2016 London Motor Show preview

The London Motor Show will take place at the Battersea Evolution Centre and will be open to the public between Friday 6th and Sunday 8th May.

Here at Car Keys, we’ll be attending the press day preview (on the 7th May) and delivering detailed coverage of the reveals and other news from the event. This is the first dedicated automotive showcase the UK has had since 2008 and the show will feature a large range of cars from 35 different brands.

Several cars which will arrive to markets in the not-too-distant future will be making their first ever UK public appearance at the London Motor Show.

Just before this year’s show kicks off, here we’ll round-up what’s worth looking out for during the event.

New cars from British brands

Several cars from brands of British origin will be making their UK public debut in London this month.

One of the most eye-catching no doubt will be the new McLaren 570GT, the latest creation from the sports car maker.

The £154,000 570GT stands out next to other McLaren road cars as it will place more emphasis on practicality and luxury and less on outright speed than previous creations. Having said that, the 570GT will be far from slow, as it will still boast 562bhp from a 3.8-litre twin-turbo engine and it can still cover the zero to 62mph sprint in just 3.4 seconds.

An updated version of the Noble M600 supercar will also be on display at the London Motor Show.

The Leicester-built model is being relaunched by Noble’s new European distributor, Super Veloce Racing, and a new and more hardcore version called the M600 CarbonSport is making its debut. The CarbonSport will be priced from £277,000 and feature exposed carbon fibre body panels.

For those with far smaller budgets, the London Motor Show will also see the MG GS make its UK public debut.

The GS is the first ever SUV from MG and, like other current MG cars, it prioritises affordability to lure in customers. The MG GS will challenge the formidable, Sunderland-built Nissan Qashqai but could cost a few grand cheaper to buy in comparison.

Another car likely to turn heads during the London Motorshow is the Riversimple RASA, a hydrogen fuel cell car from Wales. The RASA has a compact and quirky design, has a carbon composite monocoque chassis that weighs just 40kg and an estimated range of 300 miles on a full 1.5 kilos tank of hydrogen.

Unique vehicles and special guests

While not every vehicle on display at the London Motor Show will be available for customers to buy, they can still offer plenty of intrigue.

For instance, there will be a replica of the Bloodhound SSC, a British supersonic land vehicle powered by a jet engine and rocket and designed to reach 1,050mph.

For fans of motoring history, the Bluebird, a land speed record-breaking car from the sixties, will be one to watch, alongside the Sunbeam 350hp which set a land speed record in the 1920s.

Fans of car customisation should also keep an eye out for the one-off Land Rover Defender by Kahn Design which will also be in attendance at London.

Over the course of the next few days, this year’s London Motor Show will also see several famous names from the world of motorsport or cars in general make an appearance to interact with guests.

The attendance list includes racing legend Sir Stirling Moss, former F1 champion Nigel Mansell, racing driver and TV presenter Tiff Needell and also the ex-Top Gear Stig Ben Collins.