What will happen to the custom car world in the future?I asked Kazuo Shimizu."Use IT technology to make parts, and the world's car show is virtual!" [Tokyo Auto Salon 2021]

■ Kazuo Shimizu, what do you think will be the world of car shows and custom cars in the future?

Unfortunately, the 39th Tokyo Auto Salon 2021, which was held at Makuhari Messe from January 15 to 17, 2021, was unfortunately canceled to prevent the expansion of coronavirus.

Sponsored by Japan's oldest automobile magazine "Motor Fan", motor sports magazine "Auto Sports", and my clicccar publisher ( * changed company name from Sanei Shobo Co., Ltd. in 2019].In the 1968, the 1st Tokyo Racing Car Show was held in 1968, and in 1983 the Tokyo Auto Salon's predeCESsor was held.The name was changed to "Tokyo Auto Salon" since the 5th in 1987, and the scale has been expanded year by year while relocating the venue to the international exhibition hall in Harumi, Tokyo, the Ariake Tokyo Big Sight, and the Chiba / Makuhari Messe.In recent years, car manufacturers have exhibited all of them, and in 2020, 438 exhibitors and 336,060 for 3 days!It has grown into the world's best custom car event.

But 2021 ... (tears).This is the first time that the Tokyo Auto Salon, which allows vehicles and car lovers to gather, has been canceled for the first time in the long history.

To the Tokyo Auto Salon, which has followed such a long history, and Kazuo Shimizu, an international motor journalist who has been involved in various forms for many years, what will happen to the world of carona and the world of custom cars in the future.Should it be ... I asked such a question.(Clicccar: Yasu Eikko)

clicccar Eikomitsu (hereinafter Yasuno): Mr. Shimizu, the real Tokyo Auto Salon 2021 has been canceled ...

Kazuo Shimizu (hereinafter Shimizu): It's a global flow, so it can't be helped.Yes, now I go to Tokyo Auto Salon almost every year as one of the interviewers, but in the past I was an exhibitor.The company, "PROVA", which plans, manufactures and sells Subaru parts that I happened, used to be exhibited at Tokyo Auto Salon in the past.

Yasuno: The recent Tokyo Auto Salon has been expanding the scale, but how does Shimizu feel?

Shimizu: The exciting car show era and the Tokyo Auto Salon in the early Heisei era were a show where Option magazines took only tuning cars.In recent years, car manufacturers have been working more and more, making it a place to announce new cars.Then it's no longer interesting for me.It's cooled at the Tokyo Auto Salon.Manufacturers do a lot of money and use a lot of companions.Well, the organizer may be profitable, but I returned to the starting point again and thought for a long time that I needed a spin -off event at the Tokyo Auto Salon.The tuning cars and custom cars are the center, it's more handmade, don't spend money, and you don't need a companion.

Yasuno: Option sponsored a flea market called "OPTION Power Market" in 2004, and since 2006, did something like an old exciting car show called "Exciting Car Show Down", but both were out of buttocks.

Shimizu: It's interesting to be like a flea market.There are a lot of automotive flea market in Europe, and when you go to an old Italian city, everyone will bring various things on Sunday morning.I need such a common people.

Yasuno: What should the Tokyo Motor Show, Tokyo Auto Salon and Shimizu be?

Shimizu: Do you think the Tokyo Motor Show has become boring because the car manufacturer has entered the Tokyo Auto Salon?At the Tokyo Auto Salon, I did a great car presentation.For example, like the 2020 GR Yaris.That's all, the way of thinking of automakers is wrong.Even if you look at the number of visitors, youth is more Tokyo Auto Salon.Well, I think it's self -employed.

It is better to open the Tokyo Motor Show to the Tokyo Auto Salon, just as the Tokyo Auto Salon attracted and released automakers.Then, more automakers can like them.

Yasuno: The world's motor shows are changing and online due to the Corona evil.

Shimizu: The CES in January every year was online in 2021.The Geneva show in Switzerland, which is held in March every year, is canceled for the second consecutive year, 2020, 2021, and is online this year.The German International Motor Show in September has been talked about because the location has changed from Frankfurt to Munich, but it is barely possible to hold it in real life.The US Detroit Show was canceled in 2020 and it will be held in June as a completely outdoor show in June, but this is also likely to be online.

But looking at this year's CES, I don't know if online is better.Look, it's a great site!

Yasuno: Tokyo Auto Salon 2021 has been incorporating online from this year instead of canceling.But my first attempt ... I honestly thought that I need more ingenuity (sweat).

Shimizu: It's just a virtual, but you can have a tour guide.There is a corner where a character like a popular Nobuki Taniguchi is doing a guide.In addition, there are other racers, the rally shop's perspective, the viewpoints of the mechanic that the mechanic who were mechanic ... Each room, entering the rooms that are interested, instead of that person.Looking in real life, you can see it in virtual.I think it's interesting.It's quite interesting because CES has already been built online from the beginning.

The SXSW (South by South West), an art and entertainment show in Texas, USA, after the Geneva Show in March, has also been held online.High -end online events are increasing not only for cars but also for various shows.

The Tokyo Auto Salon can't be done with physical, so it's not the idea of online because it can't be helped, but online in the future, online!If you think so, you can improve the quality of online.Because, in this era, you can distribute YouTube LIVE alone with iPhone alone.

Yasuno: In the current world, the engine is abolished worldwide, BEV only!There is a flow like this!It's like, but I wonder if the BEV will flow in the tuning world.

Shimizu: There are 12V, 24V, 48V, and 600V, a mild hybrid, and nothing can be said because the government's definition of "electrification" is ambiguous.But cars that move only with the engine are endless.After all, to improve fuel efficiency, it is better to use a battery motor to some extent.

