Goodbye #TeamiPhone, hello #TeamPixel. It has been about 3 weeks since the switch and I’m quite happy with it. This post will be a mix review of the Pixel 2 and Tokyo Auto Salon coverage… but really more of TAS 2018…
I’m currently in Kita-ku, Tokyo, Japan posting this from a Starbucks down the street… since I’ve explored most of the tourist spots, there’s not much to see so I’m just taking a break at the moment. So what’s special about the Pixel 2 that made me switch? I blame all of the reviews from friends and YouTube… and so far, they’re right. It’s just a solid phone overall for the price. If you’re invested with apps on the iPhone or love iMessage, don’t switch to an Android phone. I don’t care for iMessage therefore it was an easy exchange for a smoother, faster phone with great battery life. Of course there are no perfect phones out there and the Pixel 2 is not an exception. The only thing I could really complain about was not having a headphone jack and using a USB-C adapter. You could just order some bluetooth headphones to fix this problem and that’s what I did.
The video and camera quality of the Pixel 2 is one the best I’ve seen so far. I want to say it rivals my Fujifilm X100F… but of course, the you can’t beat optical glass and a bigger sensor. The Pixel 2 does well enough where I’m comfortable just using it as an everyday camera. Sorry Fujifilm!
Now onto the Tokyo Auto Salon 2018 coverage….
Friday is usually Press and Media day so if you had early access, you could get in at 9AM…
Starting the morning off with a sandwich and coffee….
This guy was sleeping or listening to news… the life of a salaryman….
I didn’t apply for press passes this year, but got passes to the show instead…
Thanks for the tickets Ken Suzuki! <3
The early pass and press entrance to Tokyo Auto Salon at Makuhari Messe…
Work Wheels booth… This year’s theme was the new Lexus LS sedans and LS500s… you’ll see what I mean…
Lotus Exige Cup Car… I tried waiting until the guy left but he seemed way more interested than I did…
The original Lotus Exige was light… but this one has accents of more CF body and aero…
There were a few new NSX’s at TAS… Liberty Walk Performance lowered this way all the way and threw some Forgiato’s with front lip, sides, and wing…
Another angle of the NSX…
Asses of Liberty Walk Performance…
KPGC10 with I’m guessing LW Performance overfenders since they’re in the LW booth…
Another Liberty Walk Performance NSX… this time with overfenders….
On the other side of LB Performance was this new R35 GTR…
More Lexus… what did I tell you?
Novel booth at TAS 2018…. included the 2017 24H Nurburgring IS F finisher….
Skipping over to the next hall…
How could you not notice this Autobacs NSX with those bright ass colors…
You won’t find many good examples of this Celica LB 2000 GT at the Dixcel booth…
Aimgain International’s VIP EXE Lexus LS500…
The quality and presence of Aimgain cars makes them feel super VIP… I mean look at the line up… don’t mind the BRZ though.
Jk… look at it!
Something I never thought I would see… Pagani on TWS Forged wheels…
I actually recognize this Supra from Daikoku PA last year…
Star Road Specialist… nuff said.
At first I thought this was powered by an Sr5 but upon further inspection… it’s powered by an EJ20 boxer engine… wut??
The boxer motor here kinda reminds me of the FA20 in the FRS/BRZ/86’s…
Hiroshi Takahashi aka @runningfree86’s AE86 at a car wrap booth… didn’t get to meet him unfortunately…
The Mugen booth displayed the Motul Mugen NSX – GT #16…
#TeamMugen
Another Honda NSX but built with GT3 specs and not a hybrid… There were so many people crowded around this car that I couldn’t even get a full shot of the car… hmph.
