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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.

Aston Martin. Burj Al Arab Hotel. Helicopter. Mix & Serve.

As part of Aston Martin’s Centenary celebrations in Dubai, an Aston Martin Vanquish has been helicoptered to the top of the Burj Al Arab hotel. There’s no more extra power on offer from the centenary edition Astons, but they do get a special paint job and interior and come with solid silver enamelled plaques commemorating the centenary, even if Aston Martin seem to have only been able to cobble together a Vanquish Centenary Edition so far. But things have got a bit more spectacular in Dubai, with Aston Martin using a helicopter to stick a Vanquish on the helipad of the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai, 1,000 ft up at the top of the iconic sail-shaped building.

100 years of Aston Martin

The history of Aston Martin is peppered with brilliant cars: the 1.5-liter, the Ulster, the DB4, the Zagato. The list is endless. Beautiful, yet powerful, on the road; glamorous, yet quick, on the track, Aston Martin has come to personify that special variety of tasteful, very British gentleman's sports car.