RE: Sunday Service 12/01: Performance Car Show
Discussion
dantournay said:
A superb way to start to the day at the NEC and great to meet to so many fellow PHers. I can only echo everyone else's comments, well done and thanks to PH and the security.
Did I hear correctly that the guy in the vindicator drove up from Oxford? That must of been properly cold.
Glad you liked the moggy
If you're interested you can see my build thread here http://retrorides.proboards.com/thread/87745
+1 (Loved the Moggy too. My kind of project!)Did I hear correctly that the guy in the vindicator drove up from Oxford? That must of been properly cold.
Glad you liked the moggy
If you're interested you can see my build thread here http://retrorides.proboards.com/thread/87745
Had a really good day - as has been mentioned, was great to be able to park so close under cover etc... Thanks to the organisers!
Got chatting to one of the Autograss drivers in the paddock - he said his car (twin 1000cc gsxr engined buggy looking thing) cost ~ £10k for something that holds it's own at national level and the race meets are cheap as... seems like a fun way to get into racing...hmm
Also, he never left first gear going round the arena (understandable as apparently they do 0-60 in under 4s on mud) and said it's terrifying :-)
Got chatting to one of the Autograss drivers in the paddock - he said his car (twin 1000cc gsxr engined buggy looking thing) cost ~ £10k for something that holds it's own at national level and the race meets are cheap as... seems like a fun way to get into racing...hmm
Also, he never left first gear going round the arena (understandable as apparently they do 0-60 in under 4s on mud) and said it's terrifying :-)
Big thanks from me too. Smashing panoramic photo a couple of pages up - loving that I'm the least subtle car in the front row!
Personally, I thought the SS was excellent- it was my first and my passenger's first too. I reckon he and I'll be coming to more. If anything, I think I felt a bit rushed because I knew the doors opened at nine and that everyone would disappear, so I wanted to get round as many cars as possible and earwig/chat as much as possible. Mainly disappointed I didn't get round to introducing myself to Nigel and Tom - holding the Caterham end up while I chickened out and came in the 350Z.
As for the show, I wouldn't say I was disappointed, but underwhelmed. I last went in 2007 or so, and I felt the Live Action Area and Live Show were pretty much identical. I was surprised in fact at how short the queues were for the karting and Caterhams, which perhaps shows how money is tight on the punter's side. I'm also pretty sure the tickets were £25 back then, whereas it was £45 for the same thing this year.
The main differences were:
Less headline unveilings
Less F1 focus (not necessarily a bad thing, but lets be realistic - F1 is the best known motorsport in the UK)
Not quite as impressive a "celeb" line-up.
Smaller and less stands
More marginal stands, like the dude washing the Fiat, and way, way less manufacturers
Big thumbs down to Evo for selling their goody-bags. Even their sales pitch was silly. "Latest Evo for a pound" is better that their lame effort. Minus marks and yah boo sucks to them. Didn't even spot any of the journos to chat to.
On thing I really noticed was that there were two manufacturers who have infiltrated the show and spread their wares around so almost wherever you were, a car was within a 30 second walk. One was McLaren, the other Caterham.
I doubt I'd go in the next couple of years, unless there were specific cars at the show I really wanted to see, which I think probably says it all.
SS - 8/10
AI - 4/10 (if it'd have been my first time, it'd be a 6)
Personally, I thought the SS was excellent- it was my first and my passenger's first too. I reckon he and I'll be coming to more. If anything, I think I felt a bit rushed because I knew the doors opened at nine and that everyone would disappear, so I wanted to get round as many cars as possible and earwig/chat as much as possible. Mainly disappointed I didn't get round to introducing myself to Nigel and Tom - holding the Caterham end up while I chickened out and came in the 350Z.
As for the show, I wouldn't say I was disappointed, but underwhelmed. I last went in 2007 or so, and I felt the Live Action Area and Live Show were pretty much identical. I was surprised in fact at how short the queues were for the karting and Caterhams, which perhaps shows how money is tight on the punter's side. I'm also pretty sure the tickets were £25 back then, whereas it was £45 for the same thing this year.
