30th anniversary Baltic Motor Show Riga Auto 2025 marked with a true celebration!
April traditionally ended with the largest car industry event in the Baltics – the Baltic Motor Show Riga Auto 2025. With collective tooting of horns, Ķīpsala International Exhibition Hall closed its doors behind yet another successful motor show that started exactly thirty years ago. Trade show had three thematic sections for all sorts of interests: New Cars, Auto Mechanica and Auto Exotica.
All-new models, exceptional tuning, classic cars, mobility solutions, commercial vehicles, repair shop equipment, tools and other useful car industry innovations from 169 participants from 8 countries: Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, China, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden and Ukraine.
Over the course of three days, motor show was visited by 31 311 car enthusiasts, almost matching last-years turnout. Baltic car reveals and life-size Volvo made of Lego bricks were the biggest hits among the visitors and media.
“This year was really special – there were especially many new cars at the trade fair. This year’s fair reached the highest number of brands and reveals in last six years. Moreover, most new cars presented at the fair were in the more affordable range. In addition to very practical car choices, exhibitors had also brought several supercars and other interesting specimen. It is nice to see the Riga motor show evolve. At the time when many former European majors are going through all sorts of transformations, we are still a stable platform that brings together all people who love everything about cars,” Gints Šāvējs, Motor Show Director, says.
Baltic premiers
Many new models were first revealed to the Baltic market during the trade fair – significantly more than in the previous years. Opel Frontera offroad model was the hottest reveal because it was showcased before it actually hits the Latvian market this summer. Another hot model that Baltic market saw first was the new Renault 5 E-Tech, which won the prestigious title of 2025 Car of the Year in Europe earlier this year during the Brussels motor show. Other exciting premiers included Dacia’s largest SUV to date, the Bigster, and also sports version of Nissan Ariya, the Nismo, GWM Wey 03 offroad type, the revamped Opel Mokka and Škoda Enyaq, as well as other cars and their upgraded versions.
Chinese car brands, including some very strong newcomers, were very well represented after doing fine on the Latvian market this and also previous year. Trade fair saw the likes of Dongfeng, Lynk&Co., Great Wall Motor (GWM) and BYD make quite a splash at the Auto 2025 motor show. This was the largest Chinese car manufacturer section ever in the history of the fair. Many visitors were attracted by the Chinese cars since there are many excellent budget choices and also luxury cars that cost up to 170 thousand euro.
Latvian car review platform WhatCar.lv had also prepared a special surprise for all the petrolheads, bringing the British hybrid drive supercar 680HP McLaren Artura, which has a 6-cylinder petrol engine and an electric engine, just like F-1 race cars. WhatCar.lv also showcase a 1973 Porsche 911 in RSR race mod.
As usual, when entering the car area, you were greeted by modern-design Neste petrol station that offered all sorts of new products, deals and information about fuel quality.
Visitors’ most loved car
This year visitors were given an online poll where they could vote for their favourite new car. Audi A5 from Moller Auto Latvija came first, with Cupra Terramar from Autobrava as the runner-up and Renault 5 E-Tech from Mūsa Motors Rīga in third. Forthing V9 narrowly missed out on the podium, while the robust SUV M-Hero was ranked in number five by visitors. The ever-popular Dodge RAM 1500 completed the first six.
Auto Mechanica: from tools to repair shop kit
Auto Mechanica was the section of the fair focused on industry innovations - from tyres, discs, car treatment products, rust protection, equipment and devices for car shops, washes and repair services. Wide variety of chemicals and car clean products from famous brands like Meguiar’s, Rags, Stonder, CarPlan Demon, Grass, Mercasol, Restor FX and others.
Many exhibitors were also keen to educate both car-loving visitors and professionals on what is new, while some exhibitors caught everyone’s attention by displaying supercars Lamborghini Urus Performante and Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato, American muscle car Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and German sports car Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.
Auto Exotica: powerful and spectacular rides
Giving visitors a chance to see modified cars, restored classics, race and hobby cars up close, Auto Exotica gathered numerous motor clubs and racing teams in Ķīpsala. Right by the entrance, Auto Exotica cheered everyone with its Exhibit 1 – the Olympic champion of Malaysian offroad jungle race, Latvian team’s great offroader, which also won Auto Exotica Award 2025 for the Best Offroad Beast. Heavy movers have been especially popular among trade fair visitors in recent years, repainted and decorated in special style. This year’s motor show was graced by the presence of 580HP Scania truck styled after Pirates of the Caribbean, which won the Best Aerography title.
Exciting car club news
Auto Exotica has traditionally been a special event not only for the visitors, but also car lovers themselves. That is exactly why this year’s trade fair brought together so many car clubs. For example, American Car Club, which offered a unique experience, an insight into rural life of Americans, with lots of authentic elements and classic cars. Auto Exotica Award 2025 yielded the American Car Club the Best Stand Concept award of the competition. Meanwhile, the always dazzling Voyager owners club showcased various customised Voyager minivans, including a karaoke version. As for the other car clubs that took part, there was Japanese car club JDM, Latvian Audi Club, CC Nation festival community, whose BMW that they brought to trade fair won Best Stance Car award, also the Rolling Team and many others. Sound Pit and Digisound Latvia traditionally provided excellent musical background for the Auto Exotica events.
Volvo made of 1.2 tonnes of Lego bricks
The highlight of the trade fair was definitely a special project from Sweden, the life-size, custom-made Volvo V70 car built of Lego construction bricks. And the car can actually drive! It is made of around 400 thousand or 1.2 tonnes of Lego bricks. Moreover, the car, which took around four years to build, replicates every finest detail of the original. Its doors work, lights work, and it even has electric mirrors, AC knobs that turn and working switches. More information at: www.balticmotorshow.com
Next year’s Baltic Motor Show Riga Auto 2026 will take place at the Ķīpsala International Expo Centre on 24-26 April 2026.
Baltic Motor Show Auto is organised by BT1 International Expo Company.
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