Sitting Pretty : Recaro at Tokyo Auto Salon 2009

At 2009's TAS (Tokyo Auto Salon), Recaro's chic booth was a good example of the premium upmarket direction the brand is heading towards, which places an emphasis on individual customisation versus the usual off-the-rack applications.

This was the sight that greeted visitors to the Recaro booth; an evolution of the sports seat through the years, starting with the first 'bucket' seat for Porsche to today's Sportster.



Black and Greys were the dominant themes, but vibrant splashes of colours could be appreciated in the experimental colour/material/stitch combinations that adorned part of the Sportster collection, as well as the stark Red that clad the latest SR-7 and some of its 'dead' bucket seat collection.



Compared to the haphazard manner in which other brands have chosen to display their wares, there is some order to Recaro's configuration, with the sports bucket seats positioned in the inner quarter, while the outer quarter showcased the reclining seats, which included seats like the Magnifica, SP-X, Sportster, Sport JC, SR-6, as well as the latest SR-7 and a 'hybrid' c/f reclining seat that was created for the Nissan GT-R Spec V.



Picture above best illustrates the difference between the TS-G (Red) and the RS-G (Blue-black). The TS-G has a pronounced curved back whereas the RS-G has a straight back.


L-R: SP-X, Sport-JC, Sportster, Sportster (experimental), Sportster (experimental)

Visitors were more than welcome to plonk their behinds into the seats on display and there was a helpful information stand next to every seat for the show-goers to read off as they were comfortably seated.



The SR-7 is the latest seat to join the Recaro collection of reclining seats, although these are still pre-production examples. Some people mistakenly think this is intended to succeed the SR-6, but as of last month, the SR-7 was and is intended to be a replacement to the vintage SR-4 (which is still popular among many buyers even today).

Unlike the rather sharp-edged styling SR-6 or even the Ninja Turtle inspired SR-11 (Evo X seat), the SR-7 takes a leaf from the past and boasts gorgeous organic contours that are intended to resemble the voluptuous feminine form.





These are the standard seats found in the Nissan GT-R Spec V (Yes for the last time it's Spec V, not V-Spec. Developed specially for Nissan, this is another iteration of the reclining carbon-fibre seat that was available as a Nismo Clubsport upgrade for the standard GT-R. Note the different embroidery: Spec V seats say 'GT-R', while the Nismo Clubsport seat upgrades say 'Nismo' and have that 'crotch support' padding.

On the Move : ASM Visit 2009 in Yokohama

The skies were beautifully blue during our visit to S2000 tuning legends ASM and this was the sight that greeted us when we pulled up in the cab (i'm tempted to mosaic out one of the cars, but that would be against the spirit of this blog hoho!)

It was almost a shame to scuff our shoes on this pristine white mat.


Apart from tuning S2000s, ASM is Japan's pre-eminent Recaro dealer. In fact ASM's party trick is its collection of ASM special edition Recaro seats that boast unique material, colour and stitch combinations that don't otherwise exist in the Recaro line-up.

Although these special editions are based on Recaro's existing range of seats, ASM injects little tweaks to really spice up the usual colour combis of the regular range. This is just a small section of ASM's prodigious seat collection...



This is ASM's infamous Recaro rack display. To really put things in perspective, the display of seats account for some 90% of the total shop area. Although ASM used to offer the occasional fluroescent green- or orange-clad seat, but apparently novelty aside, most buyers continued to come in asking for... black and dark grey!





What's a trip to ASM without having a gander at their infamous S2000 (in this case it's Car No. 1). This daily driver (as opposed to the race-prepped version that has made the cover of so many tuning magazines) spends most of its time garaged unless the weather is good.

The beauty of ASM's body kit is the fact that it looks perfectly stock (the rest of the aero bits - Roof is Mugen, Mirrors are MRacing - and chassis enhancements are produced under I.S. Design, a subsidiary of ASM I believe). It's not too garish nor mundane, which make it ideal for owners who want to bask in the admiration of passers-by, as opposed to suffering from a 'just another ricer' complex.



These elegant tear-drop c/f mirrors are a nice change from the Craftsquare/APR/Chargespeed style 'antennas' or 'bulging eyes' that a lot of people go for. However, the reason why the latter prove so popular is because they are PnP, or Plug and Play, directly over the stock mirrors' original positions.

The unfortunate thing about these MRacing mirrors is the fact that you either have to putty up (or cover and conceal) the sockets left vacant by the stock mirrors and drill holes for the mounting screws into that triangular bit pictured.

The mirrors do come with carbon-fibre 'door-plugs' but these will probably have to be sprayed to body colour on anything other than a Berlina Black (and maybe Silverstone) car since the contrast would look too garish on most other colours.

Another option is to get a body-shop to putty over the hole and/or invest in a second set of FRP or CF doors, which is quite a lot of 'prep' work for what is essentially a forty-five minute fitting job.





Gorgeous Alcantara RS-G (ASM Limited of course) the few concessions to vanity in a very functional cabin (like the engine bay). There's nothing there that shouldn't be there!



ASM Race engines are prepped by Toda Racing but during our visit, the car was unfortunately blighted by a failed starter motor so it couldn't be started for our aural enjoyment :(

A peek under the hood displays this sexy work of art! No aesthetic embellishments here; every element is functional!

ITBs!! YUM! (Individual Throttle Bodies)

1:1 complete engine! lol


Close-up of the extractor: beautiful curves and top-notch weld-work. Now this separates the wheat from the chaff!



