The second edition of Thailand's Supercar &
Import Car Show has just taken place at the Impact Exhibition Center on the outskirts
of Bangkok with a plethora of high performance and luxury cars on show from
brands such as Bentley, Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Lotus and Mercedes-Benz.
Official and 'gray' importers, as well as trade stands, lined up alongside each
other at the event which was part of a prestige products and services show.
Italian cars, as one would expect, dominated the show with the Thai debuts of
the Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Spyder Performante and the Maserati GranTurismo
MC Stradale in particular being particular highlights.
The Supercar & Import Car Show, which is now into
its second edition, is the brainchild of Thai
businessman Dr Chettha Songthaveepol and was organized
by Evo magazine and Union Pan. It took place in
Impact's Hall 8.
In the foyer, greeting visitors as well as bookending
the press conference stage and catwalk were three German
sports cars, all in metallic silver: a Porsche Carrera
GT, flanked by two offerings from Mercedes-Benz, the
McLaren built SLR and the AMG created SLS. The event
kicked off with the glitz and glamour of a racy fashion
show and strutting on the catwalk was a coterie of
leading city models included two favourite Thai
celebrities: Onwarin Osathanond ("Charm"), the former
Miss Thailand Universe 1986, as well as another high
profile actress-host-and-model, Pakkaramai Potranan
("Tong").
The Supercar & Import Car Show also played host
to the Thai première of the Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4
Spyder Performante, the latest addition to the Gallardo
sports car range which incorporates all the engine
upgrades and weight saving components of the
coupé-bodied Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera into its
convertible sister. The Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera
made it's world debut in Geneva last year while the
LP570-4 Spyder Performante was announced last November.
The tweaked 5.2 V10 engine from the LP570-4 Superleggera
is dropped straight into the soft top, carrying over its
570 PS power (up 10 PS on the outgoing Spyder) and 540
Nm of torque. The engine is hooked up Lamborghini's
e-gear transmission. That combination powers the LP570-4
Spyder Performante from 0-100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and
gives it the ability to hit a top speed of 324 km/h.
The improved performance is also aided in no small part
by a fresh weight saving exercise, a strategy that has
more recently become a firm Lamborghini tradition.
Although the convertible is no lightweight (it tips the
scales around one hundred and fifty kilos heavier than
the coupé), the engineers in Sant'Agata Bolognese have
shed an extra 65 kg off the Spyder, bringing it down to
1,485 kg. Of that weight saving, 40 percent is achieved
through greater use of carbon-fibre, and these new
lightweight components on the exterior include the sill
cladding, diffuser, parts of the revised underbody and
door mirror casings, while in the cockpit the centre
tunnel cover, door panels, gear shift lever surround and
seat shells are all now carbon.
Visually, the mid size sports car gets a remodelled
front bumper which was honed in the windtunnel, while
continuing in the "aero" area the LP570-4 Spyder
Performante now features a new fully-covered underbody,
a restyled diffuser (with quad tailpipes) and an
optional rear spoiler as well as improvements to open
cabin airflow. The LP570-4 Spyder Performante also
receives the Superleggera's 19-inch wheels while
carbon-ceramic brake discs are optional.
The LP570-4 Spyder Performante was joined on the stand
of official importer Niche Cars at Impact by a second
Gallardo making its Thai première, this time the LP560-4
Bicolore, a version of the coupé which was first shown
in public earlier this year at the Qatar Motor Show.
Niche Cars also presented a white Gallardo LP560-4
Spyder and a black Murciélago LP670-4 SuperVeloce on its
stand as well as clutch of Lotus models, including the
Evora and Elise, as the specialist is also the official
importer for the British sports car brand.
There was more eye-catching Italian metal at the
Supercar & Import Car Show thanks to the official
Ferrari importer, Cavallino Motors Co.; it displayed
Maranello's most in-demand sports cars: the stunning
mid-engined 458 Italia as well as its more refined 2+2
sister, the California, on its stand, while a second
booth emphasized its used car programme, showing off the
F430 Coupé and Spider as well a 360 Modena with matte
black roof and carbon-effect stripes. The Italian vein
at Impact continued with Fiat Thailand, which also was
present, its booth showing off a trio of Fiat 500s
including the roll-roof 500C and the special-edition 500
by Diesel. Finally, Maserati's official importer here,
Empire Motor Sport, presented the stylish new
convertible GranCabrio and luxurious Quattroporte sedan
on either side of the dramatic GranTurismo MC Stradale
on the occasion of its Thai debut.
Much of the Supercar & Import Car Show floor
space was devoted to a swathe of shiny, and unusual,
metal from a phalanx of "gray" importers, a booming
business here, with Mercedes Benz's array of upmarket
models being the most popular offerings on show,
reflecting it's long-time status as the undisputed
best-selling luxury brand in Thailand. Novelties
included the Bentley Continental GT, Nissan Juke and
Weismann Roadster while more specialist-tuned models
included a Brabus Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon and an ABT Audi
R8 Spyder.by
Edd Ellison
ItaliaspeedTV:
Supercar & Import Car
Show, Impact Exhibition Center, Bangkok
/ Lamborghini
Gallardo LP560-4 Bicolore (Thai debut)
|
|
|
