Auto Expo, the biennial Indian motor show, runs from 5 to 9 February in New Delhi. This year’s event has already broken previous attendance records and more manufacturers than ever are making the most of the opportunity to show off their latest models.

Alongside a classic 1970 Datsun Bluebird 1600 SS, the Renault Sport R.S.01 and a 2013 Mercedes AMG F1 W04, endurance racing is also in the spotlight with a Toyota TS040 Hybrid, the car that won the World Endurance Championship in 2014.

Like most other markets across the world, the Indian automotive sector is taking a keen interest in green solutions. Hybrid or other clean-engine vehicles are increasingly represented and Toyota is at Auto Expo to show off its hydrogen-powered Mirai. The Japanese manufacturer’s expertise is also showcased in the Toyota TS040 Hybrid and its ground-breaking technology. With the additional motor-generator on its front axle allowing the system to provide power to all four wheels, the Toyota TS040 Hybrid won five races including three 1-2 finishes. The TS040 Hybrid certainly dominated the second half of the 2014 WEC season but experienced more mixed fortunes in 2015 against Audi and Porsche, its rivals at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. 

Third day turn up at #AETMS2016 is 1,30,975! Your presence is fueling our enthusiasm. Keep visiting #ThankYou pic.twitter.com/mYkRDabBfE

— #AETMS2016 (@AutoExpo2016) 7 Février 2016

Although Auto Expo in New Delhi is not devoted to motorsport or racing cars, it is an opportunity for manufacturers to show off their products to a very large market. Indian movie stars Akshay Kumar and Taapsee Pannu and French footballer Louis Saha have been spotted among the visitors at the show, which continues to gain in popularity and can now rival some of the biggest shows in the world in terms of attendance figures. As a comparison, the 2016 Detroit Auto Show held earlier this year counted 815,000 visitors, while the organisers of New Delhi’s Auto Expo are expecting 600,000 people this year.
 

Geoffroy Barre | Translated from French by Clair Pickworth

Photo: The Toyota TS040 Hybrid is on show in India at the Auto Expo motor show in New Delhi, from 5 to 9 February.