Thread: Brisbane Motorshow Review

Firstly a BIG thankyou to Jeebuz for supplying a couple of passes to get into the show. Much appreciated.

My business partner & I went along yesterday afternoon to the Brisbane International Motorshow and I thought I should give a general quick review so anyone else who was thinking of going doesn't accidentally blow $17.50 on it. A free pass is the only way to do it because it's not really worth any more.

The show generally highlights just how insignificant the Australian motor industry is. With the exception of a few scantily clad bimbettes, there was nothing at the show that you couldn't see merely by walking into a dealership.

A few notable marques were ABSENT:
Volvo
Chrysler - Jeep - Dodge
Porsche
Jaguar - Aston Martin
Ssang Yong (thankfully)
Proton

Also absent was anything even remotely interesting or out of the ordinary. Since Australia only has four local manufacturers - of which only two do any real design work - there were none of the exciting, teasing concept cars you might see at another, more influential show - like say Wellington .

The same experience could be had walking along the Moorooka magic mile and dealers are more inclined to suck-up to you there because there is half a chance you may actually be interested in buying, not just sticky-beaking.

Amongst the slim pickings we identified the following cars worth more than a passing glance...

Citroen C4 - Citroen is the ONLY marque with any sense of design adventurousness. I love those kooky French.

Landrover Defender - what is it about motor shows that you feel compelled to look at and sit in a car you ALREADY OWN? My mate did the same with the Subaru WRX.

Hummer H3 - they are like porn on wheels - you just have to look.

Holden - hot station wagon thingy. If this is a portent of what's to come in the Commodore station wagon then LOOK OUT! I'm not a Holden fan but this looks really good.

Ford Mondeo - If you are looking for a full size family sedan, then why even bother with a Commodore or Falcon? It's a sedan and a hatch back. Well made, neat, unoffensive, and not a BMW!

Alfa Romeo Brera - not that new, but so pretty to look at. I had to ask the bikini model at the stand to get out of the way - or just turn side on so I could see it better.

Suzuki Jimni - this is without a doubt one of the most underrated cars ever. It's really like a pocket Defender. No bull - just a little 4WD that does what it's supposed to for the cost of a box of matches.

Mazda CX5 - I wouldn't buy one, but it feels nice to sit in when your legs are tired.

And finally, spare a thought for the poor, vacuous bimbos hired by the brands to plug their wares to guys who are more interested in their knobs than the ones on the cars. No question is easy for these girls who try so, so hard to be taken seriously. I made the mistake of asking one where the bonnet release was in a Mondeo. She had to run and get someone .

Brisbane international motorshow - it's shiny with lots of lights, and even a few cars. Get a free pass and take a look, or just trot down to your local dealership and you'll get the idea.

Originally Posted by Captain_Rightfoot

I was hoping there would be some interesting real world eco stuff. Not to be hey?

Oh there was a bit of eco-crap. A Prius and Saab or maybe it was BMW's green-car thingies (so boring). There were also a range of Lexus hybrids lined up down the centre of the hall. The problem is, in order for manufacturers to bring "hybrid" cars to the marketplace, they seem compelled to just work the technology into existing models (Prius excepted). The end result doesn't make for exciting motorshow stuff - just more cars that look the same but have a huuuuge write-up on a plank beside them explaining the benefits of eco-motoring. Yawn!