Glimpse Of Frankfurt Auto Show 2013 (IAA)

One of the biggest Auto shows of the planet, yes, we were at the Frankfurt IAA 2013 (Internationale Automobil Austellung).

About a thousand brands of cars were showcased...with cosmetics, tyres and lots more. We could see all range..from the most expensive Jaguar to the least expensive BMW Cycles...from the biggest car like Tesla to the smallest Mercedes Smart...from USA's Ford to Japan's Honda...everything under one roof.

This year, the Frankfurt Auto Show was even special as the focus was particularly on electric versions and pollution free technologies. Even the biggest Mitsubishi Outlander (plug-in hybrid) and Audi Quattro series were featured electric as the car makers call it the 'future'.

All brands of cars looked top notch with glossy finish and unimaginable colours. The cars were posing all day for a million cameras winking head lights and SOS. The car frenzy lot went gaga over the fiber body finish and LED lighting. 

We got enough freebies from the top notch brands that had magazines and badges that you could flaunt on your denim jacket. Some car brands like Skoda had organised a quiz competition for which the winner got his favourite Skoda merchandise collection.

Audi had planned its own presentation style by creating an exterior mirror wall and interior Matrix concept. The Quattro series and many more wind technology based cars were showcased. 

Mercedes was indeed a showstopper as it had organised a special representation of its S-class, E-class and B-class electric drive series. About a dozen models drove these cars back and forth and made the crowd look spellbound. 

The extra focus given for German manufactured brands like BMW, Volkwagen, Audi, Mercedes and Porsche was well seen.

Some Chinese brands like Changan, Korean's Hyundai..Suzuki, Peugeot's new Onyx, Dacia, Renault, Toyota, Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborgini, Bentley, Bugati were all over the place. 

Famous event of the year the "Urban adventure tour" by Range Rover Evoque was an outdoor attraction. The silk route travelled vehicle was showcased for SUV, MUV fans. 

Top Gear and ADAC also had stalls to provide information on cars, rules and more. The new grand i10 and modified Duster were main attraction for Auto fans. All in all, a fantastic auto show of 2013.

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A Visit To Toyota Automobile Museum

Japan's famous Automobile giant "Toyota" was a most prominent destination to visit during our stay.
The Luxurious Lexus, Land Cruisers were zooming at high speeds in mind and we decided for a half day tour to the Toyota Automobile Museum.

The Toyota Automobile Museum is in Nagakute City, near Nagoya, Japan.

Here we got to see the new launches (Lexus IS, CT and Rx series), yet-to-be's, racing machines (TRD equipped) and more.

It was an awesome feeling to sit and feel the glossy cars. The comfortable, new technology seats were a touch and feel experience.

We could also get the essence of speeding and drifting while driving the Safety Simulators.
Who can forget the Supra drifts?...Well, the famous speeding Cars were also a part of the Toyota range of cars.

There was also some genuine entertainment by the Japanese dancers to encourage the lovers of motor sports.

All in all, it was a fantastic feel of luxury, speed and brand.

And by the way, we also came across the famous Zepp Music halls, a popular place for Japanese musicians which can house more than 2,000 people at a time.

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Being At Audi Forum, Ingolstadt

Ever since our travel BHP team got to know about the Audi Museum at Ingolstadt, they couldn't wait to visit to get to know the past, present and future of the premium car brand. As imagined, the place made them spellbound for half day long looking at the dream car designs and learning its technology.

Audi Forum is the only Audi Museum in the world where one gets to see and ride their choice of Audi cars. The A series and Q series are simply flattering for sedan and SUV lovers. 

From luxury to comfort to hybrid technology to speed, no stone is left unturned by Audi. The makers, definitely, are aware of what it takes to be always on top and are equally deserving.

We started off with a 10 minute movie on the history of Audi. The movie hall is simply superb and is at the bottom most floor of the Museum.

At 1st floor, we are welcomed with the upcoming and future cars of Audi. The new 'division of power' technology of hybrid cars is shown through a working model.

Working of a four cylinder TFSI motor is also the next eye catcher. The motor is designed for the 1.8 litre four cylinder engine. The engine features:

FSI Petrol direct injection, Turbocharger, integrated exhaust, gas cooling in the cylinder head, electronically controlled coolant, central and Audi valvelift on the exhaust. 

Its a 1,798 cc engine with 125 KW of power and 320 Nm of torque.

Among the Diesel versions, we got to see the 3D touchscreen working of Audi 3.3 litre V8 TDI engine. It just amazing to see the camshaft cams, injector, inlet valve & port, outlet valve & exhaust port, con-rod piston, toothed-belt drive and flywheel crankshaft.

What's more surprising is that one gets to see the older series of Audi like Cabrio 2.8 (2000), Audi v8 (1988), Audi S6 (1996) on slow running elevators. 

Many colourful series of antique cars are widely on display. 

Not many know that the four interlinking rings symbol was not the older identity of Audi. It was the number:1 sign that Audi was popular with. 

The rings meant the union of four automobile companies like Horch, DKW, W Automobile and Audi. They were popularly known as Audi Union. Today, Ducati is also under Audi.

Some bikes and bicycles made by its partner companies are also on display. 

As you are done with museum sightseeing, you can visit the opposite building to get to see the present generation cars. The R8 5.2 Quattro, A8 Hybrid almost drag you to have picture and feel lucky to be posing next to them.

You can also drive Audi on demand if you have a valid license, shop genuine Audi accessories and toy cars. The restaurant and cafe in the museum building serve some refreshments for the hypnotised Auto freaks.

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The Glorious Nikko, Japan

Nikko is a small town located in the north of Tokyo. We chose to drive to Nikko from Yokohama. It is one of the popular destination for both Japanese and tourists. It was a one day trip so we could cover few places in Nikko. We visited in early October so we just got the glimpse of Autumn. November will be the best season to visit.

There is a popular saying in Japanese which says "Never say enough until you've seen Nikko". Here is my wonderful experience in Nikko.

Other Attractions: Futarasan shrine, Rinno-ji

Access: Car, Bus, Train

Restaurants/Cafes: Almost all cuisines are available here.

On the way to Nikko

 Nikko Station

  

Motorcycle paradise

View of Motorcycle road on our navigation system

Our machine for the day

 Kegon Falls

This is Nikko which we visited. We couldn't cover all the places due to the shortage of time. We have missed the beautiful shrines and few others. Due to this I have a privilege to visit Nikko again and will update it to you all shortly. 

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