Lotusblog

Another of my favourites from the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon… a crystal-crusted Mercedes Benz.

Crystal Mercedes-Benz

It’s been a few years since my last visit to the Tokyo Auto Salon, so I was really looking forward to seeing what had changed in the last few years.

And the result: not much.

The skimpily clad girls were just as skimpy as ever. As a result, the “camera kozo” were still out in force. The cars were as ridiculous as ever.

The only thing that had changed was the fact that a lot of companies were modifying the Toyota Prius.

Amongst all the pseudo eco-cars, I did find this absolute gem. A car upholstered with leather, on the outside!
(and even better, it wasn’t leather, it was vinyl!)

A red vinyl van, anyone?

I am now in slightly ridiculously cheerful hotel room in Frankfurt. What I mean is, the curtains are a loud mix of yellow, blue and red swirls, the “wood” trim (and furniture) is in a fake varnished oak (makes you feel like you are sitting in cheap car) and the bedding is a rather disturbing lemon colour. All a little overwhelming. The most important room, the bathroom, is however the antithesis of what we see here. Simple, large, white-washed; a power-shower, an intelligent washbasin, an enormous radiator. All the elements that make a good bathroom.

Frankfurt is an amazing city. It’s cool. It’s a bit edgy. It has great food. Even better drinks. The people are most affable and accommodating. The only area where it falls down (and I suspect this is a Europe-wide problem) is internet access. Let me dedicate only a few words to this topic as it is a sore point at the moment. Let me just say it sucks. Don’t these Europeans understand the society-transforming power of a de-regulated, always-on, fat-pipe info super-highway?

Anyway, here are a couple of pictures taken over the last couple of days.

The old and the beautiful

40 years on, and still, it remains one of the most beautiful cars ever made.

Afternoon elegance

Geneva in the afternoon. A very elegant city.

Plenty of yachts and ducks

Yachts. Geneva is that kind of city.

That smile is fake

The smile was frozen onto my face. It took several hours before I could move my mouth again.

The Boss

Kazuya’s neck remained in the “turned 50 degrees to the left” position for many hours. It made crossing roads a perilous endeavor.

Swiss train station ticket machines. Ahh, you gotta love 'em.

Early Tuesday morning- off to the motor show.

Frankfurt. Big, bold and blue. The three B's.

They don't call them frankfurters for nothing.

Kazuya in ecstasy.

These hotdogs were washed down with the best hot wine I have ever had.

I am in Geneva.

What a great city. It’s like Japan; safe, clean, kind people. It’s also like Europe; quaint, cultured and elegant.

I like it.

Unfortunately though, we leave the hotel in the early morning before any shops are open. We finish late when only bars are open. So from where I am standing, it’s a pretty dead city. I am sure it must be bustling during the day.

Anyway, I took a few pictures today with my new phone. I am surprised at how good the quality is. Anyway, take a look for yourself. The pictures are of one of the more peculiar cars on exhibit today. The Toyota “Aygo”. A car that Toyota are aggressively pushing to “young urban hipsters”. Their bean-counters must have calculated that this was where the money is. Anyway, good luck to them. The car below is (of course) a concept. But it’s interesting to see that Toyota think that putting a DJ booth into a car makes it hip. But first, a picture of the inside of the motor show:

The Geneva Motorshow

And here is the Toyota Aygo;

The extendible Aygo

Not much room for humans

Always on standby for a party