Brand new retro show to wow the crowds at Rockingham Motor Speedway in August - Don't miss it.

• Brand new show for Retro Cars, taking place on August 9, 2015
• Live demonstrations and chances to drive at Rockingham Motor Speedway
• Prizes for cars (and for best 80s throwbacks…)

A brand new interactive car show designed to celebrate all that’s great about retro and modified classics is set to take place next month. Retro Cars Live will be hosted at Rockingham Motor Speedway on the outskirts of Corby, Northants, on Sunday, August 9.

Unlike more traditional shows aimed at owners of older cars, Retro Cars Live is a dynamic show that allows visitors to try out their retro classics on the Rockingham circuit, alongside other interactive, live features.

Retro Cars’ John-Joe Vollans said: “Our aim is to bring together people who love old cars of all shapes, types and sizes in a festival-style environment. Retro Cars Live is something completely different to any other car show in the country – it’s entirely inclusive of all makes and models and anything goes, standard or modified. We’re there to have fun with cars, and that’s exactly the experience we want for our guests.”

Thousands of cars will be on display, both as individual exhibits and club displays from some of the world’s best-supported marques, including Ford, Vauxhall, VW, Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

The Rockingham circuit will be in use throughout the day, with a number of attractions including drifting displays from the Retro Drift Challenge for pre-1989 cars, NASCAR displays, a 0-60 Sprint and a round of the UK Classic VW Challenge racing series.

Other event highlights will include a special exhibition of Retro Cars Legends – a show-stopping display of classic cars arranged by era –along with the Retro Cars Magazine car paddock, where the star feature cars from the magazine will have a display area all of their own.

Low riders will also have their own display area, where they can strut their funky stuff in the infield, while a competitive element will be introduced courtesy of the ‘Rate my Ride’ competition, with prizes on offer in a number of different categories. Additional prizes will be fought for between event visitors who turn up in the best fancy dress – with a distinct 80s throwback theme for the inaugural event.

The ‘Village Green’ will form the heart of the show, with an interactive stage area featuring interviews and live music all day long, plus kids’ entertainment, drinks and refreshments.

Fans of kit cars will be able to find everything from the conventional to the wild and whacky in the Total Kit Car paddock, while there will also be a retail area and a cars for sale section, should you wish to take home a souvenir (or maybe something a little bigger…)

Those wishing to fully soak up the atmosphere promised by the UK’s only live, interactive celebration of all types and styles of Retro Car will be able to camp overnight on the Saturday within the Rockingham complex.

The Eleventh Generation Astra, German Engineering, British Built, the best of both worlds.

• 11th generation Opel compact car to star at Frankfurt Motor Show in September
• Opel Group CEO Dr. Neumann promises an efficient, lightweight and spacious car

Continuing an eight-decade long tradition of Opel compact models, Opel Group CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann will unveil the all-new Astra at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt (September 17 to 27, 2015). Currently, only fully camouflaged engineering development prototypes can be seen, but Dr. Neumann promises that the new Astra will feature “an awesome design”, highest efficiency and an abundance of innovations.

Dr. Neumann has set new development priorities for this 11^th generation Opel compact car that has been created from a white sheet of paper, resulting in a revolutionary car that is much more efficient in all respects.

Space is used in an efficient way: while its exterior dimensions will be reduced, the space devoted to the new Astra’s occupants in its cockpit will be increased substantially. The engineering teams in charge of the development of the new Astra have also dramatically reduced its weight. 

This will make it more agile and have an extremely favorable impact on its fuel consumption. Dr. Neumann also confirmed that, as the result of the greatest powertrain offensive in Opel’s history, the new Astra will be powered only by state-of-the-art engines of the new generation.

The compact models Kadett and Astra, of which more than 24 million have been produced so far, have been the core of Opel’s portfolio ever since the first compact vehicle drove off the assembly line. 

“With each Kadett generation, Opel made individual mobility accessible to millions of people around the world, and several generations of Astra have brought innovative technologies from the upper class into the affordable compact segment,” said Dr. Neumann. 

“Each generation has raised the bar in safety, comfort and efficiency. The new Astra will once again set standards in the compact class. Amongst others, it will be the first new Opel model to be launched with Opel OnStar’s unique connected service that is ready to help and rescue you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”