Supercar Season

Car spotters photographing a Bugatti Veyron outside Harrods in Kensington.

The term 'Supercar Season' began in London and became synonymous with wealthy Middle Eastern visitors showcasing their supercars in affluent London neighbourhoods, namely Knightsbridge and Kensington, while car enthusiasts collect footage to upload to social media applications, such as YouTube.[1][2][3][4] Many of the supercar owners visit London during the summer months of June, July and August to escape the heat from the Gulf States and they transport their supercars with them, which is why so many Middle Eastern registration plates can be seen on the streets of London during summer months. The Supercar Season now attracts UK registered supercar owners to cruise, as is evident in video captured by car spotters uploading their clips to YouTube.

In 2011 the media coined the Supercar Season phenomenon 'Ramadan Rush', as the Ramadan calendar fell on 1 August of that year and the retail sector embraced this reference,[5][6][6] whereas the car enthusiasts refer to it as 'Supercar Season'.

In 2012 the New West End Company, the management company for retailers in Oxford Street, Bond Street and Regent Street explained; ‘The Ramadan Rush is a total phenomenon... It is worth millions to us (the UK)' [7] Supercar Season therefore brings wealth to the UK and supercar owners and car spotters alike suggest more consideration should be taken regarding the wealth the Supercar Season brings to the UK, as noted within this BBC production reference.[1]

Local residents

Supercar Season attracts many car spotters, but the increased interest and growing number of supercars on London streets has caused concern for many local residents complaining about engine noise levels.

In July 2015, Kensington and Chelsea Borough Council launched a consultation to introduce new measures to tackle what it calls "the problem of supercars" in and around the Knightsbridge area as residents were complaining about excessive noise levels and anti-social behaviour. As part of its consultation, the council says it will be looking to address "the issue of high-performance cars speeding in the streets, drivers revving engines and vehicles causing obstructions." [8][9][10] Some car spotters suggest the real noise levels are actually being caused by UK residents in cheaper modified vehicles. Other supporters point to the wealth being brought to the UK during the supercar season.

References

  1. 1 2 "'Supercar season' hits central London". BBC News. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
  2. ↑ "Supercar season: Middle Eastern millionaires and their gas guzzlers hit London". Telegraph.co.uk. 31 July 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
  3. ↑ "Supercar season in London sees Lamborghinis and Ferraris jostle for space". Mail Online. 22 July 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
  4. ↑ "Supercar season descends on London with Lamborghinis, Ferraris and Bugattis in tow". The Independent. 2014-08-07. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
  5. ↑ Jonathan Prynn and Miranda Bryant (28 July 2011). "Christmas comes to London in July as stores cash in on 'Ramadan rush'". Evening Standard. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
  6. 1 2 "UK retailers braced for sales jump to rival Christmas, as 'Ramadan Rush' gets under way". Telegraph.co.uk. 17 July 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
  7. ↑ "Ramadan gold rush: Time of year when Arab plutocracy descends on austerity London to party and spend". Mail Online. 29 June 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
  8. ↑ Darren Moss. "Supercar crackdown - London drivers to be fined for 'excessive' noise". Retrieved 27 February 2016.
  9. ↑ "'Supercar season' hits central London". BBC News. 2015-08-19. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
  10. ↑ "Consultation on Public Space Protection Order for Brompton and Hans Town". The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. 2015-07-24. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
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