Apart from Recaro seats, ASM also sells other assorted equipment that range from ARD racing shoes (collaboration between Asics, 5Zigen: http://www.5zigen.co.jp/english/products/racing_item/ard/shoes/index.html) to distinctive green Takata harnesses.

Now Takata seems to be de rigeur 'standard equipment' on all JDM-inspired S2000s, but if i had to pick a harness brand, my personal preference is still Schroth.

http://www.schrothracing.com/
http://www.schroth.com/



Gorgeous orange application on this white S2000 parked out front certainly looks the business. Word is there are Green and Light Blue versions running around too, all inspired by the legendary Porsche 911 GT3.

It's just a pity that not many people see the beauty of this kind of colour-combination on a S2000. To a lot of elitists who suffer from tunnel-vision, it's ok for a Continental car but beng or 'ricer' on a Honda or anything else Asian.

Different strokes for different folks guys, don't be a hater just cos you don't 'get it'.

Audi's Coupe de'tat: Audi A5 / S5 Part III

First thing we see when we enter the room:


yummy chocolate macaroons and a model car of the A5... pity about the colour though

we pick up our press kits and route books at this creatively designed counter:


new key design for Audi, certain models can be specc'd with full keyless operation:



and the test cars...a mix of A5 3.2q / 3.2 / S5 variants

these cars have the phat stance, aggressive snouts and little addenda to set them apart from the rest of the neighbourhood hoodlums. the only thing is we all saw different bits of other cars in the design of the A5 / S5. Elements from the Bentley Continental GT, BMW 3-series and even Aston Martin could be spotted in the sleek aesthetics of the car.

The A5 is the first in Audi's line-up to be based on this new platform.



the ignition button:


gear-lever:


and rev counter (note the low red-line):


Predictably enough, being the hardnosed petrol-heads that we are, our quick bee-line was for the S5. :)



thumb the ignition button and the S5 awakens to an idling rumble. however, cabin insulation is so good you hardly hear any of its addictive V8 symphony.

So to really appreciate the guttural exhaust note and mechanical rasp, one needs to stand by the treacherous twisties of the mountainous roadside as the 'test-pilot' hurtles around switchbacks and straights with reckless abandon! LOL

the ride is firm, gosh, but never crashy even when we alternated between the 18- and19-inch rim options. clutch operation is heavy and this is a car that excels in the low to mid-range but runs quickly out of puff at 7000rpm. Smooth shifts are best executed leisurely, since this gear-box does not like to be rushed.

the S5 is effortlessly fast, even deceptively so to a certain extent, but it never feels special or raw in the same way as a RS 4, with steering that is disappointingly inert for a car with such sporty pretensions.

The quattro drive offers abundance of grip and it's unlikely you'll ever breach its limits unless you're really manhandling the controls. The brakes are stupendous and can be hammered repeatedly without them ever throwing in the towel.

The A5 / S5 are intended to be direct rivals to BMW's 3-series Coupes but personally speaking, the Bavarian propeller offers more driving high-jinks as an overall package. the A5 excels only in quattro guise and the 3.2q is a great all-rounded bundle in terms of driving thrills for those who may balk at bridging the S5's price gap and may want something more than a 325i.

So it's easy to see the appeal this pose-worthy car will have for a driver who may enjoy something different from the usual blue-white roundel and isnt looking for something that requires a hard thrashing during his everyday commute.

The car is expected to arrive in Singapore only in 2008, so there's plenty of time to start feeding the piggie bank!



p.s. this was not shot with the phone. i actually do work occasionally too LOL

Fast Facts: Audi S5
Engine: 4163cc, 32-valves, V8
Maximum power: 354bhp at 7000rpm
Maximum torque: 440Nm at 3500rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
0-100km/h: 5.1 seconds
Top speed: 248km/h
LxBxH: 4635 x 1854 x 1369 mm
Wheelbase: 2751mm
Agent: Premium Automobiles

Audi's Coupe de'tat: Audi A5/S5 part II

well, the next morning saw the same fleet of sleek A8Ls' waiting in the square (Piazza Santa Anastassia) to 'transport' us from the city of Verona to the chic Byblos Hotel (full name: Byblos Art Hotel Villa Amista) for the A5 / S5 drive:


Some random pix snapped around the hotel. yes this is the same 'Byblos' fashion house but i guess the fashion business should really be taking a back-seat to their hospitality arm... which i must say really rocks!

the approach up the long driveway:


the view from the other side of the fountain:


lobby area (check out the cheeky murals):


bedroom:


corridor opens to this common area:


next up, the cars!

Audi's Coupe de'tat: Audi A5/S5 part I

oh well, an early trip into frankfurt (5am) meant we had 6 hours to spend languishing in the lounge before the flight to Verona. First up, breakfast:


... and when u have 6 hours to kill, you generally find ways to keep oneself entertained! :)


before long, it's boarding time again, which means going through the whole inspection/x-ray/full cavity search rigmarole

In verona, a spanking fleet of A8s are waiting to take us to the hotel. They consist of a mix of W12 and TDi variants. We got the former:


a bit of the hotel (Due Torri Hotel Baglioni, Verona) main foyer:


And with effectively half a free day before us ahead of the drive tomorrow, we take in the sights of the city including the purported balcony where Romeo romanced Juliet:


AND gorged ourselves on all manner of roadside delicacies... and this was before dinner!


... followed by dinner itself at Antica Bottega Del Vino (www.bottegavini.it). the lobster buccatini was quickly wolfed down but i had enough presence of mind to snap this quick and dirty image of the main (guinea fowl)... although it wasn't quite as satisfying as the pasta. Their specialty's horse meat, which wasn't as game-y as i'd have expected.