I'm not saying I didn't enjoy going, getting up at stupid o'Clock, but each year to me it seems on decline.


1. One big car park of all jap car.... fine! it's JapFest
2. Less traders/trade stands... not much to by unless you wanted some stickers or number plates.. some car car products from Kleen.
3. not much going on to keep you entertained.
4. where were the top show and shine cars?


There's only so much Drifting you want to see. lol


It's £15 ish a ticket... how many tickets are sold?? For me it as if money is being taken and not much is put back into the show to make it what it should/could be.

It feels now just a track day, which I've had as good a time at a Javlin track do that you can go in for free.
I also thought how many cars were in the public car park when I left about 4pm, that even outside made a good car park car event lol



Remember years ago.. about 10, when the Donny show moved from Doncaster Show ground when it was being re vamped, it moved to Donington for the two day event. All the infield area had car clubs, side stalls, entertainment etc.


Anyone else think these car shows are on decline? (I also feel Trax is going the same way)

Or am I getting old??
It is a good way to meet up with friends though.





as I say, it's not a moan, more an observation that things seem to be on a decline.

Phil

 

phil you crack me up, got to JAPfest and then complain about the carpark being full of japanese cars lol

next you'll go to a VW show and complain its full of VW's,,,, lol

 

I agree though, i took some money to buy somethings like he said all you could get is silly gearknobs,stickers, and no second hand area either ,no car for sale area ,only about 10 cars on show and shine area

track action got boring as not many big bhp cars on there evan though was told track time sold out in a week .

drifting was ok but same 6 cars going round so got boring .

after 5 hrs we went home

i do however fancy a skyline or evo now though and like most shows there was just as many nice cars in car park as there was on club stands

 

i agree 10 yrs ago these were full of modified cars/traders etc now very few cars to write home about traders limited to number plates or stickers or cheap tat
trax used to be great now i wld class as just ok
i fear the modified scene is on the decline

 

I can only agree, I went to TOTB this year for the first time in 7 years. In my opinion the event is a shadow of its former self. Don't get me wrong I had a good day, but I won't be again in a rush, bearing in mind I live 15 minutes away.

 

Likewise, we didn't bother going this year and i'm only 20 minutes or so away.

You've confirmed what I was thinking though,that I haven't missed out on anything by not going.
.

 

totb isnt really a car show though its more of an event, much better than any of the japfest or other rubbish,

basically these so called shows are just car clubs lined up, the problem is five or ten years ago imprezas were expensive cars but nowadays old wrxs can be picked up for 2k and the quality of cars has gone from great to frankly laughable, basically all you are doing is paying to look at cars covered in ebay tat.

totb on the other hand is great as you get to see the cars actually compete against the clock, totally different events id say.

 

For me the only show worth going to is Rally Day at Castle Combe...............all the others have died a death starting with over charging for entry and once your in, there isnt much to see or do anymore once you have seen it all before and there is nothing new!

 

I used to go to TOTB every year, i purposely missed last years because the year before i thought it was ****e, but i went again this year and enjoyed it, i think its improving again.

Quarter miles in the 8's.
Top speed runs.
Mini handling track.
I think it has a good package and you can get very close to all the cars and action.
Trade stands seem to of dropped off at most shows which is a shame.

Maybe we are all getting a bit numb to the big BHP cars and are not as easily impressed as we used to be, now most of us are using 300/400BHP cars as daily drivers?

 

Unfortunately you are summing up the mentality of what is fast appearing to be the majority of Subaru owners at present. Older cars are now reaching rock bottom prices but running costs remain the same. People buy them, cannot afford to run them and the cars become shadows of their former selves.

I've always found the sticker ***** funny, but the bolt on tat that is being stuck to cars at the moment is reaching new heights.

These two groups particularly stand out to me

https://www.facebook.com/groups/SIOCUK/

Proudly shows off cars themed on The Incredible Hulk, Darth Vader, Gremlins and Dracula.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Theg...iedsubarupage/

A largely ironic name given the average car that seems to make it's way onto this one!

 

Never been to Japfest before and missed the first one earlier this year as I couldn't go, but I was disappointed by the trade stands compared to other shows

 

The future is in diversity
I saw Subarus rise from nothing in the late 90s to its peak 2006-2011
Look at this years NBO
I'm glad I'm not involved with the running of it anymore

But the future of car shows is variety


The lord will return

 

Phil, how can you say it was a bad day when you managed to get your first TV interview after 20 years of trying

 

Maybe in old and boring, but looking at parked up cars with their bonnets open is a bit boring.

