MOTOR SHOW

This year, even more than ever before, the Bologna Motor Show – set to be held at BolognaFiere from 4 to 8 December – will give free rein to its sporting soul with a rich programme of races, exhibitions and test drives to be staged across all of the external areas of the expo zone. The opportunity to get "up close and personal" is one of the features of the Bologna show, which this year, as in previous years, will allow visitors to experience first-hand many of the latest products from the leading car makers. As well as witnessing the breathtaking competitions scheduled for the MotorSport Arena – such as the Findomestic Memorial Bettega, the Freestyle contest and the Tractor Pulling Challenges – visitors will also have the chance to find out what the cars actually feel like, alongside the instructors from Italy's most prestigious schools for racing drivers.  

AREA 44
Area 44 of the Motor Show will be given over to the product tests of the 15 car makes within the Quattroruote zone in Pavilion 26. Visitors, flanked by the instructors of the Quattroruote Safe Driving School, will be able to experience first-hand the excitement of racing round a track in the latest models. The available models will include: the Alfa Romeo MiTo Multiair 135 CV, the BMW X1, the new Citroen C3 1.6 VTi 120 CV Exclusive Style, the dr5 Ecopower i-integrale, the Punto Evo 1.3 16V Start&Stop 3-door, the Ford Focus RS 2.5 T, the Hyundai i20, the new Kia Sorento, the Mercedes E 63 AMG, the Mini, the Opel Insignia OPC 2.8 Turbo 4-door, the Porsche Cayman S, the Smart Fortwo Cabrio Brabus, the Suzuki Swift 1.6 Sport 3-door and the new Toyota Prius 1.8.

AREA 45
In Area 45, Bridgestone - media sponsor of the Motor Show - will offer a test-drive area in which all visitors holding a driving licence will have the opportunity to try the new “eco-friendly” Ecopia tyres fitted to Toyota iQ and Prius models. With its new Ecopia tyres, Bridgestone is achieving excellent results in terms of reductions in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

AREA 46
The Vallelunga ACI-SARA Safe-Driving Centre will as usual be appearing at the 2009 Motor Show. The centre's instructors and Mini and BMW vehicles will support the participation of the Automobile Club d'Italia. This year, as before, several thousand visitors will be afforded the opportunity to climb into the Minis and carry out safe-driving exercises. All participants will learn about the work done at the Safe-Driving Centre, about the various types of courses on offer and about the importance of training to become a safer driver. This information will be particularly valuable for those who have only recently passed their driving test.

AREA 49
Subaru will also be offering a wealth of product tests at the 2009 Motor Show. Within Area 49, visitors will be able to take the Forester and the new Outback for dynamic test drives. The drivers from the Subaru Speed Control racing driver school will carry out a series of exercises, with visitors in the passenger seat, to demonstrate how the two vehicles perform in critical situations.

AREA 42/2
Area 42/2 of the Motor Show will feature an event that has never been seen before at the Bologna extravaganza: Tractor Pulling. This spectacular (and patently American) test of strength will see tractors – fitted with engines from aircraft, dragsters or even tanks – attempt to pull a weighted trailer along a 100-metre dirt track.

AREA 42/1
Area 42/1 will play host to “Travelling on Two Wheels”. In this area, the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, in collaboration with FMI (the Italian Motorcycling Federation), will organise safe-riding courses and will also stage a crash-test demonstration involving a motorbike and a car to show the effects of a simulated collision.

AREA 48 – MOTORSPORT ARENA
The track of the MotorSport Arena will as always provide the backdrop for competitions, exhibitions and test drives organised by companies such as Subaru and Tazzari, which will be held during dedicated time slots. At BolognaFiere, speed and skill will take centre stage: from 4 to 6 December, races will be held on the tarmac track, which will then be replaced on 7 December by the dirt track required for the rally competitions.