Frankfurt 2013: The Definitive Roundup

September 12, 2013
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It’s the end of the beginning – the Frankfurt Motor Show, the first event of the auto show season, has drawn to a close.

 
The Frankfurt show, which alternates annually with a similar event in Paris, is generally the biggest show of the year for European automakers. Almost literally in General Motors’ Opel unit’s back yard, the event is also essentially home turf for Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes-Benz; each of those German brands occupies a large swath of the Frankfurt Messe grounds on the west side of the city.


But while German brands strut their stuff in Frankfurt, it’s still a big show for other European, Asian and American automakers. For instance, Chevrolet is dropping the top – literally – on its 2014 Camaro Convertible in Frankfurt prior to any show in the U.S.

 

In case you’re just tuning in, check out our in-depth wrap-up of the show below.


Highlights


Audi Nanuk Quattro concept

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the show is Audi’s Nanuk Quattro concept, a high-performance, off-road-ready crossover-coupe packing a torquey turbodiesel V10. It’s ridiculous, outrageous, and we love it, even if it is essentially a repurposed Italdesign Giugiaro Parcour.

 
2015 BMW i8

The halo model for the multi-billion-dollar bet that is BMW’s electrified “i” sub-brand, the BMW i8 blends impressive efficiency – it’s capable of 94 mpg in European testing – with the ability to sprint from zero-to-60 mph in 4.5 seconds. That’s an impressive mix of talents, although the i8’s bandwidth is certainly reflected in its $136,000 pricetag.

 
Jaguar C-X17 concept

Even a decade ago, the notion of a Jaguar crossover would have been blasphemous, but now that even Maserati is plotting a luxury SUV, it’s simply a good business idea. Expect the production model to look much like the attractive – albeit somewhat derivative – C-X17 concept, to feature Jaguar-appropriate handling, and to leave the off-roading stuff to its Land Rover siblings.

 
Lexus LF-NX concept

Appearing like a cross between a Lamborghini Veneno, a Toyota RAV4 and an enraged cyborg, the LF-NX previews a sub-RX Lexus crossover that should arrive in showrooms in the near future. We just have one question – will the final product look even the slightest bit like this extraterrestrial show car?

 
2015 Porsche 918 Spyder

Like it or not, hybrid tech is the way of the future for supercars, and Porsche’s 918 Spyder is at the forefront of the movement along with the Ferrari LaFerrari and McLaren P1. A very different beast than its predecessor, the lighter, manual-transmission-only Carrera GT, the 918 uses its 4.6-liter V8, trio of electric motors and dual-clutch automatic to produce gaudy numbers: 887 horsepower, zero-to-60 mph in 2.8 seconds, and a record-setting Nurburgring lap time of 6 minutes 57 seconds.


Production Debuts

 

Concept Car Debuts




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