Motorexpo is the world’s biggest free-to-visit car show, with events in London, Toronto and New York. It was first run in Canary Wharf, London, in 1996, with the intention of bringing a new format to the traditional motor show. Gizmag visited the 19th London Motorexpo this week.
On display was the usual collection of supercars, high-end road goers and new releases. This year also saw a number of electric and hybrid vehicles on display. Amongst them was the BMW i8, which launched at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show and has gone on sale this month in Germany. With its hybrid engine, BMW boasts that the i8 is "the first sports car with the consumption and emission values of a compact car."
Amongst the true electric vehicles on display was the Tesla Model S. Tesla has just announced that will no longer protect its patents in order to help "accelerate the advent of sustainable transport." The Model S is one example of what electric cars can be capable of, with a top speed of 125 mph (201 kph) and a 0-60 mph (0-97 kph) time of 5.4 seconds.
In addition to the various electric cars, the Agility Global Saietta R electric motorbike was also on display. The Saietta R set the first British Electric Motorcycle Land Speed Record in May, and has a top speed of 105 mph (169 kph). It has a range of 120 miles (193 km) in the city, 58 miles (94 km) on the highway and a combined average range of 74 miles (120 km).
Elsewhere, the ever-popular McLaren 650S was also being shown off and was dutifully surrounded by a hoard of young schoolchildren. There's no escaping the fact that this is one of the most striking and exciting supercars ever made, and it still draws a crowd wherever it is. Also on show were the Aston Martin Vanquish Volante, Lotus Evora and Rolls Royce Wraith.
According to Motorexpo, this year's event has been the most successful ever, with over 400,000 people expected to have visited by the end of the show on Sunday. In addition to the the exhibition of cars, the show also hosted the sixth annual Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) International Automotive Summit.
Check out our photo gallery of Motorexpo London 2014, to see more of what was on display.
Website: Motorexpo