Frankfurt Motor Show 2013: Top 5 Show-stoppers

By Maulik Asher

AUDI Nanuk Quattro Concept:

It is a crossover concept developed by combining the dynamics of a sports car with Audi’s quattro expertise on the road, track and also off-road. Audi have developed the Nanuk Quattro concept in collaboration with designers from Italdesign Giugiaro. It is powered by a twin-turbo 5.0L V-10 TDi motor. The car also features a four-wheel steering which steers the rear wheels in the opposite direction of the fronts at lower speeds and in the same direction at higher speeds, which helps the vehicle achieve a balance between dynamic handling and stability.This along with the Matrix LED headlamps are a few features which we may soon get to see in future Audi vehicles.

 

A revolutionary sports car or the ‘most progressive sports car’ as BMW calls it, the i8 is a high performance coupe with class-leading efficiency. The rear wheels are powered by a 1.5l turbocharged petrol engine producing 228bhp mated to a 6-speed automatic gearbox.  The front axle is powered by a lithium-ion battery which runs an electric motor producing 129bhp which gives the i8 a total of 357bhp. The weight has been kept to a meager 1490 kg by using light weight materials such as aluminium for the chassis and carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) for the body shell. As a result we get a blisteringly fast performance coupe which is fun to drive and yet very economical at the same time.

 

A lighter, more powerful track-oriented version of the Ferrari 458. It has the same award winning mid-rear mounted 4.5L V8 engine mated to a 7-speed automatic gearbox with F1 style paddle-shifters. The power has been bumped up to 597bhp from 562bhp of the regular 458. Ferrari have managed to decrease the dry weight from 1485kg to 1290kg and as a result the 458 special has a much better power-to-weight ratio. It has a host of innovative features like Adaptive aerodynamics, side slip angle control (SSC) and frequency shaped SCM-E dampers which make this the most high performance v8 sportscar ever from Ferrari.

 

This is Jaguar’s first attempt to enter the crossover/SUV segment. The success of the Land Rover Evoque( from the same group) has made Jaguar At first glance the C-X17 is based on Jaguar’s all new design language with design cues taken from the XJ and the gorgeous F-type. The most important thing on this car is it’s chassis. It is based on jaguars all new aluminium monocoque platform iQ[Al] and other interesting technology like Jaguar Intelligent All-Road Mode (i-ARM) and rear wheel bias.  Even though this concept is far from being a production vehicle we could see this platform being used for Jaguar’s all new 3-series rival which is expected to launch by 2015.

 

Mercedes Benz showcased it’s all new S-class coupe at the Frankfurt motor show. This vehicle will be replacing the CL-class. At first glance the SL-coupe looks stunning with design cues from the CLA and the diamond grille seen on the A-class. It is powered by a 4.7 L V8 Bi-Turbo engine developing 455hp and 700Nm of torque which is mated to a 7-speed automatic transmission. The interior features two 12.3-inch screens for the instrument panel and infotainment system. With this level of refinement and technology and having the first mover advantage in this segment Mercedes Benz is clearly ahead of BMW and Audi.