I have a confession to make. As exciting as super sports cars and hypercars are, the car-loving part of my heart will always beat a little extra for tuned cars of more popular brands. There's something special about all the work and thought that car owners put into tuning their cars. I secretly dream of a car that looks completely anonymous but makes a cosy bubbling noise when you turn on the ignition, is fast as lightning and changes direction quicker than a polo horse. At the same time, I love looking at cars that have had their exteriors fixed with foil, rims, lights and everything else. Essen Motorshow delivers, because everything seems to be here! But if you think less is more, you're probably in the wrong place.

As we drive into the huge car park of the fair, the sounds of engines and cars tell us that we are in good company. I notice that one model seems to be particularly popular among the visitors, the Hyundai i20 N. My eyes are immediately drawn to a shiny black variant with red details and I wonder why the car is not as popular at home in Stockholm. On the other hand, I've counted 32 so far (and we haven't crossed the entire car park yet), Hyundai may not have any left for the Swedish market.

As soon as we enter the exhibition hall, a sea of people appears and the atmosphere is expectant. After walking around for a while, it strikes me that there is another hall, and another, and so on. In total, the exhibitors have filled 8(!) huge halls - and not an inch of the floor has been left to chance. In addition to cars in the style of the trimmed Audis and BMWs James expects, the Essen Motor Show boasts great variety. There are cult cars like the Shelby Cobra, Ford Mustang and DeLorean. 

Sports cars like Lamborghini, Porsche and Aston Martin I expect to see, but I didn't expect Pagani, Apollo, Bugatti and even Sweden's own pride: Koenigsegg. When it comes to the latter, I am encouraged to test drive the four-seater model, Gemera. Such a mythical brand, with a high seat in the Scanian soil ... I feel like Jar Jar Binks when I unexpectedly take a seat. The interior is luxuriously super sporty and I note that the rear seat is actually equipped with isofix mounts. Once in the driver's seat, I am surprisingly a little starstruck and I am also struck by how ridiculously comfortable the seats are. The back seat is just the right height, something that almost never happens to me as a short person. I am informed that in a Koenigsegg everyone should be able to sit comfortably, the seats can therefore be ordered at the desired height. When I think of Koenigsegg, I think mainly of performance, skilful craftsmanship, hard work - and the price tag. The Jar Jar Binks feeling returns when I realise that it is clearly possible to customise supercars of that calibre. Apparently all serious motoring journalists know that.

In the next hall, I notice several visitors wearing shirts saying "I'm just a kid with a dream", a slogan that I immediately associate with the very essence of the Essen Motor Show. Especially in this hall where Audi, BMW and Volkswagen dominate. All the different variations of foiling, towing eyes (marked with arrows, of course), rims and centre bolts contribute to the strong personalities of the cars. I can imagine spending more time here. I'm fascinated by the creativity and it seems inevitable that the occasional Supra will be fitted with neon lights on the underside, it's part and parcel of this type of show. What makes me raise my eyebrows, however, is that someone has done the same thing to a Ferrari, won't you be banned from Italy then?

Finally, I can't help but pick a favourite at the show. There is a Porsche on site that is not only a GT3 RS, but it has also been fixed up really nicely. And a Porsche is always a Porsche. At the same time, it is not primarily the more exclusive cars that attracted me to Essen, which disqualifies the GT3. My choice therefore falls on a wonderful Volkswagen GTI in red, white and black. There is clearly something special about GTIs and this particular one looks very spirited and strong. Almost like it's feeling a bit impatient, in an expectant way. I definitely need to sign up for some sort of rally course so I can justify a VW GTI of my own in the future. Though, of course, mine will have to be so discreet that it's secretly awesome. But those who know, know.

/Sara Frost