sports cars that are based off of a standard production model. This year guests can see a Mercedes SLK that’s been given the Carlsson treatment along with the A.C. Schnitzer ACS5, a modified BMW five series.
Truck lovers should stop by the Land Rover display, the Land Rover Defender makes an appearance. This is the workhorse of the LR lineup and comes with a functioning snorkel, harkening back to the off-roading roots of the first 1948 model.
And if that’s not enough for your jungle adventure, take a look at Isuzu’s beastly D-Max V-Cross 4×4. The monster truck looks may be ridiculous, but so is it’s muddin’ prowess.
The eco-friendly subcompact craze is only getting bigger, but not more exciting. The debuting Mitsubishi Mirage is proof enough, as they have brought this car back after a ten-year hiatus to compete in the same class as the Honda Brio.
Small surprises are mixed in with the major manufactures displays. Make sure to explore those little nooks and crannies to look for the drift-prepped BMW at the PTT exhibition, or the collection of classic cars at the Thailand’s Ultimate Classic Cars.
If you feel the need to punish yourself you can head over to the Mitsuoka camp to be horrified by the sight of the Orochi, Coconut’s pick for Ugliest Car of the Year 2012 award; half fish, half car and all hideousness.
The only thing that will save you from that eyesore is the overabundance of pretties strutting around the show floor. As with every auto show, the wannabe model photographers (read: perverts) come out of the woodwork with their 300mm zoom lenses and strobe flashes—and they aren’t taking pictures of the cars, so be prepared to duck around these amateurs to get a glimpse of this years show girls.
We’re happy to report that the “a-pao” trend (puffing up your cheeks and throwing up the “susu” sign) is more or less done with. There’s much less Korean-inspired cutesiness and big eyes this year; instead you’ll find the models wearing sexy yet classy getups, like short black dresses or skin-tight silk blouses.
If classy isn’t your thing and you prefer naughty girls, then follow the thumping bass straight to the party going on outside behind the exposition area. Here you’ll find a Morlam-techno fueled soundoff featuring Thailand’s loudest car audio systems and lots of teenagers with dropped jaws staring at the girls standing on top of the souped-up whips.
We’re happy to report that the “a-pao” trend (puffing up your cheeks and throwing up the “susu” sign) is more or less done with. There’s much less Korean-inspired cutesiness and big eyes this year; instead you’ll find the models wearing sexy yet classy getups, like short black dresses or skin-tight silk blouses.
If classy isn’t your thing and you prefer naughty girls, then follow the thumping bass straight to the party going on outside behind the exposition area. Here you’ll find a Morlam-techno fueled soundoff featuring Thailand’s loudest car audio systems and lots of teenagers with dropped jaws staring at the girls standing on top of the souped-up whips.
