Orang gila, where you at? Kind of underwhelmed by Jakarta car-spotting.

"Teh Penguin of Doom" (thepenguinofdoom)
12/18/2018 at 03:30 • Filed to: jakarta, indonesia, asia

Jakarta. Tons of fun. A hundred seventy-nine malls. A Rolls-Royce ad first thing you see when you walk off the plane.

In my week there, sure, I saw a handful of Bentleys and Rollses and exactly one Maserati crossover. But given what I’ ve seen of Indonesians in the US, I expected Jakarta to be overflowing with exotics. And I didn’t see a single one (unless you count Rolls, Bentley, and Maybach as exotics).

I also didn’t see much interesting Radwood-era stuff. A few nice Mercedes W124s and Volvo 240s, but really not that much, and a lot less than even in a mediocre car city like Bangkok.

I guess I was in the wrong places? Besides obvious answers like nightclub VIP parking, government offices, and high-end malls’ VIP floors, where does one see cool/interesting cars driving around Jakarta?

Also, stereotypically, what does preman drive? I saw one rather terrifying looking dude in an AMG C63 giving a pep talk to some beggar kids.

Random pics for your enjoyment.

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DISCUSSION (9)

Rude Negro > Teh Penguin of Doom
12/18/2018 at 03:46

N evermind, found them.

Teh Penguin of Doom > Rude Negro
12/18/2018 at 04:28

I let them hang a little lower so you can reach them easier.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > Teh Penguin of Doom
12/18/2018 at 06:08

All of the Indonesian middle class are in America. And they didn't exist before the turn of the century...

Cé hé sin > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
12/18/2018 at 07:04

They’re not in Australia (bein g a tad nearer!)?

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > Cé hé sin
12/18/2018 at 07:09

Nearer...but not sufficiently aspirational. Same reason the Irish skipped England for America back in the day....

Teh Penguin of Doom > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
12/18/2018 at 07:20

Right. But the Indonesian middle class doesn’t drive exotics. I’m asking about the robber-baron class, not the middle class.

Teh Penguin of Doom > Cé hé sin
12/18/2018 at 07:21

I was actually surprised how much Indonesians still have a woody for the Netherlands.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > Teh Penguin of Doom
12/18/2018 at 07:40

They are inspired by what they read on the internet. Therefore it's bound to be dull. Robber barons are not sophisticated.

Cé hé sin > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
12/18/2018 at 17:26

Actually, many indeed went to the UK.