So, summer has ended and a new season has begun.. hope everyone’s doing well! Here in Yokohama, weather has suddenly turned chilly and rainy (we’ve even had a typhoon earlier this week). Like so many others, I find myself wishing that this summer had lasted a wee bit longer (actually, more like a LOT longer!).
Now on to topic… as car enthusiasts all over the world know, this is the year of the 41st Tokyo Motor Show. Set to take place from near the end of October to early in November, this biennial event always attracts millions of car lovers from worldwide wanting to see the many innovative concepts and exotic supercars. Only this year, it appears that things are looking rather bleak for this international event. Take a look at the current list of exhibitors at the official site:
http://www.tokyo-motorshow.com/en/booth/index.html
As you can see on that page, most non-Japanese car manufacturers have pulled out of the show, leaving mostly Japanese car makers such as Toyota and Honda. That means no Ferrari, Chrysler, Maserati, Lamborghini, Audi, or Volvo? not even Volks Wagen?? Ok, so of course their quality cannot be compared to Japanese cars, but it’s really sad because in the 3 previous motor shows I have been to, those European and American cars always added a flavor to the show.
The last Tokyo Motor Show we had (TMS2007) was not as great as the previous ones, but still much bigger than this year’s is set to be. I’d like to share with you today some photos of that 2007 show. I know they’re 2 years old now, but we will not be seeing the likes of most of these in this year’s event (And everyone likes to see pics of exotic cars, right?). They are all fascinating cars to look at, and their brands will be sorely missed this year.
Maserati Gran Turismo
Honda CR-Z concept (hybrid)
Mazda Taiki
Mitsuoka Orochi, design inspired by a serpent
Alpha Romeo 8C Competizione
Audi R8, one of my all-time favorites
Ferrari 599 GTB
Subaru Imprexa WRX. Too bad Subaru pulled out of WRC soon after this was released.
I don’t know if I’ll go to this year’s motor show after seeing this exhibitor list, but if I do I will be sure to post pictures.
AUTOCOM JAPAN - Official Blog 