Autosport International 2025

Autosport International 2025: Motorsport Mania Returns to the NEC

It’s hard to think of another event that attracts as diverse an array of motorsport fans and automotive brands as Autosport International. The annual show, held at the NEC, is one of the largest congregations in the UK of people in love with racing or afflicted with cars. While perhaps not as large as it once was, this year’s event still had everything and everyone from the armed forces (here’s why) to a prodigious Formula One driver and enough stands to empty even the deepest of pockets in a matter of minutes.

Autosport International 2025

Formula One is Still a Firm Favourite

Perhaps the largest crowd of the day (aside from the Live Action Arena) was the one crowded around the main stage to see David Croft, the voice of Formula One, give his thoughts on the thoroughly entertaining 2024 season and answer the big questions about 2025.

He was later joined by Ollie Bearman, who will be driving for Haas this year. He spoke about his career so far and his ambitions this year. While I made the most of reduced traffic elsewhere for most of this, he came across very well in the snippets I heard, and he was certainly popular with the crowd.

Autosport International 2025

The celebration of F1’s 75th anniversary was a highlight, with cars from almost every era of the sport’s history. They’re surrounded by some fantastic artwork, courtesy of Paul Oz, and the number and variety of cars on show rivalled that of the Petersen Automotive Museum in LA and the F1 Exhibition in London. Elsewhere, Williams had one of its cars on display.

Autosport International 2025

Familiar Faces at Autosport International 2025

There were a few other famous faces in attendance. YouTubers AdamC and Twin Engine Corsa were both chatting away and proudly showing off their cars, while other cars you may have seen online were also in attendance.

Autosport International 2025

Yorkshire Car Restoration was there with a battered Lamborghini Countach and an incredibly rare Mazda Cosmo, both of which piqued the interest of many attendees. There were also interviews with influencers running throughout the day, offering insight into popular online personalities and even some advice for budding content creators.

Autosport International 2025

A Captivating Display of Driving and Engineering

The Live Action Arena is home to daredevil drivers and a wide range of outlandish machinery. The show started off with a selection of Autograss cars, which were barmy, to say the least, and the youngest driver was amazingly just 10 years old.

Autosport International 2025

There was then a brief cameo from Ollie Bearman, who discussed how he found out he was getting his dream job and his ambitions for 2025. The awesome driving then continued, with the crowd able to take in the sights, sounds and smells of NASCAR, including being showered by rubber for those that happened to be trackside.

The highlights of the demonstration were without a doubt the performers. The Monster Energy drift team and Team Maximum Lock both showed off some sensational car control and fantastic teamwork, but Terry Grant was the star of the show in my eyes.

Autosport International 2025

The world-renowned stuntman put on a spectacular show. He set his Jaguar F-Type into a circular motion, before swapping into his trusty 1937 Ford Sedan. Grant then sent that sideways in a similar fashion, before hanging off it and admiring his handiwork. His nonchalant manner added to the stunt, creating the most memorable moment of Autosport International 2025.

The Big Brands Present at Autosport International 2025

Unfortunately, there was only one car manufacturer present at such a large motoring show. Bizarrely, this was Tesla. It’s not the first event that would come to mind if I were in charge of Tesla’s sales and marketing, but maybe it’s best that I’m not, as the stand received plenty of attention and quite a few people were poking around the Model 3 and Model Y that were on display.

Bilstein, the German suspension company, had a spacious stand with plenty of equipment on display, and a rather eye-catching Audi R8. Milltek brought along multiple cars as well, showing off the diverse range of cars that can get a sonic upgrade.

Cannon Run was out in force, with a particularly expensive collection of cars, as did Adrenaline Collective which had a stunning Lancia Delta Integrale Evo, an imported Dodge Challenger and an Ariel Atom.

The GT-R Owners’ Club was also out in force, with plenty of modified cars and a rather rare Nissan Stagea.

Toys for All Ages

There were some serious bits of kit designed for some serious fun on display at Autosport International 2025. First off, the RC track caught many people’s eye and the tandem drifting that could be seen on it was seriously impressive, as were the rows upon rows of miniature cars, each one sporting a unique body.

The Crazy Carts attracted a crowd, largely consisting of the younger generation due to their TikTok fame. There was certainly no shortage of methods to spend money, with a seemingly endless supply of scale models, artwork and more useful things, like tools and garage flooring.

The most appealing way to drive with actually driving to the masses was the abundance of sim rigs. Williams’ e-sports team had a large stand with F1 e-sports spec setups. More interestingly, Race@home had a couple of outrageously expensive rigs. Both featured motion systems to add to the immersion, with the karting simulator costing around £8,000 (with no wheel or pedals) and the full-size rig costing £12k, with another £8k of kit mounted on it.

Overclockers and its sim racing brand, Nitro Concepts, also had a large stand. Featuring gear from Moza Racing, there was something for all ages and budgets. I tried the most expensive setup featured (for journalistic purposes only, I promise), which you’ll be able to read about in an upcoming article. Let’s just say it blew my Logitech G920 out of the water.

Final Thoughts on Autosport International 2025

Perhaps if you’d been to prior events, this year’s offering may have been a disappointment, with some unutilised space and a distinct lack of car manufacturers and only a few really big brands present. However, if, like me, you came into it not fully knowing what to expect it was a fantastic show, bringing together all kinds of motorsport enthusiasts.

Maybe that’s the best way to look at it. Everyone was clearly passionate about what they do and warmly welcomed visitors and questions. The Live Action Arena was probably the highlight of the event, which is unfortunate as it isn’t included in the price of a ticket. Tickets aren’t cheap, with entry for an adult costing £38, and food and parking are as expensive as you’d expect.

All in all, though, I’d recommend it to anyone with an interest in cars and motorsport, whether you’re a more casual F1 fan, or spend too much time thinking about the next modification, as I can’t think of an event that offers a similar experience for the same price.

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