Auto Salon revved up and revived

Auto Salon is back. Postponed last year due to the Global Financial Crisis, the modified car show will open for 2010 at the Melbourne Showgrounds this weekend, August 28 and 29, between the hours of 10am and 6pm. Organisers are anticipating 25,000 visitors will hip-hop their way through the turnstyles for a chance to see the latest in modified-car creations.

Participants will be competing for prizes at the show and Auto Salon organiser Charles Kha expects this year's event to reflect the increasing impact of the drift scene on local modified cars. For that reason, expect to see more emphasis on suspension and tyres than in previous years.

"It's the influence of time attack and drifting coming through -- and if what's happening in Japan is any guide, then time attack in particular looks like becoming the next big thing in Australia," said Kha.

"The other influencing factor is tighter vehicle registration rules, which mean enthusiasts are increasingly looking to build cars for performance on the race track."

Jose Angeles, Marketing Manager for Hankook Tyres Australia, agrees.

"There's a whole new feeling in the scene coming from modified car enthusiasts who are as much interested in the performance of their car as in the look of it," he said.

Hankook is a sponsor of the event and one of the focal points for the show will be the Hankook Ventus Centre Stage, which will feature the Rewind Dance Crew, Australia's representatives at the World Hip Hop Championships in California.

When the Hip Hoppers aren't on stage, the entertainment will include DJs and model competitions. Hankook merchandise will be handed out to winners of a series of Gran Turismo 4 shootouts and $1000 worth of tyres will be won by visitors to the show on each of the consecutive days.

The stage has been named after the Hankook Ventus RS-3 tyre, which is being launched at the Auto Salon. A street-legal tyre offering track-focused performance, the Ventus R-S3 recently won a major tyre test in Japan for 'UHP' (Ultra-High Performance) tyres. Japanese modified-car magazine Rev Speed declared that the Hankook tyre "overwhelmed" its opposition in lap times, steering feel and overall safety.

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