The Essen Motor Show 2025 Taught Us More Than the Art of Tuning a Car

The Essen Motor Show 2025, or EMS for short, took place from November 28 (Preview Day) to December 7 and was entirely dedicated to tuning, performance, and lifestyle. Over the course of ten days, a total of 200,000 visitors streamed into the eight halls of this internationally renowned automotive show in Germany’s Ruhr region. Spectacular live shows, special exhibitions, premieres, tuned vehicles, and many rare one-off cars could be seen, including the Maybach Exelero, valued at around 8 million euros. But it wasn’t only cars that took center stage at the EMS — personalities did as well. A key focal point was the successful automotive entrepreneur Jean Pierre “JP” Kraemer. streetwheelz1 captured the vibes of the event and tuned them into an experiential report.

Anyone who followed the news ticker on streetwheelz1.com already received numerous impressions in real time while the motor show was still underway. On YouTube, short and long videos by streetwheelz1 also showcase the highlights of the Essen Motor Show 2025 — from a Porsche 911 covered with more than one million crystals to a Ford Bronco conquering a 24-degree incline in the off-road course. And now the question arises: would you like a bit more? Because there is much to report from this show of show cars and tuning philosophy.

In Hall 5, there was definitely “a bit more” of everything. This was where pure “Tuning Xperience” took place. It is not often that private individuals from 16 countries present a total of 150 modified vehicles in one central location. Accordingly, the selection was highly diverse — a mix of classic and modern cars. The color palette ranged from gold (Toyota GR Supra A90) to raw-finish aluminum (BMW E36 Coupé “Alumino”) and chameleon wrap (Nissan GT-R R35 Widebody).

The spectrum of tuning levels was also very broad, from pure stance tuning to radical one-off builds. The former dominated, as could be seen by the incredibly artistic wheels, many of them multi-piece, mostly deep dish, in gold, chrome, and high-gloss finishes. Function follows form. Aesthetics were clearly more important than everyday usability, as illustrated by a Ferrari Testarossa (Liberty Walk conversion) that was lowered so extremely that it felt as if no hand could fit between the ground and the bodywork.

Tuning is a philosophy. Two enthusiasts demonstrated this impressively in the show arena. Both explained the respective modifications to their cars. One was a Toyota GR Yaris with a heavily modified motorsport and show build. The engine bay was filled to the brim with power. Carbon fiber components were installed in the cockpit. And yet the car remained street-legal. Next to it stood an Opel Kadett B Coupé (1965–1973), which at first glance appeared untouched apart from the air suspension. The look was clean. And yet the vehicle would not be allowed on the road — TÜV approval would be far too expensive. The presentation took place as part of the anti-street-racing project “it’s tuning, not racing,” which has since built up a large fan base.

Everything also revolved around fans when it came to the well-known YouTuber and successful entrepreneur Jean Pierre “JP” Kraemer, who spoke at the press conference about how he regularly attended the Essen Motor Show as a small boy. Since then, a lot has happened — because today he himself has become an attraction at the motor show. In recent years, he has not only been active in the tuning business but has also initiated many other projects, ranging from an automotive museum to a burger restaurant. He has been known from television since 2009.

Yet he knows whom he owes his success to. That it is always also about the viewers, the community. This became immediately clear at the merchandise counter. Visitors could not only buy show hoodies there, but also read a declaration of love to the fans. The text retraced the success story, listed key business milestones, and summarized the success of the YouTube channel founded in 2012, before concluding with these words: “Honestly, we don’t think too much of ourselves. Because we owe all of this only to you.” And further: “So it’s true — without you, there would be no us.” Beneath this was a board on which fans could in turn leave their own messages.

It is therefore no surprise that all of this had a magnetic effect, attracting not only regular visitors but also the well-known streamer “Montana Black” and rapper “Gzuz” to JP. Hall 6, in any case, was JPs territory. This was where his four show cars were displayed: a silver Nissan Skyline GT-R R34, a dark blue Nissan Skyline GT-R R32, a light blue Chevrolet Camaro, and a raw body shell in unlacquered metal with clear visual references to the Jaguar E-Type. Opposite was his wheel brand K80 Wheels, which not only showcased a set valued at an incredible 100,000 euros, but also offered a live attraction: every day, visitors could watch in real time as small aluminum wheels were milled inside a display case. A total of 150 pieces were raffled off. JP, who is a brand ambassador for Ford, also presented the new Mustang GTD in the show arena — a super sports car producing 827 hp.

The Maybach Exelero (2005), which was displayed in Hall 3 and completely cordoned off with barrier tape, must also be mentioned. Understandably so, as with an estimated value of 8 million euros, it was likely the most expensive car in the entire exhibition. An absolute one-off. You wouldn’t guess it from the outside, but beneath the muscular luxury body lie 700 hp and a V12 twin-turbo engine. Top speed: 350 km/h. However, it is purely a concept vehicle.

EMS 2025 is now history. The impressions remain. The buzzword was “tuning,” but definitely also “community.” Not only performance specialists and enthusiasts have their own community — influencers do as well. It is fascinating when these different groups come together and a very special dynamic emerges. This gave the Essen Motor Show 2025 the feeling of being close to the people and truly understanding car fans. In the end, it was about far more than just the art of tuning a car.
// Written by CR

About the Essen Motor Show:

Official website:
https://www.essen-motorshow.de/automobilmesse

The next Essen Motor Show will take place from November 28 to December 6, 2026 / Preview Day on November 27.