British Motor Show 2008: Major new launches

Any motor show is always packed with wacky concept cars as well as current production models - but it’s the new launches that usually get people talking. Here are some of the highlights to look out for at the 2008 British Motor Show.

Lotus Evora

An all-new Lotus...

The car Lotus had codenamed ‘Eagle’ is the first all-new Lotus for 13 years - which is why the Lotus stand was one of the busiest on press day. The car will actually be called Evora, and it’s the first of three new cars that Lotus is promising in the next five years.

It is a ‘2+2’ sports car (that is, it has token back seats thanks to some clever packaging), and Lotus claims the Evora’s handling is breathtaking, and that it should hit 60mph in below 5 seconds.

It’s powered by a 3.5-litre Toyota engine - a definite raising of the performance bar for Norfolk’s finest carmaker - and it goes on sale in spring 2009. There’s already a waiting list...

Ford Focus RS and Fiesta

Ford Focus RS will be popular

Since the current Focus arrived in 2005, petrol-heads have had only the 225bhp hot ‘ST’ version of Ford’s family hatchback to really get excited about.

No more though, because Ford has revised the RS badge from the original Focus and is, once again, bringing a rally-inspired super-swift hatch to the UK market - this time with an incredible 296bhp.

The British Motor Show is our first chance to see it and, although it looks pretty repulsive in the show car’s bright green, it’s certainly stands out on Ford’s stand.

Also impressive is the all-new Fiesta, a car which is always among the UK’s top-selling models. This looks a sure-fire success to us - it’s good to look at, seems well built and nicely laid-out inside and, as it shares much with Mazda’s new 2 supermini, it should be good to drive. You can read more about the ‘Econetic’ version on the next page.

Alfa Romeo MiTo

Mito - short for Milan Touring

The MiTo is the first compact Alfa for 35 years, sitting below the 147 hatchback in the Italian carmaker’s range.
It seems to be targeted squarely at Mini drivers, with about the same level of practicality and a very strong emphasis on style, inside and out. 

It’s an eye-catching car, but not quite as pretty as Alfa might want it to be. Dare we say it, the headlights don't just look like the stunning Alfa 8C Competizione -they also echo the budget Kia Picanto. You can see all these cars at the show, so decide for yourselves...

Nissan Qashqai+2

Qashqai gets two more seats

The Qashqai hatch-cum-4x4 has been a runaway success for Nissan, and the Qashqai+2, unveiled at the show, offers even versatility for families.

Nissan has made it 20cm longer and put two extra folding rear seats in, which means it can rival mid-sized MPVs such as the Vauxhall Zafira - however, we suspect many buyers will prefer the look and feel of the Qashqai+2 - and prices start from just over £17,000.

Vauxhall Insignia

The replacement for the rather tired Vauxhall Vectra may not be the most exciting car on show at Excel, but it’s probably the most important from an industry perspective. And, if you’re a company car driver, there’s a good chance you might end up driving one, too.

Vectra makes way for Insignia

Vauxhall has pensioned off the Vectra name to usher in a new generation of family car, and, having seen it at the show, we can confirm it’s less gawky looking, and rather more Germanic in its styling.

Vauxhall claims some technological firsts, such as a windscreen-mounted camera which can read road signs and display speed limits on the dash, for example.

Overall, the Insignia looks impressive inside and out and it should be a good match for its biggest rival, the Mondeo - we look forward to testing it in the next few months.