Although the Paris and Geneva shows may be more glamorous, neither can match Frankfurt for sheer size and scope. Known in Germany as the Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (IAA), the tone in Frankfurt can be a bit somber in comparison, and the feeling that serious business is being conducted in the shadows of the displays is always palpable.
Still, it wouldn’t be an international auto show without a cast of stars, and this year in Frankfurt the hardware ran the gamut from the very real Audi S4 and very practical VW Tiguan to the outrageous Brabus 850 6.0 Biturbo. Somewhat predictably, Citroën cornered the market on quirk with its Cactus M concept, and the Bugatti Vision GT hinted at a mega-hypercar to come. But that’s just a small sampling of the Frankfurt debuts that that made lasting impressions. Click through to see our picks for the most important reveals of Frankfurt 2015.
2017 Audi S4
Even after it lost its 4.2-liter V-8, the Audi S4 was kind of old-school—or rather, it was proof that seemingly old-fashioned technology could still provide outstanding results. Powered by a supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 and available with an honest-to-God six-speed manual, the wilder version of the Audi A4 proved the virtue of following the old rules. But for the 2017 model year, the S4 takes a leap into the modern age, and the latest version is fitted with a direct-injected, turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6.
2017 Audi S4
The engine is the first of an entirely new, turbocharged engine generation that will replace the current V-6 engine, which is boosted by an Eaton TVS supercharger. In the S4, the new powerplant is rated at 354 horsepower, 21 more than offered by the supercharged six. Maximum torque is 369 lb-ft, available from 1300 to 4500 rpm. By comparison, the supercharged model’s torque peak of 325 lb-ft was available from 2900 to 5300 rpm. The sprint from zero to 62 mph now takes 4.7 seconds according to Audi (we got 4.9 from the outgoing car with a six-speed manual), and top speed is governed at the obligatory 155 mph. FULL STORY + MORE PHOTOS >>
2017 Bentley Bentayga
It’s all over but the driving at this point. With this whole Bentayga thing, Bentley has teased us with the unceasing tenacity of Elisabeth Báthory under a bad moon. It started with the EXP 9 F concept unveiled at the Geneva auto show back in 2012. The conventional wisdom was that there was certainly a hole in the market large enough for Bentley to park an SUV in, but the reaction to what Crewe came up with was mixed, to put it rather charitably. And instead of the EXP 9 F’s vaguely Mulsanne-ish demeanor, we now have the Conti-fied new Bentayga.
2017 Bentley Bentayga
Bentley’s extra-care Mulliner division offers a host of customizations at the buyer’s request. As of launch, the opulence includes a “hamper set,” with custom Linley china, utensils and crystal, a fridge, and a storage area for dry goods. Sections of it can be removed and used for seats for impromptu al fresco dining. That, friends, is one heck of a pic-a-nic basket. FULL STORY + MORE PHOTOS >>
Brabus 850 6.0 Biturbo Widestar
At the Frankfurt auto show, you can be count on seeing plenty of modified Mercedes-Benz G-wagens, from small operators such as Khan in the U.K. to just about any German workshop with an engine mapping kit. That encroachment doesn’t sit well with Brabus, the longtime Mercedes-Benz tuner, which is why it debuted its 850 6.0 Biturbo Widestar version of the mighty G in Frankfurt.
Brabus 850 6.0 Biturbo Widestar
While it may seem ill-advised to anybody who has ever pushed a G-wagen’s dynamic envelope, the 850 6.0 Biturbo Widestar will imbue the block-shaped SUV with an eponymous 850 horsepower and a mountainous, 1069 lb-ft of torque. That’s enough to send it to 62 mph in a claimed 4.0 seconds—which is about as quick as the new Mercedes-AMG C63 sedan. Top speed is a claimed 162 mph. FULL STORY + MORE PHOTOS >>
Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo Concept
Bugatti's Vision Gran Turismo concept was designed for the wildly successful Gran Turismo 6 racing simulator, done up as a flight of fancy that didn’t have to obey the laws of physics and the demands of the real world quite so rigorously. But now, Bugatti has made one in flesh and blood—or rather, carbon fiber and metal—and unveiled it at the Frankfurt auto show. In a way, this video-game-daydream-turned-physical-concept-car could be our best look yet at the mighty Veyron’s replacement.
Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo Concept
This sci-fi daydream machine is our best look yet at the future of road-car design at Bugatti. The automaker explicitly states that this concept “previews the design language that the brand has developed for the next chapter of its history,” setting the tone for Bugatti’s offerings in coming years. The company says the design draws inspiration from legendary Bugattis of the past, including the iconic Type 35 and the Le Mans–winning Type 57 Tank of 1937. We squinted as hard as we could to find the similarities between those spindly old racers and this fearsome hulk, but beyond the trademark horseshoe grille and the two-tone blue finish we couldn’t see many similarities. FULL STORY + MORE PHOTOS >>
Citroën Cactus M Concept
Citroën's riff on the Cactus crossover that’s more beach than desert: The Cactus M, a topless beach cruiser that’s a spiritual, if not dimensionally faithful, successor to the 2CV-based Citroën Mehari of yore.
Citroën Cactus M Concept
Delightfully described in the French-language press release as “un crossover de plein air,” a phrase that sadly translates to English as the much more prosaic “an open-air crossover,” the Cactus M has a more upright windshield, higher ride height, blunter nose, and two fewer doors than the charmingly eccentric production crossover on which it’s based. It’s also, as you’ve no doubt surmised, sans roof—a feature that will especially be appreciated by rear-seat passengers, who are expected to hoist themselves into the car by clamoring up on the body-side foothold. The two large doors are plastic, an homage to the original Mehari’s all-plastic bodywork. FULL STORY + MORE PHOTOS >>
2016 Ferrari 488 Spider
The least-interesting thing we can say about Ferrari’s new 488 Spider is that it’s little more than a 488GTB with a retractable hardtop. Nor is the al fresco Ferrari much of a surprise—we’d be more shocked if Ferrari had announced the 488GTB would stay a fixed-roof coupe only. Everything else about the 488 Spider (no GTB in its name), however, is supremely interesting and exciting.
2016 Ferrari 488 Spider
Being boring, of course, is a difficult achievement for any lithe, lightweight Italian supercar motivated by a 661-hp, twin-turbocharged, mid-mounted V-8 engine. Slathering an extra layer of wow over the 488GTB’s already wow-inducing aura is the 488 Spider’s retractable roof, which grants access to that wailing exhaust note and the sun, stars, and wind. Each trip up and down takes the 488’s roof 14 seconds, and the compact assembly pancakes into a shallow nacelle behind the seats. According to Ferrari, the retractable hardtop weighs 55 pounds less than an equivalent softtop, although there’s no word on whether said softtop was soaked in water or maple syrup before the numbers were crunched on that weight comparison. FULL STORY + MORE PHOTOS >>
Honda 2&4 Concept
Claiming influence from the pivotal RA272 Formula 1 car from 1965—the machine that gave Honda its first Grand Prix win—the 2&4 is a little more sedate than the V-12–powered monster of 50 years ago. After all, the 2&4 only features one-third the cylinder count yet revs to the same 14 grand. The 2&4 is, however, incredibly light, tipping the scales at just 892 pounds. Which, we might note, is less than a modern GL1800 Gold Wing. Like the Wing, however, the 2&4 features a motorcycle engine, in this case, plucked from the all-the-tech RC213V-S.
Honda 2&4 Concept
Based on Marc Márquez’s MotoGP bike, the hyperlimited, $185,000 RC213V-S motorcycle makes close to 160 horsepower in stock trim for non-U.S. markets. A power kit raises that to “over 212” horsepower. Given that Honda makes the same claim for the 2&4, we’re assuming that it’s fundamentally the same engine. Peak horsepower comes at a lofty 13,000 rpm, while the full 87 lb-ft of torque arrives at 10,500. FULL STORY + MORE PHOTOS >>
Hyundai N Vision 2025 Gran Turismo Concept
The endless and endlessly entertaining march of Vision Gran Turismo virtual—and sometimes not-so-virtual—concept cars from real-life automakers designed to be plopped into Sony’s Gran Turismo video game continues, with Hyundai being the latest manufacturer to debut such a show car. Dubbed the N Vision 2025, not only does the concept shoulder the weight of expectations for wildness Vision GT cars increasingly face, but it also rather appropriately launches Hyundai’s new N high-performance sub-brand. (Hence the “N Vision 2025” portion of its name.)
