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The 25th Bangkok International
Motor Show earlier this month played host to
several exciting new model launches. Alfa Romeo
weighed into the action with the accessory-laden 156 Speciale II.
However, despite new model introductions to
Thailand from the prestige
European
and Japanese brands, which included the Mercedes SLR,
Maybach 62 and Bentley Continental GT, Ferrari and Maserati decided to skip
this year’s show. The new 2+2 V12 Ferrari 612
Scaglietti was quietly
introduced to a privileged few just a couple of weeks before the show began.
While Alfa Romeo decided not to present the
facelifted 156 to the local market, Thai Prestige Auto Sales, the local Alfa
Romeo distributor, introduced a second special edition 156 Selespeed,
a 'phase II' model, which goes under the
name of the 156 Speciale II.
The launch of Speciale II
attracted a great deal of national
media coverage, largely
due to a somewhat controversial fashion show by
Playboy models.
The Alfa Romeo 156 Speciale II is equipped
with additional accessories to further enhance appeal and emphasize its sporting
heritage. Xenon headlights, original Alfa Romeo aero parts, Kevlar interior
trim finishings,
17-inch alloy wheels shod with 215/45ZR17 tyres, aluminum door
lock pins embossed with the
AR logo, and stainless steel door sills are among the extras on the Speciale II,
which has a local market retail price of
2,078,000THB.
The standard 156
Selespeed and 156 Sport Pack are still available at 1,888,000THB and
1,988,000THB respectively.
Thai Prestige is still tight-lipped about its
future plans for
recently introduced new Alfa Romeo models such as the
GT Coupe, the facelifted 156,
166 and GTV, and the 156 Crosswagon
which made its world debut last month in Geneva.
Now local assembly of 156 Selespeed
has
ended, all the new models are
liable to import duties, resulting in less competitive pricing than some of the
locally assembled competitors.
Another factor delaying new Alfa Romeo model imports is the
compatibility of the JTS engine and local gasoline quality.
The Bangkok International Motor Show
is the biggest motor show in Thailand, organized annually by Thailand’s
automotive publication giant, Grand Prix International Group. Now in its 25th
year, GPI had invested in excess of 400 million THB to host one of the largest
automotive shows in the South East Asia.
Report & Photos by
Wisrute
Buddhari in Bangkok |
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