Really digging the URAS Type GT aero for this S15 Silvia…
Similar to last year’s show, Bridgestone shows off a 370Z with Varis kit… this time belonging to driver @ShinjiMinowa…
If Batman lived in Japan he would be driving this K2 R&D Leon Racing Mercedes AMG GT3…
Also at the Bridgestone tire booth, an 86 kouki with TRD kit on Volk CE28’s, and a bunch of other quality parts according to the vinyl stickers…
I’d drive the hell out of this thing… 1970 Nissan Sunny B110 #84
A restored Hino Contessa coupe is displayed at the Endless booth….
Really unique color on this R34 GTR… I didn’t find until later that this was @Speedhunters_Dino’ GTR….
TAS wouldn’t be TAS without a couple of AE86’s like RK Factory’s AE111 swapped Trueno…
More hachiroku porn… Impulse Levin…
Cusco booth the new 86 Pandem RB kit…
And back at Endless booth…
Ok there was a ridiculous amount of Hakosuka’s at the show…
Restomod Hakosuka….
991 GT3 on centerlock Advan GT wheels…
Toyo Tires brought out Ken Blocks’ Hoonicorn RTR v.2… he was actually there too doing demos outside…
Army Girl booth and wall of photographers / press / creepers…
RE-Amemiya FD RX-7’s are always pleasing to look at…
Even the guys from Tec-Art’s wandered over to take a peek…
Last year Hurtling debuted their DC2… this year it’s the Solid Joker: Supra…
And the Solid Joker: 86…. check out those CF weaves!
Varis booth is usually located right across from Hurtling cars… their display of cars are really hard to miss…
I only took this photo for a wrench spoon…
Pandem RB’s latest kit for the EG… Joey Lee of the Chronicles checks to see if it’s an interfooler…
Then ran into another fellow Texan… @alex_wmd…
Bento lunch break!
1 of 2 R31House’s R31’s…
Crazy 1000HP R31 drift car…
Stewart Leask of Leask Spec would enjoy picking these R32 GTR’s apart…
Above is the RC version of Masashi Yokoi‘s competition drift car and below is the real thing…
Twin Turbo Greddy Nissan Patrol with 2,000 HP… crazy Middle Eastern guys…
JUN Auto booth yellow as ever…
Top Fuel S2000… wing needs to be a little bigger… just a little.
Top Secret booth…
2JZ swap all the things!
Like I said… 2JZ swap all the things!!
Not sure if I’m reading this right but 2JZ???
Rocky Auto 3000GT…
Wonder what it’s like to be a creeper…
So I tried blending in…
This guy has it figured out…
Super GT BRZ STi… the dream car of all BRZ owners…
Yokohama Advan Wheels booth…
Quad Turbo 2JZ S14 drift car… wut?
BMW Z4 transformed into… Cobra… not sure…
Nakai-san’s Stella Artois v.2…
Subaru displayed the new Viziv STi concept car… Is that the Civic lights in the rear?
Liberty Walk Performance revealed their new cars…
Edwin from NYC covering for PRIME once again this year…
Joey Lee and Ryan Der enjoying the moments at TAS 2018….
LB Performance’s Kato shows the universal sign of peace…
Don’t worry if you’re thinking they cut into a Miura… it’s actually a Ford GT body…
The Tamon design S2000 at Ray’s booth…
Forged racing wheels by Rays…
HKS Booth… Ok, that wing could be a little smaller…
Rohan Body Work always doing some crazy paint or design on their cars… imagine if they did this on Lowriders here in the states….
Called it a day and went for some ramen in the food court…
Then headed to Roppongi for the annual RWB meet…
I got there 2 hours early before the meet had started and decided to go home to just take it easy and rest…
Gallery of images here: http://www.danhphan.com/Events/TAS-2018-/
Overall impressions with the Pixel 2 images and phone? It’s not a professional camera and you have to remember that it has limitations to what it can do… it’s a solid phone that’s quick and the camera as you can see above does well. Some images may be soft or whatever at high resolution but who views images at 4K daily?
Thanks for actually making it this far on the post because that was a shit ton of photos! Until next time!
Danh Phan
http://www.dtphan.com
http://www.instagram.com/dtphan