Summer in the UK is a busy time for car enthusiasts, with a huge number of events taking place every weekend. With so many options, it’s not easy to create an event that stands out.
Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre (NEC) is no stranger to automotive events, from classic car shows to the famous Autosport International. However, it recently played host to Gravity, organised by the team at Slammed UK, bringing modified vehicles to the Midlands.
Holding a car show on a British bank holiday weekend can be a big risk. While visitors have an extra day to come, there are big music festivals, pub gardens and other attractions. But judging by the large number of visitors to Gravity, this was not a problem for the organisers.
And why would that be – Gravity attracts the best of the best. In addition to the show aspect, the event has an outdoor drift arena, a strong influencer presence, live BMX displays, lowrider demos and more.
But as someone who’s been to more car events than I could ever count, I can attest that it’s not just the attractions that matter; it’s the value of an event. mood. This often talked about but difficult to define quality determines the feeling an event evokes in us.
The Slammed UK team nailed it. There was a buzz in the air, enhanced by live music which, in my opinion, adds a special touch to any car show.
In addition to the many local cars on display, Gravity 2024 also featured a number of foreign cars. Two of them caught my attention.
The first was the Daihatsu Hijet, built by Nightride in Poland. ‘Kevin’ is powered by a Yamaha Fazer 600 motorcycle engine and drivetrain – right down to the chain drive. You can read more about this build here.
The second was Chip Moosa’s Mercedes-Benz W108 280SE ‘Vato’ from Chicano’s Customs in South Africa. The extensively rebuilt car features a dark green metallic paint job, a suede interior, air suspension and wire wheels. Both vehicles earned a Top 5 spot at the Gravity 2024 awards ceremony.
These are just a few highlights of hundreds of impressive builds. Gravity was one of those rare shows where I struggled to find a car I didn’t like. From E36 BMWs to Lamborghinis, there was something for everyone.
The live drift demo featured many familiar names including James Deane in his four-rotor FD3S Mazda RX-7, Becky Evans in her Nissan Silvia S15, Steve ‘Baggsy’ Biagioni in his R35 GT-R and the Crewsade drift team featuring drivers such as George Barclay in his 1,000bhp 2JZ BMW M2 Eurofighter.
Many enthusiasts chose to spend their free day in August at Gravity 2024; a testament to how great this event really is.
Ben Crosby
Instagram: nice house
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