SMMT Test Day 2021
Round the Hill Route at Millbrook with its twisting cambers, steep gradients and real world road surfaces. 1/40s 52mm F8.0 ISO 400.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) is a trade association established in 1902 to promote the interests of the automotive industry in the UK. As part of this they run an annual test day at Millbrook Proving Ground, Bedfordshire every year. This is a press only event and allows motoring journalists a chance to test drive the latest available cars as well as speak to company reps. Broadly speaking the manufacturers there are on the more ordinary side, representing the everyday cars the general public will be buying. However, McLaren & Maserati were there, alongside Morgan and Bentley for more high-end & sporty options. Like a lot of other events, it was cancelled in 2020 and this event had been planned to come after the original end-of-lockdown date set by the government of the 21st June. Being a predominantly outdoor event meant that even with some restrictions still in place it could still go ahead without too much difficulty.
The SMMT event with a whole host of manufactures on display. 1/200s 36mm F8.0 ISO 500, two photo panoramic.
Once we first arrived, we could sign in, grab a bacon butty and then mingle with fellow members of the press before 9am rolled around and the driving began. We were all joking that it would be a Le Mans-esque start where we’d all rush to sign-up up for the most popular cars as the clock struck the hour. Although there was some element of this, many manufacturers weren’t taking bookings but simply operated on a first come, first serve basis that involved patiently waiting ten to fifteen minutes to get behind the wheel. There were a few manufacturers that would only give out cars if they were going to get a write-up in an appropriate magazine, but most were relaxed enough to hand the keys over to anyone who asked.
Audi’s new electric Q4, it won’t set the world on fire but I can guarantee it will sell well and be many peoples’ first electric car. 1/100s 70mm F8.0 ISO 200.
The quirky option of the day, the Renault Twizy had plenty of interest for those who just couldn’t resist a go. 1/200s 24mm F8.0 ISO 500.
As I was on photography duty I wasn’t driving, so the first car Aaron and I got in was Audi’s brand new all electric Q4. I must admit it wasn’t overly exciting, but I can guarantee it is the kind of boring bog-standard car that will sell well and get a few more people converted to electric car ownership. Next up though was the car Aaron most wanted to get behind the wheel of – the latest Alpine A110 (and the lightest ‘Pure’ edition no less). This was the most fun we’d have in a car all day, for a four cylinder it sounds great, the interior is well furnished and of course it drives incredibly well. The only downside we could find was the poor ventilation (it seems they took a few too many notes out of the Lotus book). You couldn’t have had a more perfect car for Millbrook’s twisting & turning Hill Route. However, we had a bit too much fun which resulted in a yellow flag after lap three. We were struggling to see how we could drive this car in any other way.
Aaron’s car of the day and what a car the latest Alpine A110 is. 1/200s 48mm F8.0 ISO 500.
Built for speed, Aaron put it through its paces. 1/50s 24mm F8.0 ISO 400.
The interior is well furnished, the only let down was the poor ventilation. You’ll just have to drive faster with the windows down! 1/80s 24mm F8.0 ISO 3200.
Something that was quickly becoming a problem for me however was motion sickness, the ups and downs and winding cambers at speed were really do a number on my sense of balance, made worse by my looking through the viewfinder of my camera whilst in motion. When we were next out in the M4 I actually needed dropping off early, it would have been pretty embarrassing if I had thrown up in a newly minted press car at an event attended by hundreds of people.
The new M4 has divided opinion over its aggressive warthog-esque looks, but you certainly couldn’t miss it going down the road. 1/160s 32mm F8.0 ISO 640.
Personally I prefer the paintjob on this 4 Series convertible. 1/80s 55mm F8.0 ISO 800.
With regards to photography, I was a little disappointed there weren’t any opportunities to stand and get photos of the cars going around on track, SMMT (or perhaps Millbrook) had their own photographers in hi-vis jackets, so I was relegated to taking pictures around the media area and inside the car when in motion. It does make sense though, because as this was somewhere that new and prototype vehicles get tested, photography is often something they are trying to prevent. Whilst we were there, we actually saw an example of Gordan Murray’s t50 (which in the metal looks a lot more like the McLaren F1 he also designed than I was expecting), though unfortunately I wasn’t able to get a photo through the back window. Most likely though a lot of the journalists will probably use press shots provided by the manufacturers for their articles, and the videos that the many youtubers and influencers were creating can’t be too long as they only have the cars for a short period of time.
Maserati’s new flagship car, the MC20 is the first car designed and built entirely inhouse since their separation from Ferrari. 1/160s 60mm F8.0 ISO 320.
The new V6 engine Maserati have built for this car. Expect to see it steadily replace the Ferrari V8s currently used in their other cars. 1/60s 24mm F8.0 ISO 800.
Another highlight for me was getting to experience Hyundai’s new luxury brand, Genesis, their equivalent of Toyota’s Lexus. The G80 we went out in can’t be described as being at the same level as a Mercedes S Class (more like an E Class or a BMW 5 Series) but with its very competitive pricing I think it will certainly sell well and looks to be pitched perfectly for the US market (just like Lexus). It was at this stand that, to my surprise, I bumped in Faisal Islam who is the current BBC Economics Editor. It turns out that as so much is available in a single day it attracts members of the press from outside the motoring world who are looking to keep an eye on an important part of the economy.
Hyundai’s new luxury brand Genesis will take the fight to Lexus and the main European staples. 1/100s 68mm F8.0 ISO 250.
Aaron was keen to drive one and came away impressed, it’s not perfect but is great value for its price point. 1/40s 24mm F8.0 ISO 125.
The best way I can describe the interior is something out of a newly minted mid-range hotel. 1/125s 24mm F8.0 ISO 1600.
While the Genesis was rocking a petrol engine it was clear we were seeing the start of the big push towards electric, and Porsche’s most popular cars on the day weren’t the more traditional 911 but the various models of Taycan. We went out in the 4S, first taking it up to 100mph on the bowl before doing a circuit on the Hill Route. Porsche are the only manufacturer to send out a company rep with you, but they could handily take us through the controls and various features whilst we drove. The smooth delivery of its power was impressive, and Stuttgart’s finest have clearly spent a lot of time here refining the car to make it as satisfying to drive as it’s petrol-powered siblings.
Porsche’s Taycan proved to be one of the most popular cars of the car. Good job they had a few on hand. 1/100s 35mm F8.0 ISO 280.
Porsche was the only manufacturer to send out a rep with the driver. 1/125s 70mm F8.0 ISO 1600.
However this gave plenty of opportunity for them to explain the various details of the car while you sat behind the wheel. 1/125s 35mm F8.0 ISO 1600.
One car we didn’t get to find out if it was as satisfying was the much talked about GR Yaris from Toyota, just as we were taking it out for the final drive of the day, a miscommunication meant that Marshalls ended the day twenty minutes earlier than scheduled, so all we managed was a lap of the car park. One for next year I suppose. All in all, a busy fun-packed day that even had a few interesting things tucked away in the car park. Unfortunately, I can’t recommend it for regular folks because it is a press event, but hopefully I won’t suffer as much motion sickness next year.
The GR Yaris has taken the motoring world by storm by being the hot hatch of the moment. 1/100s 32mm F4.0 ISO 64.
Sadly a marshalling mix-up meant we didn’t get any further than a lap of the carpark. Let’s hope they bring one along next year. 1/160s 24mm F8.0 ISO 1250.
If you had a hunt around the car park there were a few interesting classics that people had arrived in. 1/100s 70mm F8.0 ISO 640.
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