The Motorshow 2000

Held at the NEC, near Brum which played host to this years "shop window" for the motor industry. A venue perfectly suited as it can accommodate so many more makes and models than its London cousin at Earl's Court.

Working my way around and through the nine cathedral like halls, housing every make from Alfa to Volvo, I attempted to check out most of the mechanical menu. For obvious reasons, with emphasis on Volkswagen related family marques.

The Saab stand continues to exude expensive Scandinavian class, the Vauxhall stand, in being comprehensive ; maybe tried too hard to please. I noticed more plastic in and on the Mercedes C Class than the average Tupperware party! The A Class, still looks chic and "Kings Road", by coincidence or design. The Lexus stand, in backing onto Mercedes-Benz ; looks more Merc-like than ever before; though the Audi stand was suitably Germanic ; the staff could have endeared themselves more by being less taciturn. The A2, whilst technically very forward thinking, still remains wanting in the style department with its brick like stance. The awesome 380 bhp 4 wheel drive RS4 Avant still hacks it with the best. Peugeot had their scene stealing Troope wowing the crowd while the all-new 607 diesel which could well give BMW and Merc sleepless nights. Porsche oozed restrained machismo with its latest all new 911 derivative.

Jaguar, though under Yankee ownership still displayed its unique heritage with all its current cats on display ; gorgeous. SEAT deserve more credit than they find in the press, living as they clearly do in their parent's (VW) shadow, with circa 2K less for equivalent models (the SEAT Arosa Vs the VW Lupo). The Ferrari stand was a little too hyped up and drunk on their F1 success, and also had T-shirts available for a whopping £22.50; time to give the Ford Focus a closer look. Truly some innovative touches, yet why do I still have the impression it's an Escort by any other name?

The revamped Mondeo is simply a complete Passat rip-off, in fact it's hard to tell them apart. The New Mini, long awaited and hyped ; but hold on to your £12K cause it won't be released until mid 2001! Its still cute but 14" longer, 6" wider ; in fact the Mini Owners Club say "It shouldn't be called a Mini because it doesn't look like one", now where have I heard that sentiment before?

Rover-MG, or whatever they're called, were foolish enough to not attend ; Big Mistake. However Skoda, under VW's wing showed off some good quality vehicles that should be able to compete with the best of them. The Skoda jokes are now wearing a bit thin. So this leaves the best to last.

The Volkswagen stand was an oasis which stood head and shoulders above the rest. The stand conveyed a business like air, the cars simply sell themselves ; without gimmicks. With the Golf now having sold over 20 million units, the brand speaks for itself. The v6 4-Motion Golf looks so purposeful without having to shout "Racer". The Bora has more of a future than the underrated Jetta. The revamped Polo has all the right credentials to lead its class. With fuel prices and fuel economy big news, VW's showcase Lupo 1.4 TDi ; which can achieve 100km on a litre of diesel. It's a rising star and one which packs a large interior in a small car. Though ; according to Del Bicknell ; the petrol 1L Lupo could do with downsizing its ambitious claims for 60mpg.

Over the years I have seen the Passat grow from a Sierra / Cavalier rival to a true status car, mixing it with the Audi A4 and A6. The Passat Diesel caught many an eye at the show ; with a glorious interior of cream and green leather ; to rival BMW prestige. Looking large on the outside, and purposely compact on the inside, VW's Sharan MPV showed off deceptive design and clever ergonomics.

Mustn't forget the New Beetle. Though the initial novelty has worn off, it is now ubiquitous, the cheaper 1.6L still looks a class act, with few compromises for the £2K price saving.

VW's public relations were helpful and professional, and with an excellent stand, VW showed themselves as what they are ; Europe's largest car manufacturer.

Del Griffin