Saturday, October 28, 2006

Petrol head

As the title suggests today was car day. The annual auto show is in town and along with it are the occasional beautiful, and many hiddious, curves on show, that goes for the cars as well.

The Red Bull F1 team had a car here and tried, at the last minute, to organise a demonstration in the streets. The obvious choice, and their first thought was the Costenera Norte, the relatively new freeway with cool tunnels and a great surface, about the only road in Santiago guaranteed to not destroy the car. The authorities decided that this was a bum idea, as it would encourage all those neanderthals in their suped up Nissans to try go at 300 km/h down the freeway... So, a compromise was arranged to use a stretch of road between Parque Forestal and Rio Mapocho, between where the potholes stop and the bumps start.

The sound was magic and the smell tell-tale, but after pass number 3 it all came to an abrupt halt when said petrol head neanderthals decided that jumping the barrier and running after an F1 car was a good idea. I have yet to understand the human being and his desire to be so bloody stupid, needless to say that is most likely the first and last time that an F1 car will do its thing in Santiago, all three minutes of it - what a waste, of waterproof skin I mean.
















It was pretty popular and everyone was out to take in the spectacle, good luck to those early enough to literally find a perch.
















'The Track'. Photo courtesy of el Mercurio (www.emol.com)
















The pretty Belles Artes gallery in the background. Photo courtesy of el Mercurio (www.emol.com)




















Smokin'!. Photo courtesy of el Mercurio (www.emol.com)

So instead of running down the road like everyone else we decided to head down to the showground and check out some cars we might actually be able to afford..
















wwwwhhhhhhh hhhhmmmm (how do you write a whimpering puppy sound???), enough said.

















Not too schabby Nige! One of the prettier on show I think, the floor seemed quite white still, not sure if the fixed the oil leak, maybe they just drained the oil out.
















Porsche seems to be quite a favourite in Chile, apparently good for doing figure eights and doughnuts. Somehow not quite a spectator sport... behind the wheel would be fun though! Glad I'm not paying for those tyres.
















First in show: Alfa styling, Subaru engine and Hyundai promotion girls
Miss congeniality: SsangYong styling, Hyundai engine and neanderthal spectators

Wishing you a screeching F1 engine week.

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