Show Review: Tokyo Concours D’Elegance

Tokyo has hosted the first of what it hopes will become the Japanese equivalent of America's Pebble Beach and Italy's Villa D'Este. Held at the plush Tokyo Midtown shopping mall/commercial complex, the Tokyo Concours D'Elegance was initiated by enthusiast Paul Goldsmith and coincided with the first public days of the Tokyo Motor Show - though regrettably also with a typhoon, forcing organisers to cover the cars on the lawns, which were ultimately closed due to flooding.

Fortunately, the exhibition had been split between in- and outdoors, and while the weather lashed out at those braving the winds, there were still some interesting displays for those wishing to remain dry. Central to this was a display of Audis, which lined up the R8, the Rosermeyer Concept from 2000 and a 1936 Auto Union Type-C. These were planted next to the 21.5-liter 1911 Blitzen Benz, the road-going Nissan R390 GT1, and, uniquely to the show, the black version of the Ferrari 575GT Zagato seen in gray two years ago at Villa D'Este.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the windows, three cars were left receiving a soaking: a Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR 722, Bugatti Veyron 16.4 and a Rolls-Royce Drophead Coupe, the typhoon providing perhaps the ultimate test for any convertible. Bugatti was also premiering their new watch crafted by sponsors Parmigiani. This unique timepiece places the face perpendicular to the wrist making the incredible gearbox-like mechanism the focal point instead, seen through a crystal barrel that, at least conceptually, reminds of the exposed V16 powerplant in the Veyron. Sadly, that isn't the only similarity however: at $300,000 the watch will be as out of reach to most as the car.

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By CDN Team