Vladivostok International Auto Salon

Perhaps nowhere in Russia are good cars loved as much as in Vladivostok. Running along the roads here are "Khorki" ("Ferrets") – Toyota Harrier, "Sayri" ("Saury") – Toyota Soarer and "Zubatki" ("Wolf Fish") – Toyota Corona, as Vladivostok citizens affectionately call their "iron horses." They love cars so much here that they’ve given them nicknames and invented their own automobile slang. Drift is not hooliganism here but a real sport, a honed skill in managing high-performance equipment. People are so fond of motor sports that they’ve built their own automobile city – a Technical Disneyland of the Far East – the tourist entertainment center "Primorsky Ring."

The most motorized city in the country definitely knows good cars. So it’s not surprising that the first international auto show in the Far East emerged here. Vladivostok International Auto Salon – VIAS – was organized jointly by the Sumotori Group of Companies with the Japanese corporation SanEiShobo, organizer of the famous Tokyo Motor Show. VIAS is not just an exhibition of novelties of the foreign and domestic automotive industries; it is fabulous versions of "old friends" – "pumped" beyond recognition. It’s a celebration of fine tuning, the awesome roar of cars and crowds, and of course – a great show.

At VIAS visitors enjoy an exposition of Russian and foreign makes, test drives run at the best kart track in Russia, as well as contests and prizes. But the highlight of the International Auto Salon "Vladivostok" is the dizzying Crash Show "TERMINATOR": no-holds-barred combat for rugged machines – where the winner receives a prize and the loser leaves under the astonished gaze of a dazed audience.

Vladivostok International Auto Salon is a new claim to fame in the world for the Primorsky Krai brand. Plus, VIAS is quite close to Vladivostok International Airport and not far from the city limits and transport interchanges. It is also the site of the tourist and recreational cluster "PrimRing" – where everyone can find something to lift their spirits.