From December 3 to 11, 2022 (Preview Day: December 2), around 500 exhibitors will be showing everything the heart of the (non-original) car fan desires in nine halls at the Essen Motor Show. One of the expected highlights is the "tuningXperience" with around 150 exhibits that will be competing for attention in Hall 5. The program of the special show includes the most popular and most elaborately converted tuning vehicles in Europe.
The automotive treasures come to Messe Essen from eleven countries and show what's hot among the European tuning elite. Maintaining tradition is a top priority, as many of the vehicles are genuine classics. The two oldest models are from the era of the economic miracle: a VW Beetle from 1957 and a VW T1 from 1958.
Other representatives steeped in history include the Audi Coupé (Type 89), BMW E30, Mercedes-Benz /8, Opel Ascona B and VW Golf I. In addition, a tuned Trabant 601 exudes historic flair.
In general, it is primarily models of German engineering that are very popular with tuning enthusiasts. In addition to the perennial favorites from Audi and VW, vehicles from BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche in particular are enjoying growing popularity. In the "tuningXperience", fans can expect to see tuned versions of the Audi TT, BMW M3, Mercedes-Benz C63, Porsche 911 and VW Golf VII GTI, among others.
It's the finish that counts
In addition to the well-known models, a visit to the "tuningXperience" also means a surprise or two. Porsche Carrera GT, Toyota BB, Volvo 480, Wartburg 311 - these are just four of the particularly rare vehicles in the program.
Whether old or new, "made in Germany" or imported model: "The scene is currently paying particular attention to high-quality wheel and tire combinations with matching suspension solutions. Two- or three-piece rims are often used, which are particularly light and can be manufactured flexibly in terms of size and finish. The aim is to achieve a perfect finish between the wheel/tyre combination and the bodywork," explains Sven Schulz, organizer of the "tuningXperience".
The imagination knows no bounds in Essen
Every vehicle in the "tuningXperience" is unique in itself - and yet every year there are models that run out of competition, so to speak, and attract the special attention of visitors. This year, these include a Ferrari Testarossa with a complete Liberty Walk conversion in widebody style and an Aston Martin Vantage V8 from 2020 that has been refined down to the very last detail. An extended Mercedes-Benz W 124 with a stretch limo look is also likely to cause a stir.
And why all this? This question does not arise at the Essen Motor Show - there are no limits to enthusiasm and imagination here.
Special show "Black & Gold - 50 years of John Player Special"
They were considered the most beautiful cars in Formula 1: 50 years ago, in 1972, the black and gold cars of the British Lotus team fascinated the public for the first time in the premier class of motorsport. The design was the brainchild of the then sponsor John Player Special (JPS) and became the trademark of the Lotus racing cars in the years that followed. At the Essen Motor Show, fans can experience a total of 18 vehicles in the striking JPS colors in a special show in Hall 3. These include seven Formula 1 cars alone from a time when the racing series stood for high tension, thrills and wild parties.
"The special show takes visitors on a journey back in time to the past 50 years. The focus is of course on Formula 1, but we are also showing several sports cars and motorcycles as well as a bicycle and an electric vehicle in the black and gold design of John Player Special," explains Ralf Sawatzki, Project Manager of the Essen Motor Show, and fuels the anticipation for the exhibition. One of the most successful vehicles on display is the Lotus 77 from 1976 with a three-liter Cosworth DFV engine, which produced around 465 hp. With the Lotus 77, the team led by Lotus boss Colin Chapman returned to the top ranks of Formula 1 after two lean years.
Shrouded in mystery and banned: the Lotus 88
The car with the most curious history in Essen is the Lotus 88 from 1981. The car is still shrouded in mystery among racing fans because it only appeared three times on a race track and was banned by the stewards after just a few practice laps. The 88 was Colin Chapman's response to the new rule that movable skirts were prohibited on cars. However, the corresponding text passage in French was unclear. Exploiting this gray area, Lotus boss Chapman and his team began to design a new racing car - but the Formula 1 stewards disagreed with the resourceful designer.
Three years earlier, things went better for Lotus: in 1978, the British company presented the Lotus Esprit JPS at the Essen Motor Show - not a racing car, but a road car based on Mario Andretti's Formula 1 World Championship title in the same year. The sports car will be on show again in Essen in 2022. Each one is numbered and features a signature by Colin Chapman on the dashboard. In addition, all cars have a three-spoke steering wheel from Momo with Mario Andretti's name on it. A total of almost 150 cars are said to have been built up to 1979. With 160 hp from four cylinders of its two-liter engine and a weight of 900 kilograms, the Esprit JPS reached a speed of 200 km/h.
Driving electrically 37 years ago in the Sinclair C5
With a top speed of 24 km/h, the Sinclair C5, which is also on display, is not really suitable as a role model for today's Formula E racing cars. But the three-wheeled electric vehicle, which was produced in Great Britain from 1984, will be remembered nonetheless.
The Sinclair C5 had a direct current motor with 250 watts (0.34 hp), weighed 160 kilograms and could travel just under 30 kilometers on a single charge. Ayrton Senna and Elio de Angelis must have thought to themselves at the 1985 Formula 1 Grand Prix in Silverstone that this was more than enough off the track: The two Lotus works drivers drove around the paddock in two C5s in John Player livery.
The other vehicles in the special show "Fascination Black & Gold - 50 Years of John Player Special" in Hall 3: Lotus 76 (1974), Ford Capri Mk II JPS (1975), Lotus Esprit (1980), Lotus 81 (1980), Lotus 87 (1981), Lotus 92 (1983), Lotus 94T (1983), JPS Roush Trans-Am Mustang (1985), Norton F1 JPS (1990), Lotus Type 110 (1994), Lotus LMP2 (2012), Lotus Motorrad (2014), Lotus Exige Type 79 (2017).
Further information about the Essen Motor Show can of course be found on the fair's website.
