London Motor Show Lowdown
- Aaron Alleyne-Wake
- May 5, 2016
- 4 min read
After 18 months in the planning, the London Motor Show opened its doors today and I was on the floor to see it unfold.
It's the new TV...Oh....
Yes, if you haven't heard by now, TVR made its announcement about its forthcoming model before then lifting the cover off it to reveal, well another cover. Needless to say everyone gathered around the car was disappointed and although we were told there would be no reveal, Les Edgar said he would "show some leg". The car that is, not him - that would be a bit odd.
But sadly we did not get to see any 'leg' as all we were treated to was a silhouette of a sports looking car with carbon fibre door mirrors poking out.Edgar said that the car would be revealed to the customers first and that the car also needed aerodynamic work done to the body. Even so, it would have been nice to see a bit more than this:
Gordon Murray also spoke about the car and stated that TVR want to bring the "muscle car back to the UK". He also said that due to lightness and the Bosworth powered V8 the engine would be able to get to 100 and back to 0 "very quickly". But all the talk in the world could not recover the disappointment of not actually seeing the model. Oh well, they say good things come to those who wait...
MG unveil its first SUV
We move on to a car that was actually unveiled, the new MG GS. This will be the first SUV from the Birmingham-based brand and this was the first time the right hand model has been seen in the world. I have to say it looks rather good, although I fear for MG as the SUV market is extremely competitive and I feel MG will need something special to really make an impact. All the fine details are still unknown and will confirmed in the press launch next month.
The car will go toe-to-toe with the Nissan Qashqai, a car that has won numerous awards since its release, including the WhatCar? Car of the Year award (small SUV) three years running. As well as being MG's first SUV, the GS will also feature the brand's first automatic system. The car will come in three trim levels and will powered by a 1.5 litre petrol engine. Prices are still not confirmed but will be revealed next month.
Noble and SVR unveil the savage M600
The new Noble M600 was unveiled by SVR sales and events director Lee Cunningham who was keen to stress the M600 was "unlike any other car" as the focus is purely placed on the driving sensation. He then went on to say that the car is custom made the same way that a suit would be. Buyers can choose the optimum setting of their seat and peddle position so the car is completely bespoke to them.
The M600 produces a whopping 650bhp and is light as it is fast - the car weighs in at just 1198kg. The power is courtesy of a 4.4 litre V8 twin turbo Yamaha engine that produces 662 bhp - 558 bhp per tonne. It is mated to a six-speed manual and will hit 0-62 mph in 3.5 seconds and has an estimated top speed of 225 mph.
#stopthecrash demonstration
I got to witness Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) first hand as #stopthecrash were holding demonstrations in a Volvo V40. I must say it was odd and difficult to let go of all trust and let the machine do its thing. I had to runs on the short stretch of tarmac leading to an inflated rear end of the car to simulate a real-world situation.
On the first run I actually tapped the brakes before I got to the target as my brain just couldn't trust the system. The car did indeed stop for itself although I don't know what else I was expecting as I had seen people before me do the same thing. The second run I was able to let go of control and the car stopped itself before I hit the inflated car. The stop is actually quite smooth and it's not as jolty as you might expect.
HRH officially opens the show
HRH Prince Michael of Kent opened the show saying that he was please that the show had finally "got off the ground" and he feels it will be a major opportunity to show of the UK's "booming motor industry". HRH also said that road safety and design and technology would be "strongly represented" at the show.
The London Motor Show opens to the public from the 6th of May and will run until the 8th of May. Tickets are £15 and under 11s go free. For more information go to www.thelondonmotorshow.co.uk.
If you want to see more pictures, head to my instagram and Facebook page.
Comments