The Growth of the London Motor Show
The London Motor Show has only been around since 2016, and with its 3rd show now at a close, its growth is starting to show. First launching at Battersea Park, the show was a success. Although modest in size, it was a great day out for car lovers. When 2017 came around, the show was starting to show signs of progression, with four UK debuts over the previous year’s two.
Now, the 3rd London Motor Show has come and gone – so how does it compare? This year, the show was located in London’s ExCeL Centre, a big step up from Battersea Evolution. With an indoor live driving arena, there were also some famous faces making an appearance – Grand Tour’s Richard Hammond, James May and legendary racing driver turned TV presenter, Tiff Needell. In short, the show is really starting to make its mark.
We look forward to seeing the London Motor Show continue to grow in the coming years, but for now, here are our top motoring picks from the 2018 event!
1) TVR Griffith
By far one of the top highlights of the show was the new TVR Griffith. Distinctly British, the reborn Griffith combines outstanding performance with breathtaking design. Featuring a 5.0 litre V8 engine with Cosworth enhancements, it boasts a 400 bhp per tonne power-to-weight ratio. We can’t get enough of it.
2) Bac Mono
The surprisingly road legal Bac Mono is a car not-so-surprisingly born for the track. A single seater racing car powered by a 305bhp, four-cylinder, 2.5-litre Mountune engine, the Bac Mono can achieve 0-60 in 2.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 170 mph. This is a car that’s a guaranteed head turner.
3) Aston Martin Vantage
You would be hard pushed to find anyone walking past this at the show. The new Aston Martin Vantage, priced from £120,000, houses a 4 litre turbocharged V8 producing 503bhp. That’s a lot of power! Its new low and wide design is eye-catching to say the least, and we look forward to seeing this new design language reflected in the new 2019 DBS Superleggera also.
4) Lamborghini Urus
Lamborghini’s brand new luxury SUV made a bold appearance at the London Motor Show. Whilst it may not be what you’d usually expect of a Lamborghini, the Urus is here to surprise. Described by Lamborghini as having “a super sports car soul” with “the functionality typical for an SUV”, 0-62 takes just 3.5 seconds thanks to its V8 turbocharged engine. Well, 640 bhp sounds good to us.
5) Mercedes AMG GT R
The Mercedes AMG GT R may not be brand new release, but it was certainly one of the most photographed cars of the show. This is likely down to its striking colour “AMG green hell magno”. It’s hard to miss! The colour was given this name thanks to its development time in the “green hell of the Nürburgring”. The GT R has a 4 litre twin-turbo V8 engine which produces 577 bhp. With a top speed of 199mph and a 0-62 time of 3.6 seconds, there’s a reason it’s known as one of the most capable cars AMG have ever made.
Did you attend London Motor Show 2018?
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