Went along today as my dad wanted loads of stuff, turned out really good, got to see shed loads of nice cars, saw the FBM in person (looks exactly the same in lfs). And the birds...

Also went on a few simulators one with a G25 and can say its really crap compared to lfs in terms of feel and realistic driving.

My cousin took a few pictures ill get them from him.

Anyone else go?

Quote from pearcy_2k7 :

And the birds...

Do you mean women? "Birds" is considered sexist.

I was meant to be going with one of my team-mates, Leifde. Due to Xmas spending I couldn't afford to go as getting there would of cost me a bomb

Looking forward to the pictures.

One or two nice cars, but most at the show aren't actually that nice, good or good looking. Most people are just easily impressed by shiny new things.

The Formula BMW was there, and it was interesting to see what details LFS missed out, and what it got right. More of the latter than the former, actually.

90% of the girls were quite ugly, and not helped by being forced to dress up. A few were quite attractive, and I felt sorry for them being dolled up for the attention of men - which is franky why they get paid to do it. It's a bit like slavery really. But again, the average, beer drinking, "doesn't really know anything about cars" teenager that thinks swearing should occur every other word is, again, easily impressed.

I couldn't be bothered to go on the 'simulators' as they were rubbish sims (best being rFactor, and that's hardly good), all set to the most forgiving arcade modes. Not worth 30 seconds of queuing, let along half an hour.

Oh, and by the way, why didn't you post in the other Autosport Show thread (which I'm sure you found whilst searching, which I'm sure you did).

Tristowned.

Quote from tristancliffe :

One or two nice cars, but most at the show aren't actually that nice, good or good looking. Most people are just easily impressed by shiny new things.

The Formula BMW was there, and it was interesting to see what details LFS missed out, and what it got right. More of the latter than the former, actually.

90% of the girls were quite ugly, and not helped by being forced to dress up. A few were quite attractive, and I felt sorry for them being dolled up for the attention of men - which is franky why they get paid to do it. It's a bit like slavery really. But again, the average, beer drinking, "doesn't really know anything about cars" teenager that thinks swearing should occur every other word is, again, easily impressed.

I couldn't be bothered to go on the 'simulators' as they were rubbish sims (best being rFactor, and that's hardly good), all set to the most forgiving arcade modes. Not worth 30 seconds of queuing, let along half an hour.

Oh, and by the way, why didn't you post in the other Autosport Show thread (which I'm sure you found whilst searching, which I'm sure you did).

Sorry didn't see the other thread i had a look in the most obvious place it would be and thats off-topic.

And yes it was a bit dull, i think some of it was more max power than anything. I didn't cue to go on the simulator i wanted to have a quick go on a G25.

Surely you have been other years and not just this year, its not really anything different, so if you found it so drab why the hell did you go?

Quote from tristancliffe :

A few were quite attractive, and I felt sorry for them being dolled up for the attention of men - which is franky why they get paid to do it. It's a bit like slavery really.

If anyone else had said that you'd be all over them. It makes no sense, unless by "a bit like" you mean, "nothing like".

In previous years the show has been much better. This year was a disappointment. I doubt I'll bother going for the next couple of years.

Sinbad - it was a bit tongue in cheek. But in todays age of equality between men and women, and more and more women becoming feminists, it's susprising that women are still used to ensure men take more leaflets home. iirc the E3 show banned dolly-girls for this reason (and probably because some computer programmers insisted on talking to them, with obviously disasterous consequences ). It's not as though they add anything to the show really. But it seems some men are more likely to open their wallet if a girl in lycra talks to them.

Got back today, show was alright but doubt I'll go next year. Went last year and can't help but feel it's a bit `samey.`

Didn't get off to a great start with our flight being delayed on the Friday night by about 4 hours as they tried to find us a plane... Didn't reach Birmingham till about 12.30-1.00am. By that time the trains had stopped so our plans were messed up. Caught a bus into town but couldn't get a bus to where we needed to go.
By about 2am we just gave up and got a taxi with a driver who had poor english, terrible driving and no idea what the lights on his dash meant. He stopped to phone someone about a light that came on the dash... He also didn't know what a Scottish note was... Spends the same yet so many people in England are iffy about them for some reason.

