2008 London Motor Show Visitor Numbers up 14 Percent

The organisers of the 2008 London Motor Show announced that 472,300 people visited the ExCeL-based event over its two-week running period. That’s a 14 percent raise over the 2006 show that welcomed 415,000 visitors. However, despite the increase in numbers, London is still not in a position to compete against other major European car shows like the ones in Geneva, Paris or Frankfurt. And even though this year’s event hosted several world premieres like the Opel/Vauxhall Insignia, Ford Focus RS, Honda OSM and Seat Ibiza SportCoupe, it's worrying that many major players like Audi, BMW, Porsche -even Aston Martin and Rolls Royce- chose not to participate. Click here for our reports on the 2008 London Show

Opel / Vauxhall Insignia Photos from London Show

One of the key debuts at this year’s British Motor Show in London was the all-new Opel - Vauxhall Insignia that was present in both sedan and hatchback forms. Seeing the new Insignia makes the outgoing Vectra look even more boring that we thought. If anything else, Opel’s design team hit the spot with the new mid-size model. Hopefully the company’s engineers will have performed the same magic to the car’s driving dynamics. –High res photos from the show after the jump

Subaru Impreza WRX STI 380S Concept – Heading for Limited Production

Unveiled at this week’s British Motor Show in London alongside the Impreza WRX-S 255PS and WRX STI 330S, the WRX STI 380S Prodrive concept is Subie’s hardest incarnation of the Impreza to date. And the good news is that the Japanese carmaker is actually thinking of putting it into production before the end of the year. While its final specifications will be finalised following customer input, Subaru says the STI 380S features a complete engine rebuild by Prodrive with many up-rated components that delivers 380 PS. -Continued

Other improvements over the standard Impreza WRX STI will include uprated suspension and exhaust system, an enhanced body kit plus the option of either gold or silver-coloured 18x8.5 ins BBS alloy wheels with 245/40 tires. No word yet on whether or not the WRC colour theme will be available as standard.

Lotus Evora 2+2 Coupe Live from London Show

While we would have preferred to show you action photos of the new Lotus Evora 2+2 Coupe (click here for details), for the time being, these live photos from the company’s British Motor Show booth are the best we can do until Lotus completes the final test phase of its new mid-engined coupe. -High resolution pictures after the jump

Honda OSM Concept: Live Photos from British Motor Show

Honda might have skimped the details on its London Show OSM concept car (Open Study Model) but the two-seater roadster looks awfully close in size and design to the CR-Z hybrid coupe concept that’s scheduled to enter production by 2010 –details here. If Honda actually considers creating a production version of the OSM, it will probably be more of a Mazda Miata / MX-5 type of roadster than a direct replacement for the more expensive S2000. Overall, and with the exception of the Star Trek tail-lamps that look they were lifted off a Japanese minivan, we find the OSM’s design quite appealing. -Photo gallery after the jump

Jaguar XK60 Special Edition Marks 60 Years of the XK

Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the XK nameplate that was introduced in 1948 with the iconic XK120 sports car, Jaguar has launched a special series of the current XK model for the UK market. Aptly named XK60, the special edition series is available with Jag’s naturally aspirated 298 PS 4.2-litre V8 engine, in both coupé and convertible forms.

The XK60’s features include bespoke 20-inch Senta alloy wheels, a sporty alloy gear knob and selector-gate surround, a new front spoiler and rear valance panel, chrome-finished side vents and bright upper and lower front grille meshes, special tailpipe finishers and appliqués on both sides of the car. Prices are set at £60,995 for the XK60 Coupe and £66,995 for the Convertible. -Image gallery after the jump

Ford Focus RS: Live Images from London

The Focus we’ve all been waiting for since the launch of the second generation model in 2005 made its first public appearance at this week’s British Motor Show in London. Equipped with a 300Hp 2.5-liter turbocharged 5-cylinder engine, the Focus RS will be able to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in less than 6.0 sec. Even though Ford maintained the front wheel drive setup of the less powerful Focus ST, the company says that the RS is able to target a class-leading balance of traction, handling and performance. Read all the details on the Focus RS here of follow the jump to see live images of Ford’s lime-green monster at the London show. -Continued