October 10, 2018, 02:04 PM 
You’ve probably seen this before.
Source: YetAnotherTechGuy
This video of four girls dancing at a Bangkok car show went viral across the globe in 2015.
And that’s no surprise - appreciating the beauty in all forms of art is what makes us human.
Speaking of appreciating beauty in all forms, Audi Singapore is organising a massive brand event this weekend, with over 50 beautiful models. Car models, that is.
Best of all, there won’t be scantily-clad girls. And that is exactly why I’ll be going.
Here’s why I think car shows that feature a lot of sexy girls will soon be a thing of the past:
Carmakers are no longer focusing just on male drivers
Cars, and driving, have long been regarded as men’s territory. One Men’s Health article says that these stereotypes probably started in the early days of automobiles, when cars were “enormously physical machines to operate”; it was men who drove these clunky machines.
How different things are today!
Today, in the US, there are more female than male drivers. Closer to home, it’s been reported that “the number of women driving for Grab in Southeast Asia grew by more than 230%” in 2017.
And it’s not just the rise of the stereotypical soccer-mom-in-a-minivan which accounts for these trends. Women are also driving fancier cars.
This has definitely caught carmakers’ attention.
For example, one car brand reportedly created a female advisory panel to give them feedback that will help them make cars which women will want to buy.
It actually comes down to how:
“Men are more likely to see cars as being tied to their image and accomplishments, while women are more likely to look at them as a way to get from point A to point B” (source)
Generally speaking, ladies are practical shoppers who choose cars based on safety, practicality, comfort, and other substance-related (instead of style-related) criteria.
- and that’s good for us all
When carmakers make cars that have both style and substance, everyone wins. For example, catering for ample storage, safe places to secure your valuables, and grocery bag holders. These are things that women - and men - will benefit from, and that’s just from the practicality angle.
This is why, on a retail level, businesses need to look at addressing the needs of both men and women equally.
It’s nice to know that the auto industry is learning to be focused on my real needs as a car buyer, and not my, er, male needs, which is none of their business, quite literally.
I mean, hey, it’s 2018. It says something about a brand if it still hires women who are dressed in revealing clothing just to attract more men to their events.
A bunch of researchers concluded that “men's cognitive functioning may temporarily decline after an interaction with an attractive woman.” And so, I’m of the opinion that, the presence of skimpily attired women at car shows is just a distraction. After all, if the car is good enough, it doesn’t need all the bells and whistles.
Here’s what I think we can expect out of car shows, moving forward:
New innovations
Hey, technology is cool. Check out this car driving itself:
Source: Audi
This is the Audi Aicon, an autonomous vehicle which navigates traffic using a laser and radar sensor system, instead of a driver and a steering wheel. This allows its interior to look like a spacious business lounge.
And this super-futuristic electric sports car.
Source: Audi
If it looks like it came right out of Gran Turismo, that’s because it did.
From a practical angle though, I do want to get an idea of future developments, and how soon consumer cars would have them, before I splash out cash.
And that’s exactly why you’d probably want to look at the latest automobile technology at Audi Brand Experience, with concept cars specially flown in for the event (like in the above 2 GIFs).
Also, the all-new Audi A8, Audi A7 Sportback and Audi A6 will be making their debuts.
Audi’s first fully-electric SUV, the Audi e-tron, will make its first public appearance after its global debut in San Francisco last month.
Audi e-tron (Source: Audi)
The Audi e-tron is packed with some cool features and could be on Singapore’s roads as soon as next year.
Good old-fashioned test drives
Needless to say, a car is one of the few things you don’t want to buy just based on what you read online. Test-driving a car is definitely the best way to see if it suits you.
Touch and see Audi cars at Audi Brand Experience with on-site test drives.
You do have to purchase tickets – “touch and see must pay money” after all. But think of your friends’ reactions when you tell them “the other day, I was driving around MBS in my Audi test drive car, wah, traffic these days is quite bad ah?”
And, finally, because I’m a millennial at heart, I’m also looking for…
Something to Instagram
I’m counting on Audi’s driving showcase to break the monotony of hastily-taken food pictures I keep posting.
It’s a specially-choreographed driving display featuring 30 different Audi models, accompanied with audio-visual effects - that’s something you don’t see every day.
Looks good, right?
Where & When to go
Dates: 10th – 14th October 2018
Time: 12pm - 10pm on Wed, 10am - 5pm on Thu, 10am - 10pm on Fri - Sun
Location: Halls B & C, Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre
Buy your tickets here - every ticket purchased gets you a chance to win an Audi A5 in the grand draw. And, you’ll get $5 off each ticket with the promo code ABE2018.
This sponsored article by Audi Brand Experience Singapore 2018 gave the author quite a few interesting conversation topics to discuss with his girlfriend.
Top image by Fasiha Nazren
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