Last week Dave came to visit on his way to his big China adventure. We visited Tsukuihama, Shibuya, Akihabara, and went to the Tokyo Auto Salon. The Auto Salon is a huge event which juat further drives home the idea that Utah has no idea how to put on a car show. Upon entering the first of 3 exhibit halls, I was assaulted by light, color and sound. I soon realized that instead of the next year's models the Utah dealers like to trot out, this was Pimp My Ride on crack! Each booth was a different vendor or race team showing off their products. These ranged from rims, to paints, to vinyls that make you car look like brushed steel or fire, to what I can only describe as someone having way too much fun with his daughters Bedazzler. Many of the displays used lovely Japanese models in generally small outfits to show off their products.
Drifting is HUGE in Japan and has caught on worldwide. If you don't know, this is a sport that burns an absurd amount of rubber. Cars are slid sideways in complete control and at high speeds around corners. Check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZfQ4EtNAgk and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKRC51PSsgY for more info. Anyway, outside the Expo, there were drift races around a small course and inside were little remote control versions of the cars that you could actually drift around objects. These were amazing, but at $250 each, I couldn't justify buying two so we could race. Someday... :D
My favorite of the vehicles I encountered were a metallic magenta 350Z Nismo, Lime green Murcielago, and black and orange Gallardo. We came across Prius's that were race cars, Camaros and GTRs that had been souped up with sweet rims, metallic paint and vinyls. There were places advertising opalescent paints that change through multiple colors. Most people have seen the ones that are purple/green/ brown. Now imagine orange and magenta, green and pink, lime to forest green metallics.
As I walked up to the lime green Murcielago, I noticed a smaller version sitting next to it. This little vehicle is basically an ATV with a green Lambo body. Think of the Power Wheels versions you've seen and multiply the coolness factor by a million. Dave asked if I could sit on it and take pictures. The answer was yes and I jumped up on it and smiled while cameras flashed at my blonde hair. The owner/ person running the booth had his camera out the instant I jumped on. After a minute or so, I stepped down and said thank you to the man. Dave said thanks as well but immediately asked if I can sit in the real version. Not only was the answer yes, but absolutely! The owner walked around and unlocked the door for me, swinging it up instead of out in classic Lamborghini style. I slid onto the matching green seat and giggled for sheer giddiness of sitting in a $350,000 vehicle. More photos and a thought that I could really get used to Italian cars, and I decided it was time to move on.
The show was amazing and we had a blast. After dinner with Darrow, Satoshi and several of their friends, we headed home on the trains, missed the last one to Yokosuka after a mad sprint through Tokyo Station and had to take a cab. No dull moments on this day.
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