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Their footsteps are light and their eyes are full of expectations. Even from the back, the men carrying a load of cameras look more than cheerful: they are excited. Why? Because something Korean men think is to-die-for is waiting for them: Cars!. Held annually at KINTEX, the Seoul Motor Show in fact attracts many, not least car enthusiasts, thanks to its huge scale, featuring the latest gleaming models from the showrooms of the world's motoring elite.

Seoul Motor Show 2013, which ran from March 29 (Friday) through April 7 (Sunday), was a record-breaker this year, topping over one million visitors, an all-time high. Your humble journalist got down to Seoul Motor Show and got up close and personal with the latest offerings from over 331 companies, with everything on offer there, including passenger cars, commercial vehicles, special purpose vehicles, motorcycles, and tuning cars. There were also tire, auto parts and maintenance equipment suppliers. It was far from a Korean-only affair, with 13 countries from across the world all in action on the event floor.

The Seoul Motor Show is from dawn to dusk awash with punters clamoring to get the best photos of their beloved brands.

2013 is really about two trends: eco-friendly and fusion with leisure. The low-carbon green growth paradigm taking shape globally means auto makers are responding with eco-friendly, highly fuel-efficient cars. That's why energy-saving compact cars, hybrids, fuel cell vehicles and electric vehicles, were so easily found at the exhibition center.

In addition, with leisure activities such as camping and bike riding getting more and more popular, cars boasting of versatility for those purposes were also on show.

The picture shows NEXEN TIRE CP521 fitted as OE Tire on Ssangyong Turismo. It is perhaps one of the more refined ways to spend your time at the Motor Show: spotting the various NEXEN tires fitted to so many different car models.

Looking at racing models showcasing the various car brands on show is also an important fun factor for a motor show. Come and give yourself a joy of looking at such various car models on display and get an insight into the latest trends in the rapidly-changing automobile industry.

NEXEN TIRE visited the Auto Shanghai after its foray into the Seoul Motor Show.
The Auto Shanghai, held in China, the world's largest automobile market, is one of the world's top five motor shows. It ran this year from April 21 through 29, 2013.

The show certainly lived up to its billing. Over 2,000 automotive companies from more than 20 countries came for the show, with more than 13,000 models exhibited over the 280,000㎡ exhibition center consisting of 17 halls and grand-scale outdoor zone. As many as 111 models made their global debut at this motor show.

It seems the world has finally opened up to the realization that China, the world largest auto market, also has the largest purse strings. Luxury cars to the left of your intrepid reporter, and luxury cars to the right; there was perhaps no luxury car brand not represented here. No wonder the N1 Hall, where the luxury brands called home, was so full of Joe Public seeking the best view of the latest in high-class luxury automotive performance.

Such were the crowds, it was difficult even to get the camera out, never mind to take the picture. What's your favorite luxury brand?

The show also saw many concept cars being unveiled. Among them was BMW's X4 Concept presented along with a tremendously engaging video clip on a large X-shaped screen behind the car. The Hyundai HCD-14 Genesis Concept with its future-oriented design went down particularly well with the legions of photographers gathered around it.

As at Seoul Motor Show, Shanghai didn't disappoint from a NEXEN TIRE perspective, with so many cars there fitted out with the latest in tire excellence. Models from Hyundai, Kia and Ssangyong were exhibited with NEXEN TIRE fitted to them. Among them was Kia's HORKI-1, a sedan model which is available only in China, mated with NEXEN's N9000. The N9000 is a new, ultra high performance sports tire with super-speed driving performance that has already won a string of world-famous design awards for its impressive Z-shaped pattern design.

NEXEN is now set to deliver its tire to both American and European automobile brands. Having so many projects in the pipeline means more automobiles with NEXEN TIRE fitted on display at motor shows.

A picture is worth a thousand words! Here are some pictures at Auto Shanghai.

Living up their respective billing as Korea's largest motor show and the world's largest motor show, both Seoul Motor Show and Auto Shanghai were must-see events featuring various attractions and unveiling many new cars. Here's to next year being even bigger and more successful!

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