The main differences were:
Less headline unveilings
Less F1 focus (not necessarily a bad thing, but lets be realistic - F1 is the best known motorsport in the UK)
Not quite as impressive a "celeb" line-up.
Smaller and less stands
More marginal stands, like the dude washing the Fiat, and way, way less manufacturers
Big thumbs down to Evo for selling their goody-bags. Even their sales pitch was silly. "Latest Evo for a pound" is better that their lame effort. Minus marks and yah boo sucks to them. Didn't even spot any of the journos to chat to.
On thing I really noticed was that there were two manufacturers who have infiltrated the show and spread their wares around so almost wherever you were, a car was within a 30 second walk. One was McLaren, the other Caterham.
I doubt I'd go in the next couple of years, unless there were specific cars at the show I really wanted to see, which I think probably says it all.
SS - 8/10
AI - 4/10 (if it'd have been my first time, it'd be a 6)
Another thanks for sorting the SS guys. It was my first one, as they're normally too far away. I thought the parking was excellent, very good separating us all out like that. The show was OK, bigger than I remember in 2010 when I last went. They needed less talk at the beginning of the Live Action arena and stop playing s
t music over the top of the cars racing, we (well me at least) wanted to hear the cars not Rudi-bloody-mental.
My photos are here http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulsolecki/sets/7215...
t music over the top of the cars racing, we (well me at least) wanted to hear the cars not Rudi-bloody-mental.My photos are here http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulsolecki/sets/7215...
Craikeybaby said:
The other manufacturer I noticed that seemed to have cars everywhere was Radical, I thought they were meant to be a low volume manufacturer!
Your 350z was stunning, my Dad and I both agreed that it was out favourite car at the PH bit, although closely followed by the Morris Minor.
Cheers - pleased you liked it. It's nice driving about in something there's less than 100 of in the country! And you're dead right - lots of Radicals about too. Never managed to wangle a sit in one though.Your 350z was stunning, my Dad and I both agreed that it was out favourite car at the PH bit, although closely followed by the Morris Minor.
Smitters said:
Big thumbs down to Evo for selling their goody-bags. Even their sales pitch was silly. "Latest Evo for a pound" is better that their lame effort. Minus marks and yah boo sucks to them. Didn't even spot any of the journos to chat to.
Unfortunately I have to agree with this; it seems to be standard fare for Evo at shows now. I headed for the Practical Performance Car stand instead, where everyone worked for the magazine, were happy to chat and give complimentary copies of their latest issue. Much better!
As most have stated it was the SS element that made this a good day,,and as always worth doing!
To be granted acces to the inner sanctums of the NEC and to park in a warm dry hall, and for free has to be commended, well done PH team!
As we drove in and out to the hall, the look on thousands of peoples faces walking in the cold and rain from the main car park was priceless, you see them thinking, " hey where the hell are they going and why can't we?"
It's also great to meet othe PHers at these events, it always surprises me how many people come up and say, we know you because of your videos of Tom in the R500!
Toms head swells every time, and he loves to tell people that he is famous on you tube for the videos in his dad's car!
Sadly the AS show has been getting worse,,and I now recall why we stopped going years ago.
The parade of cars, with specs and price tags at the start of the love show, was just tedious, even though I had been warned about that!
To be granted acces to the inner sanctums of the NEC and to park in a warm dry hall, and for free has to be commended, well done PH team!
As we drove in and out to the hall, the look on thousands of peoples faces walking in the cold and rain from the main car park was priceless, you see them thinking, " hey where the hell are they going and why can't we?"
It's also great to meet othe PHers at these events, it always surprises me how many people come up and say, we know you because of your videos of Tom in the R500!
Toms head swells every time, and he loves to tell people that he is famous on you tube for the videos in his dad's car!
Sadly the AS show has been getting worse,,and I now recall why we stopped going years ago.
The parade of cars, with specs and price tags at the start of the love show, was just tedious, even though I had been warned about that!
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