Sizzling tires and an electrifying atmosphere: ATBS 2026 transformed Romexpo into a high-octane arena
Bucharest, May 25, 2026 – The smell of burning rubber, engines revving at full throttle, spectacular drifts, two-wheeled stunt shows, and nearly 100 modified cars transformed Romexpo this weekend into a true arena of horsepower. The AUTO TOTAL BUSINESS SHOW (ATBS), Romania’s largest automotive event dedicated to parts, accessories, and solutions for the auto industry, attracted over 43,000 visitors this year, including professionals and enthusiasts of motorsports and automotive technology. An event organized by Auto Total.
Drifting kept the track buzzing all weekend. The Street Class was born out of the underground spirit of Japanese drifting in the 2000s and preserves exactly the essence of that era: you take an inexpensive street car, make a few basic modifications, and hit the track without a budget of tens of thousands of euros—just with talent, courage, and a thirst for smoke. That’s how the Street Kids drivers at ATBS grew up—11-, 12-, or 14-year-old drivers who are already testing the limits of physics with confidence. Alexis Stan, Victor Țuchel, Adelina Ionescu, Vanessa Manea, and Albert Ciotu were the weekend’s standout performers on the track near the twin towers at Romexpo. At the drift-taxi, hundreds of visitors left the spectator area for the intense experience of riding in the passenger seat.
The spectacular cars captivated the audience. Organized under the auspices of DATS, the ATBS tuning area brought together some of Romania’s most interesting automotive projects: drift cars, reimagined retro cars, drag racers, off-road vehicles, customized supercars, extreme audio systems, and show cars lowered on air springs. Nearly 100 cars and motorcycles from all corners of the country—from Deva and Timișoara to Constanța and Iași—were on display. The atmosphere was one of genuine community, typical of grassroots tuning gatherings: enthusiasts who came for the cars, projects, and stories—not for status—who forged friendships and created unforgettable memories. Among the highlights were a Dodge Challenger 6.4 SRT HEMI Scat Pack with a manual transmission—a rare configuration chosen for just 3% of global production—and a VW Lupo Bimoto, built in Romania by DOP Motorsport, one of the most extreme drag racing projects in Europe. It features two 3.6-liter VR6 engines, all-wheel drive, and over 3,000 CP. Entirely custom-built, the project is currently the fastest drag racing car built in Romania, with an official time of 7.658 seconds over 402 meters and speeds exceeding 300 km/h at the finish line.
Inside, under the dome of the Central Pavilion, many other spectacular exhibits were on display, led by a Formula E single-seater, a DS single-seater—from the most successful manufacturer in Formula E, with 4 world titles, 470 cai, 1.8 sec 0–100, a top speed of 200 km/h, at the Total Energies booth, and the WOLF MISTRAL GB08 racing prototype, on display at the Castrol booth, featuring a carbon-fiber monocoque chassis, motorsport-inspired aerodynamics, and a 480 CP turbocharged engine. Weighing just 575 kg, it’s a car that delivers extreme acceleration, impressive grip, and precise handling on the track.
Two-Wheel Stunt Show. Ionuț Deliu—a jack-of-all-trades, stuntman, actor, drift driver, and precision driver—brought a Hollywood-style stunt show to ATBS alongside Lucian Nan, a performance built on controlled risk and real-world experience, featuring two cars driving in tandem.
Dinner in the Sky, one of the weekend’s special attractions, gave participants the opportunity to dine suspended dozens of meters above the Romexpo complex. Seventeen people set a new flexibility record in the city’s “How Many People Fit in a Car” contest. In the “Break the PPF Film” contest, participants punched the protective film to test its strength and demonstrate how the film can protect a car’s body. The extreme challenges of the giants from Strongest Man drew hundreds of spectators: trucks moved using only body strength, giant tires flipped over, and impressive weight lifts were all part of the show at Romexpo. Champions Vlăduț Angheloiu and Raul Alba managed to move a car using only their body strength over a distance of 20 meters, thus setting a new benchmark for the competition.
ATBS 2026 also included activities for families. At the Junior Auto Academy, over 1,000 children learned traffic rules through games and interactive simulators in an educational space designed as a mini-traffic town. The EDIT Association explained to them how to cross the street correctly, why there is no yellow light for pedestrians, and when children can sit in the front seat of a car. The children surprised the adults with their answers—sometimes they knew the rules better than their parents.
Beyond the public exhibition, ATBS 2026 involved extensive logistics: nine trucks transported approximately 350 cubic meters of equipment, parts, accessories, and booth materials to Romexpo. Nearly 250 people were part of the organizing team.
Gabriel Zane, Marketing Director at Auto Total: “ATBS is where the automotive industry meets enthusiasts and the new generations growing up immersed in car culture. This year’s edition was the largest to date since 2012, with over 130 exhibitors from 46 countries—including partners from Brazil and South Korea—and more than 35,000 square meters allocated for booths, technical demonstrations, competitions, and live shows. Exhibitors showcased nearly 4,000 different automotive parts, components, and accessories.”
