The term "Supercar Season" began in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

and became synonymous with wealthy

Middle Eastern The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (European ...

visitors showcasing their

supercars A supercar – also called exotic car – is a loosely defined description of street-legal, high-performance sports cars. Since the 2010s, the term hypercar has come into use for the highest performing supercars. Supercars commonly serve as t ...

in affluent London neighbourhoods, namely

Knightsbridge Knightsbridge is a residential and retail district in central London, south of Hyde Park, London, Hyde Park. It is identified in the London Plan as one of two international retail centres in London, alongside the West End of London, West End. ...

and

Kensington Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West End of London, West of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up b ...

, while car enthusiasts collect footage to upload to

social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...

applications, such as

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

Overview

Many of the supercar owners visit London during the summer months of June, July and August to escape the heat in

Arab states of the Persian Gulf The Arab states of the Persian Gulf refers to a group of Arab states which border the Persian Gulf. There are seven member states of the Arab League in the region: Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. ...

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 , type = islam , longtype = Religious , image = Ramadan montage.jpg , caption=From top, left to right: A crescent moon over Sarıçam, Turkey, marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramadan. Ramadan Quran reading in Bandar Torkaman, Iran. ...

calendar fell on 1 August of that year and the retail sector embraced this reference, whereas the car enthusiasts refer to it as 'Supercar Season'. Supercar owners and car spotters both suggest more consideration should be shown for the phenomenon, saying that it brings wealth to the UK.

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 Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council is the local authority for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London. Kensington and Ch ...

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." Some car spotters suggest the real noise levels are actually being caused by UK residents in cheaper modified vehicles. Posters have been placed by RBKC.

References

{{reflist, 2 Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Events in London Knightsbridge Kensington Road transport in London