I love good surprises on a Monday morning, especially in the lazy month of August. So when Maarten extended a last-minute invite to join him at the Press Day at the British Motor show at Farnborough in a Lamborghini, I was delighted to accept. It was an opportunity to spend a rare day with my lovely Publisher, though there was one caveat – please could we park somewhere discreet so that I could exit the vehicle elegantly? You know, without kissing the tarmac with my bum in the air. It’s a first-world problem, I know – but it’s my first-world problem.

I need not have worried as Maarten was transporting me in Lamborghini’s slightly ungainly-named Urus Performante SUV. It’s named after the Urus, a large and wild ancestor of today’s domestic cattle which, with a top speed of 194 mph and 0 – 62 in 3.3s, you would not want to be chased by.

The alcantara interior was so gorgeous inside that I even found myself stroking the soft ceiling within five minutes of getting in the car which I have never, ever done before. It’s a perk of being in the passenger seat for a change and not having to concentrate on the road ahead.

It was an excellent start to a slightly underwhelming day for both of us. Once Maarten had recovered from having to park in a field about two miles away and get a bus to the show. (How l wish l had a picture of Maarten on a bus!) We still managed to have fun – of course we did !

The organisation and logistics for the show left a lot to be desired compared to previous shows, especially alongside the incomparable Goodwood, but for a family day out it is probably worth it. For very serious petrol heads, less so as most of the big manufacturers were not in town for this particular show!

So, what did turn our heads? How time has moved on since my first review of an electric car in February 2020. I enjoyed meeting the team at EV Experts, a used electric car specialist based in Surrey and Hampshire, who had a really cool two year-old, four-seater Volkswagen e – up!

Of course, I just had to pronounce in a Yorkshire accent. It’s priced at £13,700 or CP at £196. It’s battery state of health after 13,800 miles was 98% (target for a car this age is 97%). It is ULEZ-compliant and vehicle tax / congestion charge-free until 2025. It has that nice, understated VW style, rounded off by a really well designed set of funky rear lights. A very nice, cross generational EV and we had a great conversation about the used EV market. It’s very healthy apparently.

The new MG Cyberster GT stood loud and proud, and made us both smile. It’s quite a design departure from the traditional MG; a rather sexy looking (which is absolutely what a good sports car should be ), fully electric, two-seater sports car with leather seats. I never thought I would use those two adjectives in the same sentence but there is a first time for everything and a sign of the times.

With 0 – 62 mph in 3.2 secs, a top speed of 125 mph, fully electric fabric hood and a starting price of £54,995, I would definitely add it to your Christmas list. You heard it here first.

Citroën had their ridiculous tiny clown car there, the Ami, which Maarten insisted l sit in and then managed to get a giant yellow duck in the shot, Ford presented the reincarnation of that famous marque, the Capri that has so divided opinion, McLaren must be furious at the Chinese YangWang U9, which is such a shameless rip off that l am surprised there are no lawsuits flying around. Meanwhile, the new Alpine A290 is cute as a button.

We also had a really interesting conversation with Michelle Brevitt, one of the founders of www.womendriveelectric.co.uk which has created a really useful platform for women to come together to share their experiences and learnings with EVs, with the aim of helping more women confidently transition to EVs. A great idea so do go and have a look and sign up.

What turned our heads – for all the wrong reasons – was the Tesla Cybertruck, which I have decided  should take up residency as a Bond villain in its own right in a desert, in a faraway land until the battery runs out.

Maarten agreed but his comments about it cannot be printed! The burnt orange and black YangWang U8 SUV also caused quite a stir with its amazing upholstery and futuristic design – so much so that children seemed to be constantly clambering all over it, like bees drawn to a delicious honey pot. But do you want to drive a YangWang?

The classic cars likely saved the day for both Maarten and me. I got to purr over several  beautiful Aston Martins whilst Maarten got to wistfully admire the only McLaren he has not yet driven – the McLaren PI. This is actually not a terrible surprise as it’s out of production, and valued at over £2m.

The rest of the Classics ranged from the most beautiful Ferrari Dino, to Cadillacs, Citroens, Austin Morris butchers’ vans to name just a few. It’s a glorious reminder of the impact and heritage of unique individual designs. This is highlighted all the more with the homogenisation of many of today’s vehicles.

In all, compared to the original Motor Show at Earls Court, which has every manufacturer launching their glitzy new models on rotating turntables in a blaze of celebrity driven publicity, this ‘new’ show was a bit of a damp squib.