All smiles at the Thailand International Motor Expo 2018
01 Dec 2018|3,813 views
The Thailand International Motor Expo is back again for its 35th edition, with a theme of 'Enjoy Driving, Before Driverless Era'. As cheesy as it sounds, it may well be true.
Driving, in its essence, may soon cease to exist. It could be said that autonomous driving may still be in its infant stage, despite having fully-autonomous driving projects being spearheaded globally, including back home in Singapore. Even car manufacturers today are pushing for semi-autonomous driving and many do come with safety assistance features such as lane keeping assist and adaptive cruise control. Now, you could literally go over short distances completely hands-free.
But that is certainly not bringing down the Thais and their love for cars. We took a quick tour around the Motor Expo to check out the cool cars and some interesting things that will be showcased over 12 days.
Mazda Vision CoupeSeen in South-East Asia for the first time, Mazda showcased one of its KODO inspired cars, the Mazda Vision Coupe. The flowing lines are truly phenomenal, with its long hood taking centre stage. Although still a concept, we can see the soulful KODO design language trickling down to cars that will soon be available from the Japanese manufacturer, such as the recently unveiled Mazda3.
Suzuki Swift SportThe much-anticipated Suzuki Swift Sport has landed in Thailand and it's all set to go. The Auto Salon Version seen here is specially made for the Thai Motor Expo launch, with mostly cosmetic upgrades. The new turbocharged 1.4-litre lump promises efficiency as well as keeping the essence of driving fun. It is still unclear when this will finally make its official appearance here in Singapore, though.
Mercedes-Benz Concept EQ AThis striking hatchback is one of the latest in the Mercedes-Benz EQ range of concept vehicles that emcompasses the brand's electric vehicle dreams for the future. We especially like its grille, with its display of animated graphics. The EQ A is an all-electric vehicle and looks set to be the German marque's volume seller. Mercedes has plans to start production of the EQ A in 2020, and it could well be part of the A-Class range of hatchbacks.
MG E-Motion ConceptThe now Chinese-owned MG has been doing rather well, producing small and compact city cars like the MG3. But the last coupe that had an MG moniker was the TF - launched over 20 years ago. Hence, the MG E-Motion Concept is a breath of fresh air. It claims to be able to do the century sprint in under four seconds, thanks to an all-electric drivetrain. Production is set to commence sooner than you think, in 2020.
Porsche Mission EWe walked to the Porsche booth as we knew off-hand that the German sports carmaker will be showcasing the Mission E concept. Instead, we were met with this little scale model. Well, nothing wrong with being the smallest concept car at the show! The original, real life version - also known as the Taycan - makes over 600bhp from its all-electric drivetrain. Porsche spun off a four-door version, too.
Daihatsu Copen GT-K Liberty WalkThe aftermarket scene is going strong at the Thailand Motor Expo and we always fancy a cool modified machine. Spotted alongside the RunStop Brakes booth, this super cool Daihatsu Copen sports a bespoke kit from world-renowned Japanese tuning company, Liberty Walk. The little Copen looks like a miniature Godzilla too, as the kit is pretty much inspired by the Nissan GT-R.
Addzest Carcolor Suzuki SwiftStanding alongside the Swift Sport that was launched at the show, this modified Swift from Thai tuning house AZC Addzest Carcolor was a cool attraction at the Suzuki booth. It is nice to see that the aftermarket scene is represented at a manufacturer level, too. With the car slammed to the ground with almost zero ground clearance and some serious bodykit work, there's just no doubting the effort and money put into this Swift!
911 SoundbarMoving away for cars, something that caught our eyes (and ears) is this very cool soundbar from Porsche Design. You would be forgiven if you thought it was a display of the Porsche Sports Exhaust (PSE) system. In truth, it is a shell of the actual thing, but with speakers built within. Yes, it's not a car, but certainly a very special thing to have in your house, and one of the cooler things we spotted at the Motor Expo this year.
The Thailand International Motor Expo is back again for its 35th edition, with a theme of 'Enjoy Driving, Before Driverless Era'. As cheesy as it sounds, it may well be true.
Driving, in its essence, may soon cease to exist. It could be said that autonomous driving may still be in its infant stage, despite having fully-autonomous driving projects being spearheaded globally, including back home in Singapore. Even car manufacturers today are pushing for semi-autonomous driving and many do come with safety assistance features such as lane keeping assist and adaptive cruise control. Now, you could literally go over short distances completely hands-free.
But that is certainly not bringing down the Thais and their love for cars. We took a quick tour around the Motor Expo to check out the cool cars and some interesting things that will be showcased over 12 days.
Mazda Vision CoupeSeen in South-East Asia for the first time, Mazda showcased one of its KODO inspired cars, the Mazda Vision Coupe. The flowing lines are truly phenomenal, with its long hood taking centre stage. Although still a concept, we can see the soulful KODO design language trickling down to cars that will soon be available from the Japanese manufacturer, such as the recently unveiled Mazda3.
Suzuki Swift SportThe much-anticipated Suzuki Swift Sport has landed in Thailand and it's all set to go. The Auto Salon Version seen here is specially made for the Thai Motor Expo launch, with mostly cosmetic upgrades. The new turbocharged 1.4-litre lump promises efficiency as well as keeping the essence of driving fun. It is still unclear when this will finally make its official appearance here in Singapore, though.
Mercedes-Benz Concept EQ AThis striking hatchback is one of the latest in the Mercedes-Benz EQ range of concept vehicles that emcompasses the brand's electric vehicle dreams for the future. We especially like its grille, with its display of animated graphics. The EQ A is an all-electric vehicle and looks set to be the German marque's volume seller. Mercedes has plans to start production of the EQ A in 2020, and it could well be part of the A-Class range of hatchbacks.
MG E-Motion ConceptThe now Chinese-owned MG has been doing rather well, producing small and compact city cars like the MG3. But the last coupe that had an MG moniker was the TF - launched over 20 years ago. Hence, the MG E-Motion Concept is a breath of fresh air. It claims to be able to do the century sprint in under four seconds, thanks to an all-electric drivetrain. Production is set to commence sooner than you think, in 2020.
Porsche Mission EWe walked to the Porsche booth as we knew off-hand that the German sports carmaker will be showcasing the Mission E concept. Instead, we were met with this little scale model. Well, nothing wrong with being the smallest concept car at the show! The original, real life version - also known as the Taycan - makes over 600bhp from its all-electric drivetrain. Porsche spun off a four-door version, too.
Daihatsu Copen GT-K Liberty WalkThe aftermarket scene is going strong at the Thailand Motor Expo and we always fancy a cool modified machine. Spotted alongside the RunStop Brakes booth, this super cool Daihatsu Copen sports a bespoke kit from world-renowned Japanese tuning company, Liberty Walk. The little Copen looks like a miniature Godzilla too, as the kit is pretty much inspired by the Nissan GT-R.
Addzest Carcolor Suzuki SwiftStanding alongside the Swift Sport that was launched at the show, this modified Swift from Thai tuning house AZC Addzest Carcolor was a cool attraction at the Suzuki booth. It is nice to see that the aftermarket scene is represented at a manufacturer level, too. With the car slammed to the ground with almost zero ground clearance and some serious bodykit work, there's just no doubting the effort and money put into this Swift!
911 SoundbarMoving away for cars, something that caught our eyes (and ears) is this very cool soundbar from Porsche Design. You would be forgiven if you thought it was a display of the Porsche Sports Exhaust (PSE) system. In truth, it is a shell of the actual thing, but with speakers built within. Yes, it's not a car, but certainly a very special thing to have in your house, and one of the cooler things we spotted at the Motor Expo this year.
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