Got some pics I'll post if they are any good. Live arena was okay, not as good as last year but had a nice McRae tribute. Was funny to laugh at one of the guys go backwards into the wall and stall.

My Dad also got a few ideas for the kit car so all in all a worth while trip. Quite an expensive weekend though!!

Quote from tristancliffe :

Sinbad - it was a bit tongue in cheek. But in todays age of equality between men and women, and more and more women becoming feminists, it's susprising that women are still used to ensure men take more leaflets home. iirc the E3 show banned dolly-girls for this reason (and probably because some computer programmers insisted on talking to them, with obviously disasterous consequences ). It's not as though they add anything to the show really. But it seems some men are more likely to open their wallet if a girl in lycra talks to them.

My post sounds a bit harsh, I was sure I had added a smiley in there. You'd agree, though, that it's the wide-eyed young (and old) men that are being exploited, if anybody is, and certainly not the young ladies who are obviously being paid well enough.

I could understand Tristan's point of view in a much different situation, but sinbad's explained it well enough. They're also professional models and, if anything, their beauty (if they've got it) has surely benefitted them throughout their lives, whether they realize it or not.

Regardless of the morales involved if an engineering firm thinks it needs to use girls to sell its products I struggle to take them seriously. Kumho tires decided that they needed a massive stand with girls trying to sell branded products, hardly really likely to get people looking at their tires. I was suprised and honestly a bit disappointed that the club motorsport stands were hiring models in force, what a waste of money. That's not to say I don't like them and that the right models on a few of the bigger less technical stands would have been welcome but the place was full of them on every stand this year.

The Live Action arena wasn't as good this year, the dragsters were a complete waste of time and TBH I'd rather have watched a few more longer races with cars that are actually suited to that environment, small single seaters, karts, autograss and rallycross cars. Give the option I'd still save money and not go to it though for free it's not bad.

Overall I felt there seemed to be a lot less people willing to chat to interested people who obviously weren't potential customers.

I agree with Alex - if I'm the market for a product (whatever it is, from a trolley jack to a complete race car), I want to speak to Engineers (or, at the very least, someone who knows THAT product AND his competitors' products) that can guide me through a process, and give me genuine feedback (and not bullshit, which I can smell a mile away, and will run a mile from).

A pretty girl is great for handing out leaflets and being a bit of an airhead, but not for selling highly technical products in a competitive environment. They must be an asset at Max Power shows where only idiots attend (and exhibit).

Quote from tristancliffe :

(and not bullshit, which I can smell a mile away, and will run a mile from)

Did you see the BP Ultimate stand with the demonstration of the 911 on a rolling road, first they ran it with standard fuel and a standard ECU then they changed the fuel and used 'optimised' mapping and demonstrated that with 102 octane fuel and full race engine mapping
a 911 could gain 60bhp

Quote from keiran :

Got back today, show was alright but doubt I'll go next year. Went last year and can't help but feel it's a bit `samey.`

Didn't get off to a great start with our flight being delayed on the Friday night by about 4 hours as they tried to find us a plane... Didn't reach Birmingham till about 12.30-1.00am. By that time the trains had stopped so our plans were messed up. Caught a bus into town but couldn't get a bus to where we needed to go.
By about 2am we just gave up and got a taxi with a driver who had poor english, terrible driving and no idea what the lights on his dash meant. He stopped to phone someone about a light that came on the dash... He also didn't know what a Scottish note was... Spends the same yet so many people in England are iffy about them for some reason.

Got some pics I'll post if they are any good. Live arena was okay, not as good as last year but had a nice McRae tribute. Was funny to laugh at one of the guys go backwards into the wall and stall.

My Dad also got a few ideas for the kit car so all in all a worth while trip. Quite an expensive weekend though!!

The notes thing is an absolute pain in the arse, been knocked back plenty of times trying to buy stuff with a scottish fiver. If you really want them to think were pure evil hand over a couple of 1 pound notes, its hilarious.

