The Autocar Performance Show (APS) has been enthralling automotive enthusiasts for the past 13 years. Held every year at Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex, the show witnesses Indian & International automotive manufacturers exhibiting their vehicles. The 2018 APS which was held between December 13-16 was thronged by over 1 lakh visitors.
This year’s show also saw a record number of brands participating in the event. They included Lamborghini, Maserati, Porsche, Audi, BMW, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Jeep, Skoda, Hyundai, Mini, Renault, Honda, Maruti Suzuki Arena, Ford, Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Nissan, Toyota, BMW Motorrad, Harley-Davidson, Ducati, Kawasaki, Triumph Motorcycles, TVS Motor, Suzuki Motorcycle India and Motoroyale Kinetic.
Speaking about the 2018 APS, Hormazd Sorabjee (Editor, Autocar India) said, “The Autocar Performance Show 2018 has been our best show yet – both in terms of participation and the crowds. There’s a lot of interest in the new brands that made their Mumbai debut here, and one of the major crowd-pullers was the Race Dynamics dynamometer, which has come to the city for the first time. I’m glad to see the level of enthusiasm and passion for cars and bikes among the people of Mumbai.”
Two brands which made their Mumbai debut and attracted a lot of attention at the 2018 Autocar Performance Show were Kia Motors and MG Motor. Kia brought in the hot Stinger four-door and the Sportage SUV, while MG provided a glimpse of its past with the MGB Roadster, and its present with the E MG6 plug-in hybrid sedan.
Some of the cars that had the crowds in awe were the all-new BMW M2 Competition, Audi A5Sportback and RS5 Coupe, Mercedes-AMG E 63 S, Maserati GranTurismo S, Volvo S90 and Lexus ES 300h, among many others. There were also plenty of new SUVs such as the incredibly powerful duo of the Mercedes-AMG G 63 and Lamborghini Urus, followed by models such as the Nissan Kicks, Lexus NX 300h, Maserati Levante, Porsche Cayenne and the Volvo XC40 and XC90, to name a few.
The two-wheeler segment also saw a record number of displays. Motoroyale’s expansive display – comprising bikes from SWM, FB Mondial, MV Agusta, Norton and Hyosung – attracted a lot of attention, while Triumph’s showcase consisting of the Street Triple RS, Tiger 800 XRx and the Bonneville Bobber also left many in awe. Kawasaki joined the fray with the entire Ninja range – the Ninja 300, Ninja 400, Ninja 650, and the Ninja 1000; apart from the Versys 650, Vulcan S, Z 650, Z 1000 and track focused ZX-10R, and Ducati had on display the Panigale V4 superbike and the Monster 795. There was also a Superbike Gallery, with bikes such as the Kawasaki Ninja H2 and Honda CBR1000RR on display.
Multiple displays aside, the 2018 Autocar Performance Show housed live performance zones, which visitors made the most of. Red Bull’s driving simulator let enthusiasts enjoy the thrills of driving in the virtual world, and off-road junkies loved the Mahindra 4×4 Experience Zone, which gave them a chance to experience what the Thar is truly capable of on a specially designed off-road obstacle course.