Marking 18th holding this year, one of the largest motor shows in Kansai area that draws overwhelming popularity as an event of dress-up & tuned-up cars, “Osaka Auto Messe 2014″ opened its curtain on February 16th at Intex Osaka in Osaka Prefecture. With the severely low temperature from early morning, snow covered the entire area around the venue, but the inside was filled with the heat of spectators.

With the season opener at Okayama International Circuit approaching in April, GTA Chairman Masaaki Bandoh attended the site to promote the series. Chairman was framed in a photo with Toshiharu Suzuki, the chairman of Osaka Auto Messe committee, in front of a brand new GT500 car (top photo). The event will be held through February 16th.

 Visitors stopped their feet to give a closer look at the powerful brave figures of three new GT500 racing cars, “LEXUS RC F,” “HONDA NSX CONCPET-GT,” and “NISSAN GT-R NISMO GT500,”which will debut in the competition from this season, displayed up front at the main entrance.

 Also in the same area, the carbon monocoque (produced by Toray Carbon Magic) used in the new cars were put on display, and many people showed their interest to the “rare product” which is not frequently seen at the circuit.

 On the SUPER GT Official Stage, Pierre Kitagawa, a race announcer, anchored the talk show as the master of ceremony. Hiroaki Ishiura and Kota Sasaki appeared on the stage alongside of Chairman Bandoh.

Chairman Bandoh was first to address the floor, “SUPER GT aims to show races which can make the fans that come to the circuit to go home in satisfaction. Please come to the circuit.” He revealed that the NISSAN GT-R NISMO GT500 put on display at the venue along with other cars just arrived from the circuit in the morning after it completed testing at Okayama the day before. He also touched on the Thai event (Round 7, Oct 4-5) that newly joined the race calendar from this season, “The circuit has a clockwise layout like Autopolis, and pavement is already done on the track.”

 Drivers on the stage thanked the fans for coming to the event despite the bad weather and talked about their current situation and their commitments towards upcoming season. Ishiura described the new racing car as “extremely fast” and emphasized the outstanding potential of the car, “I qualified third at Okayama in 2008 in a Formula Nippon car, and it’s only about a second slower than that.” With a bitter smile, he told the floor about the new monocoque as a hidden story and said it is “difficult to do driver change.”

Sasaki, who got the most pole positions with taking the top grid five times in GT300 last season, spoke about the car, “It might be a little faster on the straight than last year.” But his declaration came after, “I got pole positions and that’s good, but it’s about time to get the championship.”

 Following drivers’ talk show, the Circuit queens of Okayama International Circuit, which will host the season opener, and Suzuka Circuit, where SUPER GT cars will make runs in front of fans at a fan event in early March, appeared on the stage and gave PR for their respective events by lively appealing, “Please show up on the fan event day as well as to the races!” Fan event of Suzuka Circuit will be held on March 1st and 2nd and Okayama International Circuit will have an official SUPER GT test (Okayama fan event) on March 15th and 16th.

 At the SUPER GT booth located in 6A building of the venue, SUPER GT’s official merchandises were sold and SUBARU BRZ GT300 from the GT300 class was put on display. Ishiura and Sasaki conducted an autograph session right after the talk show on the day. Many fans called out to the drivers, “Keep up the good work again this year.”

 These SUPER GT cars on display and drivers’ talk show make it more longing to see the season start at the Round 1 Okayama (April 5-6). Let’s expect the overall eight races to be hotter than last year.

 2014 AUTOBACS SUPER GT Event Calendar

*Exhibition event scheduled in the initial plan has been cancelled.