Has the Britain's motor industry lost touch with reality? Michael McAleer was at the British Motor Show
The future of British motor industry seems to be tied to the popularity of 4-litre engines offering speeds in excess of 160mph - a wonderful world, but not really the one occupied by the rest of us.
However, never one to stare reality in the face, the British motor industry showcase in Birmingham at present featured world launches from the cream of British motor history. Electric engine fans and environmentalists were left circling the Bull Ring, while enthusiasts feasted their eyes on a range of cars that are as likely to be seen on British high streets as Bentley is to bring out a fuel efficient mini-MPV for shopping and school-runs.
While Paris featured 29 world premiers, the British Motor Show had just a handful. But those launched were largely ravenous beasts, hungry for road and thirsty for petrol.
Top billing went to two British marques, one returning after 70 years in exile, the other fighting back after some roller coaster years of ownership. Both offered cars with top speeds limited close to 200 mph.
First up was the return of the Invicta, the famous race and rally-winning 1930s marque. The last car was produced in October 1933. The firm's new car, ready for production, is the Invicta SI. Featuring a high-tech carbon-fibre body, this two seater is limited to 170 mph from its lightweight American V8 engine.
"We have worked in secrecy for 24 months," said Invicta chairman Michael Bristow, "because we wanted the public to talk about what we achieved, not what we hoped to achieve. The SI is not a concept car but a full production model."
It's designed to be both a grand tourer and a no-compromise sportscar with an aim to go GT racing. Its 4.6-litre V8 engine offers 320bhp and a 0-60mph of 5 seconds.
The marque was previously compared with the Bentleys as "its most directly comparable rival", so it was coincidental that in the next hall Bentley was busy introducing its own new GT racer. Could be fun ahead on the tracks.
Bentley's new Continental GT was described as the fastest four-seater in the world at its world debut in Paris last month. It claims 180 mph from its 6-litre engine and over 500 bhp.
The MG Rover stand offered a more realistic reflection of the state of the British industry. Symbolic of the show itself in many ways, the stand was split down the middle between the exciting world of MG and the sedate, almost lethargic Rover world.
While sales staff on the Rover stand spoke of fleet sales and value for money, the company's senior executives and designers were busy escorting the great and good around MG's 170mph entrant into the supercar race, the XPower SV. It offers 326 bhp from its 4.6-litre V8 engine and a 0-60mph of 5 seconds with a top speed of 170 mph. For those who find this a little tame, a Club Sport model designed for the track has a 5-litre V8 engine with 410 bhp, a 0-60mph of 4.4 seconds and a top speed limited to 195mph. And they promise engines with even greater tuning, will be available. Behind the partition, on the Rover side, stood a Rover 25 1.1-litre.
According to Greg Allport, communications director of MG Rover, the MG marque now accounts for 25 per cent of overall sales and in some cases makes up to a third.
Perhaps MG Rover's future strategy may be directed by the fact that there are limits to the uses to which it can put the Rover marque. Rover cannot, for example, produce a 4x4 as it may clash with their former bedfellows Land Rover, now part of Ford's Premier Automotive Group. However, there are no such limitations with MG. There is nothing stopping them bringing out a sporty 4x4, for example.
Even those British marques that have joined the international set and are now part of larger multinationals draped themselves in the flag for the occasion. While BMW were a no-show, their popular stablemate MINI did put in an appearance, and stole the show with a highly entertaining show involving stunt drivers putting three MINIs through their paces.