Hyundai N Vision 2025 Gran Turismo Concept
This is a car that will exist digitally and nowhere else, unless Hyundai has some top-secret plans to enter Le Mans sometime soon. Furthermore, the concept car’s 872-hp hydrogen-fuel-cell- and supercapacitor-fed electric powertrain (which uses individual hub electric motors at each corner) bears little resemblance to anything due out of Hyundai’s N division, a crop of vehicles with “new powertrains and lightweight materials derived from Hyundai Motor’s World Rally Championship (WRC) participation, as well as performance-focused handling and aerodynamics.” FULL STORY + MORE PHOTOS >>
2017 Jaguar F-Pace
At long last, Jaguar has begun its foray into the lucrative SUV market with the new F-Pace, which represents a distinctly sporty take on the entry-luxe crossover. Given the segment’s popularity and the brand’s relatively meager U.S. sales figures in recent years, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the F-Pace outsell all other Jaguar models combined—and to do so soon.
2017 Jaguar F-Pace
The F-Pace gets its motivation from either a supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 or a 2.0-liter diesel four-cylinder. The former produces 340 horsepower at 6500 rpm and 332 lb-ft of torque at 4500 rpm, while the diesel produces 180 horsepower at 4000 rpm and 317 lb-ft of torque from 1750 to 2500 rpm. Additionally, there will be an F-Pace S model, which will use the supercharged V-6 but in a 380-horse state of tune (torque and output peaks remain the same). FULL STORY + MORE PHOTOS >>
2016 Lamborghini Huracán LP610-4 Spyder
Lamborghini’s press materials for the 2016 Huracán LP610-4 Spyder run an impressive nine pages total. Allow us to shrink that page count for you. It’s not that Lamborghini’s big debut for the 2015 Frankfurt auto show isn’t interesting, it’s just that, well, it’s basically the by-now-familiar Huracán, but without a fixed top.
2016 Lamborghini Huracán LP610-4 Spyder
Lamborghini says the Huracán Spyder’s aluminum and carbon-fiber chassis is 40 percent stiffer in torsion than the old Gallardo droptop, and the new car’s bodywork generates 50 percent greater downforce. Interestingly, Lamborghini claims the Spyder weighs just one pound shy of 3400 pounds; when the Huracán coupe arrived last year, the automaker said that car weighed barely less than 3400 pounds. This is all to say that the Spyder may not be much heavier than its fixed-roof sibling. FULL STORY + MORE PHOTOS >>
Mercedes-Benz Concept IAA
It is a cute play on words: Mercedes-Benz is using this year's Frankfurt auto show, a.k.a. the IAA (Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung), to launch a stunningly futuristic concept car, the Concept IAA (Intelligent Aerodynamic Automobile). Mercedes has a long history with aerodynamic vehicles both in the distant and in the very recent past. The Concept IAA takes aerodynamics to an extreme, sporting a drag coefficient of only 0.19, despite a disadvantageously short front overhang, large 22-inch wheels on 235/35 tires, and a plug-in-hybrid powertrain with significant cooling needs. It does so by means of active aero—changing its shape.
Mercedes-Benz Concept IAA
The aerodynamic transformation alters several different areas. At the rear, eight sections telescope out, extending the car’s length by more than 15 inches; movable flaps extend out from the front bumper, which also incorporates a movable louver; and "Active Rims" that change from dished to flat. The switch from “design mode” to “aerodynamic mode” happens at speeds above 50 mph or can be initiated by pushing a button, and it lends the sharply dropping rear end the appearance of a fighter jet’s. FULL STORY + MORE PHOTOS >>
Nissan Gripz Concept
One little-known but incredibly cool variant of the original Nissan/Datsun 240Z sports car was a rally version decked out with knobby tires, a full array of auxiliary lights, and mud flaps. That racing Z won the East African Safari in 1971, and now it is forming roughly half the inspiration for a crossover concept from Nissan. The rest of Nissan’s inspiration for the show car, which goes by the slightly silly name “Gripz,” came from racing bicycles.