Time Attack and TOTB are much better IMO, seeing the cars in action and meeting like minded people.

 

(That said, I'm off to a Pistonheads meet tomorrow..... to look at the parked up cars)

 

+1

 

Just bought 2 spectator tickets for myself and my girlfriend for Rally Day at Castle Combe Meant to be a great day out. Never been before so really looking forward to it.

 

Steve, your photoshop skill are getting so much better.


Gary, my wife said last nightthat maybe we're getting older and seeing these shows for what they are.. money making ripping off the younger kids (and us) by charging and doing less each year for the money.

 

Its not just car events, its any event, a typical example is carnival/parades through city centres. Years ago, tens and tens of lorries hgv trailors/companys marching bands etc, this yr, for here anyway, pityful 4x4 with trailors and not much else.

Its all down to ££££ nobody getting back what they put in

 

That's why I refuse to go to Santa Pod. Their attitude seems to be charge what they can, squeeze as many people in as they can, then just forget about them.

I've been to a few Time Attack/Modified Live events and they are much much better, looking forward to the Brands Hatch one in November.

 

You wont be disappointed we have had a club stand there for the past 3 years and we have one again this year its the one show of the year that i make sure i dont miss,there is non stop action on the track and lots of other things going on all around the track

 

after JapFest at santa pod teh other year I said I'd never go again, getting in the event after queuing for ages, then leaving the organisation of letting the car out from teh nearest fields to the exit meant all us in the show wanting to get out waited ages and ages. cars were stood still not going anywhere. Instead they should have alternated which carpark they let out.

 

I stopped going to the big shows a few years ago after doing them all for a while.

Like you said, virtually no trade stands, minimal other stuff going on anymore and the numbers attending seemed to be dwindling compared to back in 2003-2007 time.

It's a shame it seems to be dying but i've got some amazing memories from some awesome events though.

 

lol that Vader car is an epic **** heap, I actually laughed out loud at not only the car that has every piece of crap from eBay attached to it and the fact a grown man calls a wrx Vader

 

I've named mine Megatron and Flash Gordon

Both powered by the force and equipped with force field barriers!

 

Perhaps it's just me but it's never really been my thing. Back when I first got my WRX I went to a few Sussex scoobies meets, including what I'm sure was jap somethingorother up in crowborough. I did try but it never quite appealed the same as having a pint and arguing about football.
I've taken my youngest son to the super car event at dunsfold for the past couple of years and even with the likes of Ferrari, Porsches etc it gets very boring very quickly.
I think I'll go all out next year with Goodwood and see if that interests me more.

 

Most of them are the same old, same old.

The NBO this year was diabolical in terms of attendance, and quite a few people I spoke to thought the same. Whether I attend next year and make it 10 years going remains to seen. Quite possibly wont.

IMO, the likes of Time Attack and TOTB are the sort of events to attend. Something to actually watch, and you get to see the cars competing up close.

Sorry, but, You can't compare a 400BHP car with any of the front runners at TOTB. Andy F's is over 1000BHP, Lateral Banana is around 800-1000BHP, Norris' SWB Evo is over 1000BHP, Jurgen Vallon's R35 GTR is something like 12-1500BHP

Define big BHP on a daily driver these days anyway. Add turbo, injectors and a remap, and Newage 2.0L's will happily do 400BHP power all day long. I know a few people that do, and/or have ran 5/600BHP cars as daily drivers.

It's not all about horsepower though. When you see the likes of Andy F's car, the Lateral Banana, RCM Gobstopper 1 or 2, some of the Evo's and see the engineering that's went in to building them, then you can't fail to be impressed.

Edit to add. I didn't know there was an event aimed at fast bikes at Elvington this weekend passed, or I would have went.

To have seen someone doing a wheelie from the KM to the mile marker at 198mph would have been very impressive. Also some lass clocking 260mph even more so!

 

Come up to TOTB next year.

 

I didn't compare the 2 and as for a bike doing a quarter mile on its back wheel i suppose if that's what your into For me it would be nice to see once but then its also boring, there was somebody doing it at this years TOTB, It reminds me of the firetruck doing a wheelie fun to see once then meh.