Bangkok Auto Salon whips up the dust

Where can you find a huge collection of fire-breathing 1,000-horsepower super cars, gorgeous booth babes and even pop concerts by J-Pop stars, all located in one place?

You might as well check out the Bangkok International Auto Salon (BIAS), which opened yesterday at Challenger Hall 2-3 in Muangthong Thani and goes on until June 30.

With more than a thousand customised cars and pickup trucks from Asia and Europe along with a show area that has been increased to 40,000 square metres, the BIAS has grown into the largest after-market and customised car show in Southeast Asia.

This is the second year that the event is being held, and the number of exhibitors has grown to 400.

Organiser Wiluck Lohthong says Siam Sport Syndicate and Inspire Entertainment are spending as much as Bt300 million to stage this year’s event, which is the first overseas extension of the Tokyo Auto Salon.

According to Wiluck, as many as 1 million visitors are expected to go through the gates this year.

He said more than 40 top exhibits featuring diverse customisation from the 2013 Tokyo Auto Salon held in January this year will be featured at the Bangkok show. The value of these cars are estimated at Bt700 million.

The main highlight at this year’s show is the Top Secret Nissan Super GT-R1200, which is powered by a 1,000-horsepower engine and has a hair-raising top speed of 377 km/h recorded at the Nardo Top Speed Challenge in Italy.

Other attractions include Tom’s Toyota 86, Night Sports Mazda RX-8 (which raced at the Macao GP Road Sport Challenge), Top Fuel Suzuki Swift Type Zero, BMW Gran Coupe 3D Design Edition and the Honda CR-Z Mugen RR Concept. A large selection of motorcycles and new generation modifiers and accessories are also attracting visitors to the annual motor extravaganza.

Even major automobile manufacturers are taking part in the BIAS with their own customised vehicles. The official distributors of Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Isuzu and Subaru cars are displaying customised models from their product line-up along with special edition models.

But entertainment is not the only topic at the BIAS. Wiluck says that organisers want the event to serve as a meeting place for automotive spare parts and accessory manufacturers and buyers.“We want Thailand to become a regional automotive aftermarket hub for the Asean region as well. A large number of trade delegates have been invited to visit the show and carry out business negotiations, which highlights another important purpose of the event,” he said.

International delegates who have confirmed their participation are from the Japan External Trade Organisation, the Nippon Auto Parts After Market Committee (NAPAC), the Japan Automotive Aftermarket Action League, the Pakistan Automobile Spare Parts Importers and Dealers Association, the Singaporean Automotive Trade representative and others.

“The NAPAC is also bringing along their members who will exhibit products at the show,” Wiluck said.

Meanwhile, the event is expected to grow into a regional hub for the auto parts aftermarket industry. The 2013 BIAS is co-promoted by the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), which is offering business expansion opportunities for Thai and foreign entrepreneurs.

“We are focusing on supporting business-to-business at the event and overseas marketing campaigns to attract exhibitors and visitors,” said Chiruit Isarangkura na Ayutthaya, TCEB director of the domestic MICE (Meeting Incentive Convention Exhibition) Department. “For example, we offer business matching services, help set up the Modified Car Pavilion and support a foreign journalists programme to disseminate BIAS information internationally.” 

According to Chiruit, the BIAS reinforces Thailand’s “excellent capability” to stage Asia’s leading modified car and auto accessories show, as well as create business opportunities for Thai and foreign companies alike.

Apart from cars, visitors are also promised fun and colourful entertainment including concerts by popular artists, a sexy carwash show and appearance of more 100 super sexy Japanese babes such as the Gravure Idols, A-Class Girls Japan and Race Queens, plus the Thai FHM Girls Next Door contingent. 

 

 

Top 5 exhibits at this year’s show

 

 

 

Top Secret Super GT-R 1200

 

Top Secret’s modified GT-R R35, with its 1,000hp VR38DETT engine, proudly took part in the Nardo Top Speed Challenge in Italy and recorded a top speed of 377.246km/h.

 

Base: Nissan GT-R

Engine: TRUST RX 4.0 Kit, RX1200 turbocharger, HKS cams, 1,200cc fuel injectors, DCT Cooler, TV-PRO Muffler V2, titanium front pipe, sports transmission.

Footwork: Front upper arms, wishbones, camber-adjustable rear arms, tension arms, 400mm brake discs, Endless brake pads, Enkei 20x10-inch wheels. 

Honda CR-Z Mugen RR Concept

 

The modern eco-friendly sports car from Honda is dressed up with Mugen accessories while the powertrain is beefed up with a supercharger kit. 

 

Base: Honda CR-Z

Engine: 179hp at 6,300rpm/20.9kgm at 6,000rpm, supercharger, carbon air filter and suction pipe, intercooler

Exterior: Mugen front bumper, dry carbon front lower wing, front sport grille, aero fender, rear aero bumper, dry carbon diffuser 

Tom’s N086V Concept

 

Long-time Toyota tuner Tom’s has replaced the 4-cylinder boxer engine of the Toyota 86 with a modified 3.5-litre V6 engine from Lexus capable of developing 400hp and 45.9kgm of torque.Base: Toyota 86

 

Engine: 2GR-FSE with 400hp, Tom’s clutch, Tom’s Hyper limited slip differential

Exterior: Tom’s styling parts

Interior: TOM’s carbon reclining bucket seat, TOM’s steering wheel

Footwork: Advox high-performance springs, Tom’s Igeta brakes 

Option x Ben Sopra 380 SX

 

This is what happens when you put a Godzilla engine to a Nissan 180SX. The Nissan VR38DETT power plant from the R35 GT-R is modified and mounted on the 180SX, which also gets a dramatic exterior aerodynamic kit. 

 

Base: Nissan 180SX

Engine: VR38DETT, Trust Prototype 4L kit, TD06-25Gx2, Vi-PEC/Full Stage

Transmission: Holinger Sequantial

Footwork: Full stage original air suspension

Wheels: Enkei RS05RR 18x11 inches

Tyres: Yokohama Advan A050 295/30-18 

Mazda RX-8 Knight Sport/Macau Grand Prix

 

The rotary-powered RX-8 has been rebuilt to compete in the Macau Grand Prix. With 523 horsepower at 7,500rpm and modified suspension plus aero parts, it is capable of putting up a fight against competitors.

 

Base: Mazda RX-8

Engine: RE13B Turbo (Turbonetics/62-1), 523hp at 7,500rpm/57kgm at 6,800rpm, Dry Sump System Mission

Transmission: Hewland/GT 6-Speed Sequential

Footwork: Aragosta SP shocks (front 16kg/mm, rear 14kg/mm), 4-pot Brembo brake calipers.