Auto Shows

The Specialty Equipment Market Association show, better known as SEMA, is on again in Las Vegas. The 2009 edition of this aftermarket show, one of the largest of its kind in the world, is more of a showcase for American tuner companies than any other, with this year being dominated by excessive Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro variants. Among the crowd of muscle cars are manufacturers such as Toyota, Hyundai, Suzuki and Subaru, who chose to participate whereas many others have dropped out due to the recession.

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You can always trust the Tokyo Auto Show to have the most intriguing and the most wacky concepts. The 2009 edition of the show is no different. This is one event where the concepts outnumber the production car launches. However, this year’s show is a bit muted due to various automakers pulling out, blaming the recession rather than poor management. Many of the concepts are hybrids or zero-emission vehicles, affirming the green slant of the show.

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Rolls-Royce has launched its new Ghost model in the GCC. It was unveiled in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia as part of a Middle East tour.

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The iconic Toyota Sprinter Trueno, also known as the Corolla GT-S in some markets, was a 2-door hatchback that was first introduced in 1983. It had a 1.6-litre 4-cylinder engine with maybe 130 hp and, more importantly, a balanced rear-wheel-drive chassis. It became more commonly known as the AE86, nicknamed after its chassis designation, and is popular on the Japanese drift scene till today, even though production ended in 1986. It achieved worldwide popularity only during this past decade, as the hero car in the Japanese animated series Initial D. And now, Toyota is readying a successor in the form of the FT-86 concept at the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show.

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The Aston Martin Rapide, the self-proclaimed “world’s most elegant four-door sports car,” has officially debuted at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. After months of leaks and speculation, the Rapide does not hold any surprises, except maybe in the way the doors open.

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The Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany is among the largest auto shows in the world, and the 2009 edition of the event is hosting a number of upscale debuts that scoffs at any hint of recession. Among the notable launches are the new Bentley Mulsanne, the Rolls Royce Ghost, the Aston Martin Rapide, the Lamborghini Reventon Roadster, the Ferrari 458 Italia, the Maserati GranCabrio, and the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, among others. Numerous niche-market concepts include the Mini Coupe & Roadster, the Bugatti 16C Galibier, the Lexus LF-Ch and more. Also present are a number of production and concept green cars,

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After months of teasing the retarded press with a shadowy photo, Bugatti has finally revealed its new four-door sedan concept ahead of the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show at an event for Bugatti customers. Originally dubbed the Bordeaux, the super-sedan’s real name is Galibier, named after a difficult Alpine pass along the Tour de France route.

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The entirely-predictable Audi R8 Spyder convertible will debut at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. Sporting a cloth folding top, the R8 Spyder will only come with a V10 engine.

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Lexus is desperate to reduce the average age of its buyers, and the IS sedan isn’t cutting it. So in the vein of the BMW 1-Series and the Mercedes-Benz CLC-Class, Lexus is readying a smaller hatchback model, and the LF-Ch concept offers a first look at its design direction.

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The Volvo C70 is a rather invisible vehicle, considering we haven’t seen one on the road. Ever. But as limited as its sales are, the C70 hardtop convertible has received a minor facelift for the 2010 model year, giving it the droopy new corporate nose that debuted with the XC60.

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