There is nothing that has quite the same appeal as a car. If you are on holiday and spot a sporty number you would never be able to afford in a million years you will get your photo taken with it. Any TV show about cars attracts millions of viewers and when classy cars are smashed up on the big screen you can almost hear the men in the audience crying into their popcorn. Car, or auto, shows are big business around the world with people travelling thousands of miles to get excited about shiny bits of chrome and ridiculously priced audio equipment. Here Columbus Direct shares the world’s 5 biggest car shows.

Frankfurt

The daddy of them all is the Frankfurt motor show. This is by far the largest motor show in the world as is now so big it is held bi-annually as logistically it is impossible to stage it every year. The 65th event ran for 12 days from the 10th-22nd September 2013. Family cars, sports cars, concept cars, luxury cars, you name it they all want a spot at Frankfurt. This is one all the major manufacturers gear up for as they know that their new models have a pretty poor chance of success if they don’t get to display at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Even though the 2013 has only just finished, the planning of 2015 has already started.

The Big Meet, Vasteras

Although Sweden is well known for their motor industry being in northern as opposed to central Europe makes in a rather unusual place to hold one of the world’s biggest outdoor car shows. This is no ordinary motor show however, this is the Big Meet. Quite simply, this is the biggest collection of American cars you will find anywhere, even compared to the US. There are around 15,000 vehicles here at any one time including street rods, 50’s cruisers, customs, muscle cars, Mustangs Camaros and Corvettes. Visitors travel here from more that 25 countries including Australia, Mexico, Israel, Japan, Canada, Russia, Turkey, Morocco, all over Europe and, of course, the US.

Geneva

The Swiss city of Geneva opens its doors to car enthusiasts from around the globe on a yearly basis for its famous motor show. The event, which it is best described as, takes place every year next to Geneva Cointron Airport in a convention centre known as the Geneva Palexpo. The team behind the show is the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d’Automobiles, and it is considered one of the most important shows of its kind on the motoring calendar. Hundreds of manufacturers come here to show off their new designs and it is a big favourite with British car enthusiasts only being a short flight away.

Detroit

It stands to reason that one of the world’s biggest car shows will be in Mo-town itself. The official title of this show is the NAIAS, or North American International Auto Show. It is held every year, usually around January, and often claims to be the largest car show in North America. It has been held at the Cobo Centre since 1965 and occupies almost 1m sq ft of floor space. Many iconic cars of the past have made their début in Detroit, such as the Ford Lincoln and Jeep Grand Cherokee. Being in America, there is all sorts of side shows going on as well, and is a day out for thousands of American families as there is plenty for the rest of the family to do while dad is drooling over the cars.

Tokyo

The technological centre of the Eastern world is the logical choice to hold the southern hemisphere’s largest car show. Like Frankfurt, its size only makes it viable every two years, and it is the premier event at which to showcase new cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles. When you think how many Japanese cars are on the road you can only start to imagine the volume of models on show here. One of the major draws now in Tokyo is the amount of new hybrid and electric vehicles on show, and it is reckoned that by the 2017 show these will way outnumber the amount of petrol powered cars on display.

There are hundreds of car shows held every year almost everywhere in the world, and while many are satisfied with a local show, there are plenty who travel to the biggest ones. As well as shows such as these there are others dedicated to specific models, such as VW Beetles, or classic vehicles.

There has never been a better time to be a petrol head as you are spoilt for choice as far as your favourite hobby is concerned, and if you get the chance to satisfy your craving by visiting one of the world’s greatest motor shows, you will not be disappointed by any of those mentioned above.

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I was on hand in Germany this week at the 2013 Motor Show and snapped these photos of the all-new Infiniti Q30 Concept. Expectations are that this new concept car will be very close to the compact CUV that Infiniti will ultimately release.

The gold color really grabs your attention and the reveal came across as a big hit. The front end is very similar to the current design language we’re seeing from Infiniti, but the back end really stood out with the back window blending into the rear tail lights. The effect was very impressive.

I got shots from all angles so you can get a feel for the vehicle. The compact CUV market is very hot right now and the luxury brands are trying to grab their share as well, so it will be interesting to see how quickly Infiniti can get to a production model here.

“We are becoming the younger, trendsetting brand, more relevant and more exciting,” said Johan de Nysschen, President of Infiniti Motor Company, Ltd. “Infiniti Q50, and now the Q30 Concept, deliver on this promise.” Infiniti executives have been stressing the importance of design in the Infiniti strategy, and they are definitely pushing the envelope in an attempt to challenge the other luxury brands. It will be interesting to see if the buyer mix starts to skew younger. The company notes that “by the end of this decade, Gen X and Gen Y will represent 80 percent of buyers in the premium segment.”

The design of the Q30 is intended to create “a unique blend of features reminiscing of a coupe, a hatch and a crossover.” It definitely inspires a sporty vibe that should grab the attention of buyers looking for luxury and fun in their driving experience.

During the press conference de Nysschen was joined on stage by Sebastian Vettel, a 3-time Formula One world champion who has been assisting the company. He was presented with a special helmet to use in testing engineering prototypes of the future compact premium model, the first Infiniti model that he will have a role in influencing from its inception.

Here’s a video of the new Ferrari from the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.

The Frankfurt Motor Show is huge, with countless exhibit halls filled with new cars and concept vehicles. Lamborghini had one of the smaller exhibits, but they got plenty of attention a red Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Super Trofeo Stradale that they unveiled at the show along with two beautiful Aventadors in white and metallic gray.

Read the full article and check out the entire gallery at Bullz-Eye.com!

Maserati has shot its opening salvo in the premium SUV market with the Kubang. Based on the Grand Cherokee, the Kubang is set to compete with the Porsche Cayenne and BMW X5. We have known about this model for a long time, but now we get a first glance of its looks.

It is definitely prettier than its competition by a wide margin. Whereas the Cayenne and X5 look overly large and bloated, the Kubang is svelte and refined. The name is even better. Say it with me, “Kubang.” It sounds like the main character in a 70’s detective show.

No word yet on performance specifications, but those details should be coming out soon enough.

Source: Autoblog