Went to the London Motor Show yesterday. Someone said pics or ban when I mentioned it last week, so here ya go:
The show was in a huge aircraft hanger style building, with two parts to it, and an outdoor area with a liitle off-roading track, go carts, food, and beer. Outside held my interest for as long as it took to buy a hotdog, then I got straight to the cars. Ford had their stuff set up just inside the door, mostly family wagons and hatchbacks, biofuel and electric hybrids. Rally car too though, Gronholm's I think.
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Aston Martin was next on the tour. They had the familiar ones we've all seen...
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Something very few have seen...
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And a nurburgring 24h race car, still covered in dirt from the track.
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That thing looks very different when it's dressed up in racing gear - much angrier :evil:
Citroen had a few concepts, like this little 1600 road/rally car, which was apparently designed specifically for the show.
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Saab had some concepts mixed in with their regular cars too, none of them got me that excited... except for this -
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The AeroX. Wow. Apparently they are actually going to make this. From the Saab site -
So it's fast, good for the environment, and looks like a kid's drawing of a spaceship... I think we have a winner.
Jaguar next. We managed to get into the 'VIP' area by pretending to have enough money for a Jag, and got to sit in this -
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The XJR and the hardtop XKR were also there.
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GM. It's a hummer, it's big, it's bad.
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Z06. Looks sooooo much better in person than any pic I've seen, including these ones. Awesome thing.
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And the 'Vauxhal' Monaro, which is actually a Holden.
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I was on my way to look at a lotus, but I was distracted...
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Why yes, I _will_ take a leaflet about some overpriced limo service, thank you... now smile!
Ahem. Back to the cars.
Lotus Exige S (that's the good one BTW) and everyone is allowed to sit in it unsupervised and play with the controls. Could be because there wasn't much to break. The only controls are a wheel, pedals, and a gearstick - and all those are made of solid aluminium. It was difficult to get into and impossible to get out of (I'm over 6 foot) but once inside it was great. Felt like a cockpit.
There were a few random things next. Classics, modded cars, car clubs displaying their members' vehicals, and a British land speed record car.
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Then Top Gear! Anyone who likes the show would like this stand - the guys weren't there, but the stig was, and some of the props and cars. Remember this episode?
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Maybach. Personally I think this thing is ugly, but everyone else likes it so here:
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There was a really interesting TVR concept, the Sagaris, but unfortunately the photos didn't turn out well. Got a good one of the Speed12 though.
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Lexus was pretty boring, nothing really new that I could see, but they did have an interesting moving cutout of an engine. Basically a peice of the head slides off, revealing the valves and springs and such.
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Then right at the end was something I'd been waiting to see. A genuine formula one car, taken to pieces, and each piece suspended from the roof with a bit of fishing line. Wow. You can see every little nut and bolt, how every cog in the transmission fits with the next cog, bits of race damage, bits where they've had to use duct tape or glue to repair it... Great stuff. Search the web for more (infinitely better) pics.
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Damn that was a long post. I'd better get Elite for this, or at least a cookie
The show was in a huge aircraft hanger style building, with two parts to it, and an outdoor area with a liitle off-roading track, go carts, food, and beer. Outside held my interest for as long as it took to buy a hotdog, then I got straight to the cars. Ford had their stuff set up just inside the door, mostly family wagons and hatchbacks, biofuel and electric hybrids. Rally car too though, Gronholm's I think.
Link
Aston Martin was next on the tour. They had the familiar ones we've all seen...
Link
Something very few have seen...
Link
And a nurburgring 24h race car, still covered in dirt from the track.
Link
Link
That thing looks very different when it's dressed up in racing gear - much angrier :evil:
Citroen had a few concepts, like this little 1600 road/rally car, which was apparently designed specifically for the show.
Link
Link
Saab had some concepts mixed in with their regular cars too, none of them got me that excited... except for this -
Link
Link
Link
The AeroX. Wow. Apparently they are actually going to make this. From the Saab site -
So it's fast, good for the environment, and looks like a kid's drawing of a spaceship... I think we have a winner.
Jaguar next. We managed to get into the 'VIP' area by pretending to have enough money for a Jag, and got to sit in this -
Link
Link
The XJR and the hardtop XKR were also there.
Link
Link
GM. It's a hummer, it's big, it's bad.
Link
Z06. Looks sooooo much better in person than any pic I've seen, including these ones. Awesome thing.
Link
Link
And the 'Vauxhal' Monaro, which is actually a Holden.
Link
I was on my way to look at a lotus, but I was distracted...
Link
Why yes, I _will_ take a leaflet about some overpriced limo service, thank you... now smile!
Ahem. Back to the cars.
Lotus Exige S (that's the good one BTW) and everyone is allowed to sit in it unsupervised and play with the controls. Could be because there wasn't much to break. The only controls are a wheel, pedals, and a gearstick - and all those are made of solid aluminium. It was difficult to get into and impossible to get out of (I'm over 6 foot) but once inside it was great. Felt like a cockpit.
There were a few random things next. Classics, modded cars, car clubs displaying their members' vehicals, and a British land speed record car.
Link
Link
Link
Then Top Gear! Anyone who likes the show would like this stand - the guys weren't there, but the stig was, and some of the props and cars. Remember this episode?
Link
Link
Maybach. Personally I think this thing is ugly, but everyone else likes it so here:
Link
Link
Link
There was a really interesting TVR concept, the Sagaris, but unfortunately the photos didn't turn out well. Got a good one of the Speed12 though.
Link
Lexus was pretty boring, nothing really new that I could see, but they did have an interesting moving cutout of an engine. Basically a peice of the head slides off, revealing the valves and springs and such.
Link
Then right at the end was something I'd been waiting to see. A genuine formula one car, taken to pieces, and each piece suspended from the roof with a bit of fishing line. Wow. You can see every little nut and bolt, how every cog in the transmission fits with the next cog, bits of race damage, bits where they've had to use duct tape or glue to repair it... Great stuff. Search the web for more (infinitely better) pics.
Link
Link
Link
Damn that was a long post. I'd better get Elite for this, or at least a cookie