Birmingham, 12th-15th January, 2023

The Autosport International Racing Car Show, in conjunction with the Performance & Tuning Car Show, returned to the calendar, like so many other events, after a Covid induced hiatus. It was held at its regular venue of Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre between 12-15 January. The show followed its well established format, covering virtually every facet of motor sport, spanning from karts to Formula One. The concurrent Performance & Tuning Car Show provided a variety of offerings, including some really wild custom creations, notably those on the expansive Kream stand, which no doubt may offend the purist, but one can’t help but be impressed by the creative thoughts and skills that make the offerings truly eye catching. Nearby The Cannon Run stand had an impressive supercar display, including a Ferrari SF90 Stradale, Lamborghini Countach Anniversary and a Koenigsegg Regera, the latter resplendent in metallic blue with gold accents and wheels.

The first two days of the show were geared more to the trade and educational aspects of motor sport, with a hall dedicated to the engineering side of motor racing, featuring an expansive array of companies that provide the numerous diverse elements needed for motor sport competition. On the educational side, a number of colleges and universities that had appropriate specialist courses relative to motor sport had stands, some with student project cars on display.

In all honesty the feature displays this year didn’t live up to what one has come to expect from previous years, when virtually every F1 team was represented. This year the only current teams represented were Alpine, Aston Martin, Red Bull and Williams. However, it was nice to see an original BRM P15 F1 car as part of the display, even if one couldn’t hear the scream of its amazing V16 engine. The other feature display was a celebration of Ford’s 1-2-3 victory at Le Mans in 1966, with a trio of GT40s wearing the liveries of the podium finishing cars on display, albeit that they were replicas!

Fortunately the trade and motor club stand displays provided visitors with a broad selection of interesting machinery. Amongst them was the hydrogen powered Forze VIII sports racing prototype, whilst Cosworth, best known for their racing internal combustion engines, hosted the show’s EV Showcase stand, where there were electric powered racing cars, together with the Ariel Hipercar. This is billed as the ultimate electric driving machine, and will be available in either two or four wheel drive form, with the option of a Catalytic Generator to extend mileage and negate reliability on charging stations. There was also an impressive and colourful display of NASCAR cars, dragsters, a variety of rally cars, together with (in addition to those already mentioned) a large number of supercars, including an Aston Martin Valkerie, a Ferrari 812 Superfast Competizione and a McLaren Senna. Thus, overall there was plenty of variety for the visitors delectation.

... List of Ferrari Models on Display >>>