Quote from ajp71 :

Did you see the BP Ultimate stand with the demonstration of the 911 on a rolling road, first they ran it with standard fuel and a standard ECU then they changed the fuel and used 'optimised' mapping and demonstrated that with 102 octane fuel and full race engine mapping
a 911 could gain 60bhp

On a RR with no wind resistance and no starting/stopping and that though? Still pretty impressive though.

Quote from tristancliffe :

and I felt sorry for them being dolled up for the attention of men - which is franky why they get paid to do it. It's a bit like slavery really.

Then why don't you free them all. They should run free in the wild not constrainted by the pervertness of humanity and clothing...

Quote from ajp71 :

Did you see the BP Ultimate stand with the demonstration of the 911 on a rolling road, first they ran it with standard fuel and a standard ECU then they changed the fuel and used 'optimised' mapping and demonstrated that with 102 octane fuel and full race engine mapping
a 911 could gain 60bhp

Not at this show, but I've seen the same stand at other shows in previous years! It's a clever way of selling fuel, because most people think higher octane = more power, which is completely false. The detergent level of a fuel can help recover power from a gummed up engine though, but that's not the point. And I get more miles per pound from 'decent' fuel over supermarket fuel.

I wonder what they'd show if they used different fuels but same everything else. How would they fudge the results in the favour of the expensive fuel?

Quote from pearcy_2k7 :

Went along today as my dad wanted loads of stuff, turned out really good, got to see shed loads of nice cars, saw the FBM in person (looks exactly the same in lfs). And the birds...

Also went on a few simulators one with a G25 and can say its really crap compared to lfs in terms of feel and realistic driving.

My cousin took a few pictures ill get them from him.

Anyone else go?

Was pretty good.. but you must have gone to a different show, or you're too young to appreciate real women... the birds I saw there save for about 2 or 3 were proper mingers.. even my 10 year old turned his nose up. 'Mutton dressed as Lamb' was the first phrase that sprung into my head when seeing most of the few that were dotted around the halls.

Was funny when some bod offered my littlen a go on rFactor for £4(!!) who was then promptly told to go forth and multiply

The Coys auction area I think had about the best collection of cars



Regards,

Ian

Don't remind me - I left my auction catalogue at home, so couldn't get in for free as usual. And I'm not paying to get into somewhere I could have got into for nothing!!!!

Quote from tristancliffe :

Don't remind me - I left my auction catalogue at home, so couldn't get in for free as usual. And I'm not paying to get into somewhere I could have got into for nothing!!!!

They were an arrogant bunch though. I asked the fella at the gate if I could grab 2 snaps of a couple of cars my littlen really wanted pics of.. for which I was told "there's a catalogue over there".. yeah, thanks £10 just to walk around their little section was a piss take IMO.

The live show was ok.. was funny when the rally cars came out.. one went over the small 2' (or so) ramps to promptly land and the offside rear suspension collapse and wheel go rolling down the arena

The junior drag cars were pretty cool! Hadn't seen one before (only stationary at one of the stands).. was something different

The main thing I didn't like was the £18.50 entrance price for kids. I'm not a cheapskate and didn't mind the adult price, but was a bit shocked at kids tickets being so expensive ranging from 5-15 year olds



Regards,

Ian

£18.50 - FOR A CHILD?

Thats an outrage.

Seems like a good thing I couldn't afford to go, judging by the reviews here anyway.

Quote from The General Lee :

£18.50 - FOR A CHILD?

Thats an outrage.

Seems like a good thing I couldn't afford to go, judging by the reviews here anyway.

Yeah, it was crazy! Only reason I don't feel entirely ripped off from that is the fact my littlen enjoyed the day, which is what matters to me

All in all, I bought 3 'CarToons' and 2 keyrings and paid for the parking (£8) as my mate drove. The rest was entry / food / drink throughout the day etc... I blew £150

Should be going to Santa Pod in May for a Monster Truck show.. hopefully that'll be more reasonable for kids



Regards,

Ian

Quote from DeKo :

On a RR with no wind resistance and no starting/stopping and that though? Still pretty impressive though.

Not impressive at all. A lot of that difference can be gained through re-mapping the engine from a map designed for practical everyday use with reasonable fuel economy to full race mapping. If they didn't change the ignition map then there might be a bit more plausibility to it.