I know there is the world-famous SEMA show in Las Vegas, the ultimate event for tuning and customization, but over here in Europe, we have the Essen Motor Show, an annual show (the 2020 version was canceled thanks to the global pandemic) that combines sports cars, tuning & lifestyle, motorsport and classic cars all in one event, and tens of thousands of visitors from all over Europe and even from further away make the trip to Germany in late November to enjoy this impressive, mostly indoor event.
The 2021 edition was the first one after a year of absence, and sadly some strict safety and hygiene rules still exist to date, like wearing a face mask at all times, and I think this has scared away some exhibitors this year, I was able to visit the preview day as a member of the press, and it was obvious not all halls were open this year, and the halls that were in use still had some vast spaces open … it seems the organization really had a hard time filling up the space.
But that didn’t keep me from walking around the Essen Messe for hours and admiring some really amazing cars, all sorts of cars, and that’s what I like about this event, it’s not just about tuning, or classics, or any other segment of automotive interest, it’s about all of them, please enjoy some of the impressions I managed to capture today in the extensive image gallery below:
First up a series of racecars, or race-inspired concepts:
A classic Ford GTVery menacing looking, black Ford GT racecarA genuine Lamborghini Gallardo GT3 FL2 racecar prepared by Reiter Engineering GmbHAmazing looking Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo IIA very wild looking VW GolfAudi RS3 concept
How about something really different:
the odd ones at the 2021 Essen Motor Show
The massive Mercedes AMG G63 6×6A classic rat rod, usually there are more on show in EssenYou can’t have an Essen Motor Show without a low rider … or twoA classic Mercedes 500 SEC on an airbag suspensionAnd then you find a genuine tractor pulling monster at the Essen Motor Show
Tuning mayhem:
A large amount of tuning is always shown at the Essen Motor Show, from the Nissan GTR over the Supra to just about any other make out there:
This extremely wide VW Golf 2 was in fact a mid-engine conversionReally wide and low riding Nissan GTRYou simply can’t beat an RWB Porsche …This satin white Wiessmann looked really amazingIt seemed the theme for this Essen Motor Show was widebody …The Pandem kit does look very impressive, especially with that rear wingA nice first-gen Honda NSX, in the USA this would be an Acura NSX I guess.Low, wide, and white … beautiful Porsche on displayIf you have it, flaunt it … even if that means leaving the rear bumper in your garageUltra wide old school VW Golf in Candy Apple red.Wide body BMW 3-Series looking mean in this very dark metallic greenI do like the split rear wing on this widebody beautyHow low can you go? Audi R8 V10 on ‘bags’Nope, the Stradman didn’t have a car in Germany, but it would match his LB-Works Limited Roadster.Clean and mean, just another Nissan GTR at EssenIf you decide on adding a wrap to your car, get it right the first time and stand out from the crowdThis white Nissan GTR almost looks like it came straight from the trackI just noticed the rear fender and couldn’t resist taking a photo of this PorschePrior Design widebody Lamborghini Urus in ‘Lizard Lime’Really nice Lamborghini Aventador S Roadster in matt blackNot sure what the 384 km/h stood for, but it was a special shade of red indeed
Movie cars
Usually, one or two movie cars are on display at the show, but this year there was a bundle of them
Who doesn’t remember the Dodge Charger from the Dukes of Hazzard series?A few cars driven by Dominic from the Fast and Furious franchiseThree more cars from the earlier Fast and Furious moviesI just loved this Mustang from Gone in 60 secondsThe red Coyote, from Hardcastle and McCormickI guess we all know where this car was used in, right?The Mad Max movie car …You can’t have a show with movie cars and don’t have this famous DeLorean on display.Who you gonna call?
The final few, the odd ones:
Absolutely stunning Koenigsegg Regara on display at the 2021 Essen Motor Show, I love that interior.BMW M4 drift car build, note the exhaust coming out where the rear window used to be!Who needs a windshield right? Very special looking Mercedes shown hereClassic cars? You’ve asked for it, check out this amazing looking beauty
I had an absolute blast visiting the Essen Motor Show, I did miss a few of the regulars, and for once I walked away without buying one or more scale models for my collection, it’s only a two-hour drive for me, and this show is usually worth it, this year might have suffered a bit from the global pandemic that just doesn’t seem to go away any time soon, so I was already happy they didn’t cancel the show this year, let’s hope the 2022 edition will be back in full force next year.
