Shanghai 2011: can someone turn the volume down please?

Shanghai 2011: can someone turn the volume down please?

There’s a somewhat disturbing trend happening in Shanghai, that’s been making it incredibly hard for us to do our jobs. It concerns noise. The approach of most of the domestic manufacturers seems to have been one of ‘if our music and PA system is loudest, we’ll attract the most attention’. Dishonarable mention here goes to Renault, whose PA system was just intolerably loud – and sat completely at odds with the striking, yet composed voluminous forms of the DeZir.

While this might sound like a journalistic winge, it genuinely creates serious issues and meant we ended up moving off some show stands long before we’d have done given tolerable volumes. To give you some idea of the scenario, think of the last time you were in a club, trying to have a conversation with a friend. You end up yelling down each others ears to make yourselves understood. Now imagine those kinds of volume when you’re trying to interview someone. On video.

So please, to the guys in charge of the show stands, could you turn down the volume? We’ll still come and cover your cars – promise. Then next time, we might be able to get some video of the designers too… and not go home each night with our ears ringing and our heads hurting.

Joe Simpson