Thursday 11th November 2010

PistonHeads Performance Car Show 2011

Join us at the NEC on the 13th January for another huge Birmingham - based treat

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It did get busier.....

Every year PistonHeads supports the Performance Car Show at the NEC in Birmingham, an event that sits alongside Autosport International between the 13th and 16th of January.

The show celebrates everything that makes driving fun, from Le Mans tour suppliers to manufacturers showing the latest performance cars. But of course the real star of the show is the PistonHeads stand, where you can come and poke fun at the team (oh, and peruse our merchandise too). The 2011 show promises to be the best yet with many manufacturers on the verge of signing who want to show brand new cars to PHers before anyone else.

Current show highlights include McLaren Cars displaying the fantastic MP4-12C along with some beautiful historic F1 cars and Ecurie 25, who will show the brutal Mercedes-Benz SLS and the elegant Ferrari 458 Italia.

PistonHeads partners Petrolhead Nirvana and 1st-Tickets will also be on hand to help you plan your 2011 driving activities and Le Mans trips, and Nissan will show the brand-new GT-R.

Choose your favourite

Tickets are available now with adult tickets costing £30 per day and children’s tickets priced at £19.50 (children under five years of age go free). Every PistonHeads show ticket includes access to Autosport International and a reserved seat in the Fifth Gear Live Action Arena. Group tickets are also available.

Platinum Passes provide the full VIP treatment for £100. These tickets include access to the Platinum Club enclosure, the VIP Platinum Lounge and the backstage Paddock Area in the Fifth Gear Live Action Arena, as well as much more!

Keep your eye on the PH homepage over the coming weeks for more news on the show attractions. For more information visit www.pistonheads.com/show or call 0844 581 1419

[Jag-D]

Hopefully the lighting wont be such a big issue this year

[Garlick]

Jag-D said:

Hopefully the lighting wont be such a big issue this year

You've been waiting for this topic haven't you?

[ls3steve]

Are all spaces filled ? How do you go about getting your car in the show ?

[Garlick]

The fact that it is usually snowing at the time of this show means that we invariably lose a good proportion of the readers cars that were due to be displayed.

I can't say I blame them, as I would feel the same, but it does mean that we usually suffer a smaller display than we had planned, and we also feel guilty for all the readers who struggle to reach us in their beautiful cars.

As a result of this, the 2011 car display will be filled with car clubs and prestige dealer stock instead. I'm sorry

[RobFerrari]

Already got my tickets for the Autosport Show so I shall be popping by the PH part like normal .

Garlick said:

As a result of this, the 2011 car display will be filled with car clubs and prestige dealer stock instead. I'm sorry

Gutted to hear this I really enjoyed seeing the array of different motors people who post on here had. Although I do understand the reasons behind it. The snow we had last January really didn't help!

[idjbell]

another year another silly email letting all us plebs think the show is on Thurs to Sunday....why do you do this every year....surely it can't be too hard to explain that for the normal amongst us the show is only on saturday and sunday????

how hard can it be......

[Garlick]

Because trade and other industry types can get in on the earlier days, and I believe you can buy a special Friday ticket too. We have plenty of trade readers on PH and so the message is valid.

It's not meant to annoy you, but as the show is busy on the other days it needs promoting and therefore it's easier to deliver one message.

[DiscoColin]

Garlick said:

As a result of this, the 2011 car display will be filled with car clubs and prestige dealer stock instead. I'm sorry

Judgement reserved until we see what you have got, but if it is all Lamborghinis and Ferraris and nothing like that bonkers matt black and yellow Morgan I am sure that disappointment will be felt... Stuff that dealers want to sell is easily sought out, but generally I have found in the past that the previous arrangement delivered a lot of genuinely interesting metal.

[fwaggie]

Apologies for what might be a silly question, are the cars off limits to plebs like me plonking my arse in the drivers seat to see if I fit?

(in particular Ferrari 458 and Merc SLS)

[Madison]

We have tickets. This is a good show, looking forward to it.

[PascalBuyens]

Garlick said:

The fact that it is usually snowing at the time of this show means that we invariably lose a good proportion of the readers cars that were due to be displayed.

I can't say I blame them, as I would feel the same, but it does mean that we usually suffer a smaller display than we had planned, and we also feel guilty for all the readers who struggle to reach us in their beautiful cars.

As a result of this, the 2011 car display will be filled with car clubs and prestige dealer stock instead. I'm sorry

It didn't stop me coming from Belgium, and if you'd ask, I'd be there again

[Blib]

Shame about the lack of reader's cars. Though, I fully understand the reasoning.

Last year my Hawk was one of the cars that were snowed in and couldn't make the show. I was so hoping to get Garlick to pose next to it.

Just for my private collection, of course.

[Garlick]

I hope the display cars are good too!

The chaps you know at PH look after the site, there are other guys who plan the show. Of course we are kept informed and have a say, and as soon as I know what the cars are I'll let you know. I share your views though, and that's why car clubs are as (if not more) important than dealers.

To those of you who have delivered cars to us in the past, I thank you. But the weather issue is a huge headache as we do run the risk of having an empty hall at show opening if cars don't arrive. I'm not sure that we ever completely got the hang of looking after the cars (in terms of cleaning them) when they were in our care either.

Now, if only we could do this show in the summer......

[thepeoplespal]

Got tickets for this show last year for my Crimbo present, but was a bit disappointed there was not somewhere where you could genuinely scout out and chat to a few PH`ers or even know who was a PH`er or not. It just made me feel a bit awkward and not at all what I feel about PH.

I'd like to see something like a branded PH name badge with your length of time on the site and post numbers or some such details to break down a few barriers. It would help make sure you don't feel and look like mental case talking to a complete stranger - "got a PH badge - expect to be spoken to - take it off if you don't" - something like that.

[Garlick]

Funny you should say that, we were printing fee PH name badges on the PH stand in January. Perhaps it needs to be more prominent as it was under-used.

[D34NO87]

Are they any promos or special ticket offers available? I've got to get 4 tickets for sunday and at £32 each its quite an outlay so close to christmas.

[tinks v8S]

i would like to know what clubs are attending
to see if they need cars, rain snow thunder ,i would bring a car

[Garlick]

Hi tinks, I'll attempt to get that for you (it has been arranged by the exhibition team) but I would imagine that they have been booked with a pre-agreement as to what cars they will display and will have the cars in mind before agreeing to the space.

[Viper]

you'd of thought a lot of the club guys would be on PH in the various forums, though cant say ive read anyone mentioning a club space as yet

[RobFerrari]

fwaggie said:

Apologies for what might be a silly question, are the cars off limits to plebs like me plonking my arse in the drivers seat to see if I fit?

(in particular Ferrari 458 and Merc SLS)

I would say highly unlikely, and even less likely now that it will be real dealer stock. But you never know! Your best chance of "plonking your arse" into one of those cars is to head to one of the respective dealerships - although its pretty unlikely even then that you will be able to sit in one. Or ask an owner at one of their events? I was pretty fortunate to go to a Fezza 458 launch party, otherwise I would never have had a chance to sit in one!