Auto Salon van het Noorden 2023

25/26 February 2023, Martini Plaza Groningen, The Netherlands; With over ten thousand visitors in two days, the first edition of the Autosalon is a fact!

Text: Benjamin Wefer

Picture Benjamin Wefer

After a three-year delay (due to the world pandemic), finally, it was time for all petrolheads to invade the city of Groningen. Groningen is known for its unique monuments like the Martini tower & the Martini church. Last weekend it was the Martini plaza convention centrum, the place to be for the first edition of the Autosalon. A car event with a diverse car collection, race simulators for virtual racers, and a debut of an iconic model from a well-known german brand! All this in one show.

Autosalon Van Het Noorden is an exhibition for exclusive cars from private collections and new releases from exclusive car dealers in the area. Dealers present were; Century Autogroup (VW, Audi/ABT dealer), Brute Jeeps, Carway, Ferarri Munsterhuis, Louwman exclusive, Kroymans, Van Mossel Land rover &Jaguar, and many more. One of the car dealers at Martini Plaza was Porsche Centrum Groningen, who unveiled their 2023 Porsche 922 GT3 RS (recognizable for the big rear wing). The GT3 RS is the newest lion from Porsche, with a 4.0 liter naturally aspirated six-cylinder engine. The GT-3 produces 518 horsepower at 9000 rpm (Base price is over three hundred thousand euros). The big rear wing incorporates a drag-reduction system similar found in a Formula One car. The one exhibited during the weekend has beautiful ice grey metallic (Eisgrau in german) color with a Weissach carbon package, which adds another 3.700 euros (only paint job) to the bill, but who’s counting? There are currently (at the time of writing) only five of them in The Netherlands. A lot of spectators stopped by during the reveal for a glimpse.

Another eyecatcher during the weekend was the breathtaking Aston Martin Martin V12 Speedster. Aston Martin only produced 88 pieces and will sell for over a million dollars. The speedster has a twin-turbo V12 engine, which delivers around 700 horsepower and reaches its top speed at 300 km/hrs (constrained). The stunning racing green paintwork on the speedster is a tribute to the Aston Martin that won the 24 Hours of Lemans in 1959.

Not only new cars but also iconic old/young timers were the center of attention during the weekend, like the Ferrari F40 or the Ferrari la Ferrari. The F-40 is one of the most loved Ferraris of all time. Ferrari only produced 1337 for their 40th anniversary, and they all came in red! The La Ferrari is even rarer, with only 499 units built. This hybrid supercar (2013) has a 6.2-liter V-12 engine and an electric motor, which produce a combined 950 horsepower.

The car catwalk was the place to be, for your senses to be delighted with the luxury and performance (especially your ears). This time a Catwalk area with a fixed grandstand. The selected cars drove one by one in front of the grandstand so the audience could enjoy the sound of the car engine. Every car owner got some minutes with the host: Gert-Jan Hennipman. During this interview, all owners got the opportunity to share their passion for automobiles and details about their cars. Some highlight of the show was; The proud wheels 2018 Lamborghini Huracan, the 2021 Techart GTstreet R (Porsche 911 Turbo S), and the 2021 Porsche GT2 RS (too much to mention all). Leslie Lauwen, aka GTR Leslie, steals the show as usual on the catwalk with a flame-throwing Nissan GTR.

For the ones looking for virtual adrenaline, Build 4 performance brought their F1 stage 1 simulators to Groningen. This simulator provides the user with the ultimate Formula One feeling. The steering, pedals, and chair are positioned, like in a Formula One car.

Visitors of all ages could try the simulator, show their skills, and set their best lap. If you are a gamer, this slick simulator must be on the wish list!

The 1st edition of the Autosalon van het Noorden is a success with approximately 10.000 visitors. A car event dedicated to exclusive cars (new models and old/young timers). It was also the first time that event promotor 402 automotive selected this location for a car event. We ask 402 automotive CEO Ronald van den Broek about his thoughts on the event. Ronald replied; it is a unique & great location, with several elegant halls. There are not many car events in Groningen, and the reaction was positive. It was busier than we expected. We are grateful for that and want to thank all who came.