Then, the tuner tune the motor and battery, or the software.Then you have to be familiar with electronics, software, or computers.Tuner technology?The content of the knowledge changes.

Yasuno: The world of engine barbariurichune, the aerotune of Mori, and the Option -based high -power tuning is ... I like it.

Shimizu: Rocky 3000GT of "Rocky Heart", which was coming to the auto salon TV today, or a car like a replica tune, may be able to use a 3D printer.Then you can do it from Ichi.

Unlike the past, there are ways to make a mold easily.In the past, it was a time when a mold was made and it was a press of about 1000t, but now it can be made with a 3D printer.Since all of them are cut on a computer, you can give a work instruction only in your computer.If the number of young IT car lovers who are good at such plaCES and a good sense of designers do not increase, I think the Japanese tuning industry will lose.

It is neCESsary to dive under the car and bend a pipe ... but now you can use DX (digital transformation) technology that can be made with a 3D printer without diving under the car. I from.

How do you put digital technology into the tuning world?I guess it will be a game.Even if you don't prototype each time, try making it in a virtual space, see it in 3D, and this is fine!What?The color can be changed in it.If it's OK, it's like making a mold with a 3D printer.

Yasuno: It doesn't taste good ...

Shimizu: When it comes to BEV ... yes, the engine car doesn't go away, but because there is no engine, people who are familiar with electricity become tuners.You can use the motor and the battery, and the combination is easier.Rather, it is harder to make an engine!

Yasuno: Tokyo Auto Salon has many exhibitions of automotive college, but will the number of subjects to nurture such IT engineers will be more?

Shimizu: In a university that is a student formula, it is about two years ago, but about 40 schools have participated in all, but there are only about three universities that are doing Formula with EVs.。But 100 % of European students Formula EVs.So, in such an EV world, Japan is losing to Europe.

The Japanese Automobile College, which is participating in the Tokyo Auto Salon, is left behind from the world if you do not learn not only sheet metal and mechanic 1st grade and 2nd grade, but also digital technology.I wonder if it will go.Using digital technology as a tool, the engine is made using a 3D printer with digital technology.I have to create such a world.

Yasuno: Can automakers cover IT digital in -house?

Shimizu: No, I'm almost throwing it to a supplier.I think Toyota is "Denso is my company!"As with Honda, the car manufacturer is the assembly factory, planning and brand.

There are major Magna Stires and IT -specialized companies in the world of cars.So, Sony and Apple can make cars in such a place.

Yasuno: I want to make the world of tuning faster than anyone and make it gorgeous!Isn't it easy to understand like that?In addition, recent automakers say that if you step on as expected, you will be fast, and if you cut the steering, you will bend ...What do you think will be what people want in the future?

Shimizu: It will be two polarization.

One is "cheap, comfortable, safely, and peace of mind".It's like commodity, but I hope I can move without consciousness.A car is just a mere moving tool.For example, if it is a nail clipper, it can be 100 uniform.

But the nail clippers must be made by sharp and sharp masterpieCES!What?This is another idea.It may be such a two polarization.

Yasuno: Then, will the tuning dress -up industry, like exhibiting at the Tokyo Auto Salon, go in a more sharp direction in the future?

Shimizu: I think it would be a good business if tuning tuners return to their original form.The increase in commodity means that people who want something different from people are more comfortable, so I want to spend more money on special things!I think it will feel like that.

You may know, but now the two -wheeled world is interesting.Two wheels have less capital investment to start a garage, there is no need to have about four spaCES, and no garage jacks are needed.The two -wheeled world is now modern like a defender.But there are many people who want an old original motorcycle.There are people who pay as much money for old harley tuning and replica.It's like a Rocky auto that revives 2000GT in the current world.

However, it is hard to do that with four wheels, but two wheels are not so difficult.

There is such a culture in the United States, and there are many such tuners.But that is everyone with DX and digital technology.

It is not like it in the past.In the past, it was difficult to bend a pipe, and it was hard to bend it so that it did not dent, or bent with high water pressure proCESsing with high water pressure.But I couldn't do that without tremendous equipment, but now it's an era where you can easily make a mold with a 3D printer.Is it legal or illegal?By the way, I think you can customize more with the current digital technology.

Yasuno: In the customization world, there is no one who wants more money and wants their own world.

Shimizu: Rocky Auto's Rocky3000GT is 30 million yen, not 2,000 GT, but one supercar in terms of price.But if you want it, you will buy it.And do you know that the stock of supercars has disappeared in Japan after this corona?McLaren, Ferrari, and Porsche were sold out in no time.Well, the R34GT-R is the era of 20 million yen.It means that there are people who spend as many money as you want, special, amazing, and fast cars.

Yasuno: Thank you for your valuable story!So, what is Shimizu this year looking forward to?

Shimizu: Of course, rally!In the All Japan match, 2020 was lost due to Corona, so I just came out twice in GAZOO's Lalichare.That's why it's accumulated!I made the Yaris CVT for 5 million yen, but there are few sunny stage !! So I want to participate in the rally as much as possible this year.

(Interviewer: Yasu Eikko / Image: Nobuyoshi Kaneko, Hayato Tsuchiya, Kazuhisa Kobayashi, Yasu Eikko)

【Related Links】

StartyourEnginesxhttps: // www.YouTube.Com/user/Startyourenginesx

Auto salon TVhttps: // www.TOKYOAUTOSALON.JP/2021/TV/

Virtual Auto Salon https: // 2021.Virtualautosalon.JP/

Tokyo Auto Salon 2021 Official website https: // www.TOKYOAUTOSALON.JP/2021/

CES 2021HTTPS: // Digital.CES.TECH/HOME