Great Expectations
Blog January 10, 2016 Peter Nunn
It’s January and 2016 has only just kicked off, but already the year ahead seems uncommonly busy and full on. Yes, in the world of cars, it’s another 12 months of pedal to the metal.
Throw major sporting events into the mix as well, the 2016 Rio Olympics, the UEFA Euro 2016 Championships and Tour de France, to name but three, and it’s clear, this summer especially, we’re in serious danger of schedule/fixture overload.
Coupled with this, the motoring media will be charged with finding time to grapple with another batch of key new models this year. These include the new Mercedes E-Class, BMW M2, Renault Megane, Kia Sportage, Jaguar F-Pace and, with luck, the Alfa Romeo Giulia, above…
Meantime, at this bright and early time of year, it’s the North American International Auto show in Detroit that traditionally kicks off the new automotive year. True to form, car industry movers and shakers are already gathering in Motown this week for the show (Jan 11-24).
However, already we’ve had the buzz that is the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas during the first week of January: the CES clearly moving up fast in terms of recognition within the car biz and stealing some of Detroit’s early New Year thunder.
It’s the Autosport International Racing Car Show (Jan 14-16) that marks the start of the UK’s motorsport world, with the Monte Carlo Rally then following on (Jan 21-24) as a true winter classic.
February means Retromobile (Feb 3-7), the perennially stylish classic car fest in Paris while this side of La Manche, the London Classic Car Show (Feb 18-21) and Race Retro in Stoneleigh (Feb 26-28) will help brighten up another wintry month. RBS Rugby 6 Nations? That starts on Feb 6…
The 2016 Formula One season starts with the Australian GP on March 20. But well ahead of that, the European auto show season kicks off with the glamorous Geneva Salon (Feb 3-13), everyone’s favourite show and a well-established stop on the global automotive calendar.
The 74th Goodwood Members Meeting (Mar 19-20) is a relatively new motorsport event to the outside world, but already a certified motor sport A-lister. I went last year and loved it.
April gives us Germany’s massive Techno Classica Essen (Apr 6-10). In May, the fabled Monaco GP street circuit will be doubly busy this year with the Monaco Historic Grand Prix (May 13-15), then the Monaco GP itself, the jewel in F1’s crown on May 29: the same weekend as the Indy 500 and UEFA Champions League final, plus the start of the Isle of Man TT fortnight. Phew…
June means the Le Mans 24 Hours of course (Jun 18-19), the greatest sports car race in the world, with the hugely popular