Monday 13th December 2010

PH Show: What's On

Things to get excited about at the NEC in January

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PistonHeads: The Performance Car Show is back in January, and it's as good a way to beat the post-Christmas blues as we can think. So to remind you that there is life after Boxing Day, here's a run-down of some of what's going to be at the PH show, just to wet your whistle for a trip to the NEC in January:

Fifth Gear Live Action Arena front-row seats

Once again the Fifth Gear Live Action Arena, which runs alongside The PH show, will provide a fantastic mix of racing, stunts and displays, and you could have the best view of all the tyre-smoking action with reserved front-row seats, just for PistonHeaders!

With your ticket to the show, a seat in the Fifth Gear Live Action Arena is included, but we have block-booked the front rows so that you can bathe in the freshest burnt rubber and hydrocarbons billowing from the floor of the arena. To claim your front-row pass quote our special PistonHeads code of PHR1 when you book your show ticket and you'll be given a prime viewing spot.

The Fifth Gear Live Action Arena will be hosted by Fifth Gear TV presenter and 2010 British Touring Car Champion Jason Plato, alongside racer-turned-motoring-personality, Tiff Needell. The pair will put on a fantastic display for show goers, presenting some of their favourite cars, followed by racing action from BriSCA Formula One stock cars and the Pickup Truck Racing Championship, as well other fantastic demonstrations.

The Fifth Gear Live Action Arena is essentially concentrated petrolheadery at its absolute best: no need to stand out in the cold, and with four walls and a roof hemming in all those noises and smells we love so much!

2011 Nissan GT-R

Nissan will be showing the 2011 GT-R for the first time on UK soil at the PH show.

The new car features a host of upgrades that go beyond the usual 'model year refresh', with a big increase in power from 478bhp to 523bhp and an 18lb ft boost for the torque figure. Helping to keep that extra power in check is tweaked suspension, larger brakes and lighter, stiffer Rays wheels.

Visual tweaks include a new front bumper with triple 'strakes' on each corner as well as a new diffuser, helping to create a 10 per cent increase in downforce, and new exhaust tips.

The interior also gets a series of tweaks, including more leather, real carbon fibre for the heater control panel and magnesium gearshift paddles.

Despite all the coverage this car gets, it's still actually quite a rare thing, so make sure you head over to the Nissan stand to take in the car that has spent the last couple of years irritating well-established supercar manufacturers.

Lotus Race and track cars
Lotus will be showing an extensive range of cars from its racing collection on its stand at Autosport International, including the public debut of the T125 track car.

Inspired by Formula One technology, the T125 features a carbon monocoque chassis and is powered by a 3.5-litre Cosworth V8. The combination of that motor's 650bhp and a chassis tipping the scales at just 560kg, a full 55kg less than a Formula One racer, will mean performance far in excess of any European single-seater series.

Alongside the T125 will be several of Lotus's other single-seater race cars. Its new GP2 and GP3 contenders will be on display, which will be run in 2011 by multiple champions ART Grand Prix, previous home to current F1 stars Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton, Lucas di Grassi, Sebastien Buemi, and Nico Hülkenberg.

Also on the stand will be the Lotus IndyCar that competed in the 2010 series in the hands of ex-F1 driver Takuma Sato. With Honda power, Sato and the Lotus scored a top 10 finish at Edmonton Indy and third place in the standings for the season's rookies. This year's car is a precursor to a full commitment to the IndyCar series from Lotus, which will begin in 2012 when the Hethel company joins Honda and Chevrolet as an engine supplier to the series.

As well as its prototype race and track cars, Autosport International will mark the show debut of the utterly gorgeous Evora GT4 car, which is currently being developed to run in the GT3 and GT2 classes.

Porscheshop

Porscheshop is set to welcome its 2010/2011 Porsche Supercup Partner and long-standing Le Mans participants Franz Konrad Motorsport to its stand this year.

Konrad, along with British driver and Rookie of the year Nick Tandy (26) took both the Supercup and German Carrera cup down to the wire in 2010, narrowly missing out on both championships by just a few points...

"We should be right there in 2011 for both championships" says Nick "We know the European circuits now and have the data from 2010 to work with".

Nick Tandy will be available for autograph signing over the weekend and Porscheshop will be displaying their new EurocupGT.com Porsche 3.8 Carrera S and the new 2011 Konrad Supercup car.

[Vantagefan]

"...utterly gorgeous Evora GT4 car, which is currently being developed to run in the GT3 and GT2 classes."

Can't fathom why they would name the car after a class they're not going to compete in.

[Car Enthusiast 1]

I went to NEC top gear show last month- it was epic. But i was just wandering will these two shows be similar? Due me really wanting to go, on the other hand theres no point going if their both the same. If you get my drift .

[Porsche997C4S]

Car Enthusiast 1 said:

I went to NEC top gear show last month- it was epic. But i was just wandering will these two shows be similar? Due me really wanting to go, on the other hand theres no point going if their both the same. If you get my drift .

They are kind of similar, yes. Go to it though.

[team RML]

Attending the Autosport international.. went this year loved every minute of it especailly the piston heads performance car show and also the live action arena