MOTOR SHOW

Sporting passion will be taking centre stage at the “Special Edition” of the 2009 Motor Show. At BolognaFiere, from 4 to 8 December, a whole host of illustrious names will be taking part in races or appearing in the paddock area to bolster the competition programme and the numerous dynamic events scheduled for the five days of the Motor Show.

A wealth of surprises awaits visitors to the Bologna Motor Show, where the race track will, as always, be at the heart of this exciting extravaganza. The whole of Saturday 5 December will be given over to F1’s most legendary marque, Ferrari, which will offer a breathtaking pit-stop of its F1 car and myriad events showcasing its magnificent Granturismo vehicles: from the F430 in the Ferrari Challenge (Pirelli Trophy and Shell Cup) to the eagerly awaited Ferrari FXX Event.

Among the other highlights scheduled from 4 to 6 December will be the drifting sessions, which will see the sport’s leading names in action, alongside a number of very special international guests.

The commitment to returning to the origins of the Motor Show is also confirmed by the large number of great names who will be taking part in what has been a fixture of Bologna’s sporting calendar for more than twenty years: the 25th Findomestic Memorial Bettega, set to take place on 7 and 8 December. As is now a tradition at the Motor Show, the 2009 version will include the participation of many leading lights of the FIA World Rally Championship. Amongst those who have already confirmed are Petter Solberg – 2008 World Champion and third place at the 2008 Motor Show, in a Subaru –¬ and Marcus Gronholm, World Rally Champion in 2000 and 2002, who’ll be at the wheel of a Subaru Impreza WRC. Citroën Sport, which won its fifth WRC Constructors’ title in 2009, will be represented by Sébastien Ogier at the Bettega. This Citroën Junior Team member is a World Champion in his own right, having scooped the WRC Junior Championship in 2008.

From Friday 4 to Tuesday 8 December, the spotlight will also be focused on the 2009 Bologna Motor Show’s most ‘devastating’ event (in every sense of the word). The Motor Show track will be graced by the modern-day gladiators who perform in the Police School Stunt Show organised by Mirabilandia. Every day from 4 to 8 December (with the exception of Saturday 5 December, which will be all about Ferrari), the stunt drivers and riders will perform synchronised, acrobatic displays involving cars, bikes and trucks. Moreover, during one of their sorties onto the track, the stuntmen’s sole objective will be to smash their adversaries’ cars as they engage in a bona fide, hour-long “Demolition Derby”. The winner will be the competitor who succeeds in avoiding the total destruction of his “motorised steed”.

These are just a few teasers of the programme for the Special Edition of the 2009 Bologna Motor Show, which will feature a plethora of races, initiatives and events. In the next press release, we will reveal all the details of the mono-marque competitions set to take place in the 2009 Motor Show’s racing arena.