Nissan Gripz Concept
Setting aside the tenuous overlap between road-racing bicycles and one of the coolest rally cars of the 1970s—Nissan says that those old rally cars were “proof that sports cars didn’t have to be low to the ground to be fun” and that they were the automaker’s first “crossovers”—the Gripz concept looks quite interesting. There is a sporty roofline and sporty 22-inch wheels and a very sporty front end, the whole collection wearing the 240Z race car’s black-over-red color scheme. FULL STORY + MORE PHOTOS >>
Porsche Mission E Concept
Porsche’s Mission E may be very explicitly a concept car—its exaggerated lines and ridiculous ride height attest to that. But its mission is abundantly clear: This all-electric performance sedan is out for Tesla blood.
Introduced as a surprise at VW’s Group Night festivities in Frankfurt, the automaker’s 12-brand celebration that precedes almost every major auto show, the Mission E carries some impressive, if imaginary, stats: zero to 62 mph in less than 3.5 seconds, 310 miles of all-electric range, and a platform that vectors 600 horses to all four wheels. While those acceleration and power numbers may fall slightly short of the 762 horses and the 2.8-second zero-to-60 sprint claimed by Tesla’s Ludicrous Mode, Porsche also wants to hit Tesla where it hurts: the charging socket.
Porsche Mission E Concept
Specifically, Porsche says this concept will recharge its battery to 80-percent full after just 15 minutes, providing around 250 miles of range. That handily beats Tesla’s Supercharger, which takes 30 minutes to add about 170 miles’ worth of juice. The trick? Porsche’s conceptual system uses 800 volts, versus the 480 that come from a Supercharger plug (or the paltry 120 that powers your flat-screen TV). FULL STORY + MORE PHOTOS >>
2016 Toyota Prius
The Prius has long been a polarizing, slow, un-fun instrument of soul-sucking, reputation-ruining, appliance-grade fuel efficiency. And its perpetual nerdiness has made it the whipping boy of the car-enthusiast community. But like it or not, with 3.5 million sold to date around the globe and deity status in California and other green municipalities like Ann Arbor, the Prius is one of the most important automobiles in history. That makes the release of the all-new 2016 model A Very Big Deal.
2016 Toyota Prius
Not only is the 2016 Prius all-new from the ground up (versus one of those extensive-but-not-complete redesigns of which Toyota is so fond), the new car is the first Toyota built on the company’s much ballyhooed, lighter-weight TNGA global architecture. Toyota says that the TNGA platform gives the 2016 Prius a more rigid body and improved crashworthiness.
And while we’re talking safety, the new Prius will offer Toyota Safety Sense features including pre-collision warning with pedestrian avoidance, lane-departure alert with steering assist, radar cruise control, and automatic high-beams. Moreover, Toyota promises that the Prius will be more fun to drive than ever—not that previous Pruises set a terribly high bar—thanks to its lower center of gravity and new control-arm rear suspension in place of the outgoing car’s torsion-beam setup. FULL STORY + MORE PHOTOS >>
2017 Volkswagen Tiguan (Euro-spec)
The current-generation VW Tiguan has always been a handsome if somewhat disappointing little crossover—it drives nicely, but even after a recent price drop, it’s simply too expensive to compete in the small SUV segment. At the 2015 Frankfurt auto show, VW showed off the next generation of its oddly named trucklet in European-market trim, and one thing is for certain: The Tiguan has grown up.
2017 Volkswagen Tiguan (Euro-spec)
This new crossover is built on VW’s highly configurable and adaptable MQB platform, which can support a number of wheelbases for vehicles with front-transverse-mounted engines. VW plans to take full advantage of that: “The new Tiguan was systematically developed for two different wheelbases from the start,” the automaker says. “Unlike in Europe, drivers in the U.S. and China prefer versions with a longer wheelbase.” The eventual U.S.-spec long-wheelbase Tiguan—which is slated to be built in Mexico—based on this one will offer both two- and three-row seating. VW says the LWB Tiguan will hit the streets in the fall of 2016. FULL STORY + MORE PHOTOS >>
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