By Martin Bensley, DPA
Frankfurt : There are more major debuts than ever at this year’s biennial Frankfurt Motor Show, ranging from high-performance super cars to estates, drop heads and thrifty runabouts which utilise the latest in fuel-saving technology.
Here is a run-down of the top 10 models likely to steal the show when the crowds descend on Frankfurt for 11 days in September.
Aston Martin DBS: Actor Daniel Craig, alias James Bond 007, has already driven this aggressive new piece of hardware in the film “Casino Royale”. The Aston Martin DBS is the hardest Aston ever, a swaggering, race-bred machine with a V-12 engine turning out 517 horsepower. The DBS bears a strong, family resemblance to the DB 9 but the squat, purposeful look has been enhanced by a new nose cone, bigger front wings and wheels and redrawn rear haunches.
Audi A4: The third generation A4 looks less front-heavy than its predecessor as the car is based on the modular platform used for the A5. Front wheel drive is standard with a Quattro all-wheel-drive version being offered. The new front-end treatment is crisp and dynamic and incorporates the trademark Audi single frame front grille. This car is pitched firmly at BMW sporty 3 series, which dominates the class. Engines will range from the new 1.8 litre TFSI unit starting at 130 horsepower up to a 4.2 litre V-8. Gas engines and a diesel with up to 240 hp will also be offered.
Ferrari F430 Scuderia: Formula One champ Michael Schumacher will be in Frankfurt to unveil Ferrari’s latest racing simulator on wheels – the 430 Scuderia. The V8 (510 hp) is designed to show how technology honed on the track can be carried across to the Italian marquee’s road-going models. New software reduces gear change time to 60 milliseconds and there is new combined stability and traction control. The Scuderia is 100 kilos lighter than the standard 430 but still has air-conditioning with automatic temperature control.
Fiat 500: The new version of the Cinquecento has all the makings of a modern icon and visitors to Frankfurt will be the first to see the cheeky new runabout in the metal. Alongside will be the sporty Abarth version by Fiat’s in-house tuning company. The Abarth will have bigger wheels and lower suspension as well as 135 horsepower on tap. The standard Fiat 500 is being built in Tychy, Poland and the entire production run for 2007 has been sold out.
Ford Kuga: A new stylish sports utility vehicle (SUV) will grace the Ford stand. The Kuga follows closely the Iosis-X concept shown in Paris last year. When it goes on sale in 2008, the compact offroader is certain to take sales away from the Toyota RAV4 and the new VW Tiguan. Ford has said nothing about the origin of the name Kuga that could be a short form of cougar. A trawl of dictionary websites revealed a range of alleged other meanings, including Slovenian for the plague, which killed a huge number of people in medieval Europe.
Jaguar XF: Jaguar’s long-awaited replacement for the S-type, the XF will make its debut at the show too. This car is crucial for a struggling marquee and designer Ian Callum says it is time to move away from 1990s retro-conservatism styling.
“Jaguar has to shout louder,” said the Scotsman. According to Britain’s Autocar magazine, the new Jaguar saloon will enter the fray with a choice of 2.7 litre V6 diesel, 3.0 litre V6 petrol, 4.2 litre V8 petrol and supercharged 4.2 litre V8 power units.
Mini Clubman: The new five-door Mini Clubman will be in the flesh for the first time in Frankfurt too. This eagerly awaited variant is unashamedly retro and features the distinctive split rear door arrangement of the 1959 Morris Mini Traveller.
“It’s the sporty, big brother of today’s Mini, with a coupe-type look,” said Gerd Hildebrand, chief designer at Mini. A novel feature is an extra, rear passenger door on the right side of the vehicle, which has no exterior handle and can only be opened from the inside when the front door is also open.
Porsche 911 GT2: The fastest-ever version of the iconic Porsche 911, the GT2, promises a combination which used to be thought impossible – mind-boggling performance with acceptable fuel consumption. The special edition is fitted with a turbocharged version of the six-cylinder boxer engine, which has 50 horses more than the standard 911 yet uses 15 percent less fuel. Average consumption is given as 12.5 litres per 100 km (22.3 miles per gallon). Prices start at 189,496 euros (around $260,000).
VW Tiguan: Europe’s biggest carmaker Volkswagen has high hopes for the Tiguan, the offroad version of the Golf which will be shown in series trim for the first time in Frankfurt. The smaller brother of the Toureg slots into the softroader category of would-be SUVs whose drivers would probably never dream of putting them through their paces in the dirt. The shape is already familiar but the Wolfsburg manufacturer has revealed more technical details. Europeans will have a choice of three petrol and two diesel four cylinder engines and a 2.0 litre TDI turbo-diesel is set to follow.
VW City Expert: A rear-engined concept billed by Volkswagen as a new “People’s Car” in the mould of the first VW Beetle may well steal the thunder from the Tiguan. No official pictures of the vehicle have been released, but the styling of the proposed entry-level Volkswagen is less interesting than the philosophy behind it. VW desperately needs to get back to basics and the City Expert points the way. There are rumours of high-tech two or three cylinder engines, which are more likely to be frugal diesels rather than petrol-electric hybrids since the aim is to keep the price down to around 10,000 euros ($13,700).