A motoring show for Londoners
As a car hack I have spent an awful lot of time at international motor shows over the years. Sure they can be hard work, they’re often very busy and can get too big to afford you a really good overview on what’s going on. Ideally, it’s good to see rival cars close together to better understand them but at the really big motor shows it’s just not possible. If you’re looking to choose which car to buy you can come away more bewildered than when you arrived. And as for the dream exotic supercars it can be difficult to get anywhere near them.
But the real problem with motor shows has always been their static format. Sure you can sit in the cars but it’s rare to get a chance to test drive the cars you’re considering owning. How good would it be to have a chance to drive some of the cars you’re interested in?
London’s sole remaining motor show, Motorexpo is the closest we have to a British motor show since the demise of the event in 2010. The Motorexpo show – which is underway at Canary Wharf – has taken the tired, familiar motor show format and given it a clever twist. And its unusual format goes some way towards solving some of these issues. More importantly, it’s also free and close enough that you can pop down there over a lunch break or even over the weekend.
Its best feature is that it has been created for Londoners. Motorexpo’s “show floor” is the streets and buildings around Canary Wharf. This means punters can get up close to the cars and see them in a more natural urban setting. You can even drive some of them. Considering the amount of time I’ve spent looking at a car under artificial lights only to discover it looks very different on the road, this seems a very good thing indeed.
Companies including Bentley, BMW, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lexus, Lotus, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Mitsubishi, Morgan, Nissan, Saab, Skoda, Tesla, Vauxhall, Volkswagen and Volvo are exhibiting more than 250 vehicles between them, at the show which ends Sunday.
Members of the public can also drive some of the emerging wave of more eco friendly vehicles. The “Drive the Future” display in Montgomery Square has been set up to de-mystify electric, hybrid and ultra-economical vehicles and show what these emerging alternative powered vehicles have to offer. You could get to drive the electric Mitsubishi i-MiEV and Nissan Leaf or super economical versions of the Volkswagen Polo and Skoda Fabia and if you’re lucky enough – the breathtaking electric Tesla Roadster sportscar. There is even an extended-range electric Vauxhall Ampera saloon, a car that’s not even been launched yet.
The display is supported by the RAC, Transport for London and the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership so there are plenty of boffins to answer technical questions on topics such as government grants for low emission cars. You can also see electric charging-point exhibits and a mobile hydrogen refuelling station to help better imagine what your real-world commuting experience could be driving such advanced cars.
With car journalists reviews ranging from hostile cynicism to gushing plaudits, it’s a great chance to see cars for yourself and make up your own mind. Or at very least get some real world experience and see what all the fuss is about.
Motorexpo is open: Monday June 6th – Sunday June 12. (10 am–6pm, Mon-Sat. From 11 am – 5pm, Sunday.) www.motorexpo.com