British Motor Show Canned for 2012, its Future Remains Unclear

After being canceled in 2010, the London-based biannual British International Motor Show has also been ditched for 2012. The announcement was made on Thursday by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), which organizes the event.

"In recent years the show has played a less important role in influencing new car buyers and vehicle manufacturers are focusing their limited resources on events and activities that have a more direct impact on brand awareness and consumer decisions," said SMMT chief executive Paul Everitt.

The first edition of the British Motor Show was held back in 1903, while from 1976 it became a biennial event. It was hosted at the Birmingham National Exhibition Centre from 1978 until 2004 before moving to ExCel in 2006. The last show was successfully staged at London's ExCel arena in 2008 where it attracted around 472,000 visitors. It remains unclear if and when the show will be reinstated.

___________________GALLERY: 2008 British Motor Show__________________

http://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2010/10/british-motor-show-canned-for-2012-its.html?m=0

2010 British Motor Show Cancelled Amid Financial Downturn

Organizers have axed next year's 2010 British International Motor Show because of the recession that has hit the automobile industry and consumers alike. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) made the announcement today saying that the economic downturn " made it impossible for exhibitors to commit to a 2010 event."

"The British International Motor Show is the UK's largest consumer exhibition, hugely popular with the public, and has been attracting increasing numbers of visitors over recent years, making the decision to cancel the 2010 Show an extremely difficult one," said SMMT chief executive Paul Everitt. "However, the global credit crunch has placed the automotive sector under unique pressure and has created a level of uncertainty that deters manufacturers from committing to large-scale, international events," he added.

It should be noted that the organizers have not made it clear when (or if...) the British Motor Show will open its doors again.

Speaking on behalf of International Motor Industry Events (imie), the organizers of the British International Motor Show, joint managing director Rob Mackenzie said: "Given the great strides that the Motor Show has taken since its return to London, we fully endorse the decision to postpone BIMS until market conditions will again permit us to deliver a world class event that truly showcases the UK industry."

http://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2009/03/2010-british-motor-show-cancelled-amid.html?m=0

2008 London Motor Show Visitor Numbers up 14 Percent

The organisers of the 2008 London Motor Show announced that 472,300 people visited the ExCeL-based event over its two-week running period. That’s a 14 percent raise over the 2006 show that welcomed 415,000 visitors. However, despite the increase in numbers, London is still not in a position to compete against other major European car shows like the ones in Geneva, Paris or Frankfurt. And even though this year’s event hosted several world premieres like the Opel/Vauxhall Insignia, Ford Focus RS, Honda OSM and Seat Ibiza SportCoupe, it's worrying that many major players like Audi, BMW, Porsche -even Aston Martin and Rolls Royce- chose not to participate. Click here for our reports on the 2008 London Show

http://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2008/08/2008-london-motor-show-visitor-numbers.html?m=0

Opel / Vauxhall Insignia Photos from London Show

One of the key debuts at this year’s British Motor Show in London was the all-new Opel - Vauxhall Insignia that was present in both sedan and hatchback forms. Seeing the new Insignia makes the outgoing Vectra look even more boring that we thought. If anything else, Opel’s design team hit the spot with the new mid-size model. Hopefully the company’s engineers will have performed the same magic to the car’s driving dynamics. –High res photos from the show after the jump

http://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2008/07/opel-vauxhall-insignia-photos-from.html?m=0

Subaru Impreza WRX STI 380S Concept – Heading for Limited Production

Unveiled at this week’s British Motor Show in London alongside the Impreza WRX-S 255PS and WRX STI 330S, the WRX STI 380S Prodrive concept is Subie’s hardest incarnation of the Impreza to date. And the good news is that the Japanese carmaker is actually thinking of putting it into production before the end of the year. While its final specifications will be finalised following customer input, Subaru says the STI 380S features a complete engine rebuild by Prodrive with many up-rated components that delivers 380 PS. -Continued

Other improvements over the standard Impreza WRX STI will include uprated suspension and exhaust system, an enhanced body kit plus the option of either gold or silver-coloured 18x8.5 ins BBS alloy wheels with 245/40 tires. No word yet on whether or not the WRC colour theme will be available as standard.

http://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2008/07/subaru-impreza-wrx-sti-380s-concept.html?m=0

Lotus Evora 2+2 Coupe Live from London Show

While we would have preferred to show you action photos of the new Lotus Evora 2+2 Coupe (click here for details), for the time being, these live photos from the company’s British Motor Show booth are the best we can do until Lotus completes the final test phase of its new mid-engined coupe. -High resolution pictures after the jump

http://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2008/07/lotus-evora-22-coupe-live-from-london.html?m=0

Honda OSM Concept: Live Photos from British Motor Show

Honda might have skimped the details on its London Show OSM concept car (Open Study Model) but the two-seater roadster looks awfully close in size and design to the CR-Z hybrid coupe concept that’s scheduled to enter production by 2010 –details here. If Honda actually considers creating a production version of the OSM, it will probably be more of a Mazda Miata / MX-5 type of roadster than a direct replacement for the more expensive S2000. Overall, and with the exception of the Star Trek tail-lamps that look they were lifted off a Japanese minivan, we find the OSM’s design quite appealing. -Photo gallery after the jump

http://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2008/07/honda-osm-concept-live-photos-from.html?m=0