The Frankfurt Motor Show – What’s new in the automotive world?
A few days ago this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show came to an end. Today, I have a brief coverage of the event for you.
The Frankfurt Motor Show is one of the most prominent automotive events in the world, and beside the Geneva Motor Show, the most important event in Europe. The IAA Frankfurt Motor Show is held every two years and as every other year it is held in Paris. This year, the show lasted 10 days – from 12 to 22 September.
As usual, many new cars were unveiled by makes the likes of Audi, BMW, Lamborghini, Land Rover and Mercedes. This year, there were no novelties from Toyota, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Nissan or Fiat.
What is my key take-away from the event? Above all, the strongest trend in the overall industry is electric cars. And this was not the case only with compact car manufacturers such as VW or Opel but also with premium makes such as Audi, Mercedes and Porsche. Three cars that caught my attention at the show were the BMW M8, the BMW Vision M Next concept and the Lamborghini Sian. You can find some information about each one below.
BMW M8: Hellishly fast and drop-dead gorgeous
The car made its official debut this past June. Since I have already written a post about this car, let me just remind you that the BMW M8 is available in cabrio and coupe versions, it has an adjustable suspension system, the option of disconnecting the frontal axis and drift race mode. It is equipped with a 4.4 V8 biturbo engine (625 KM and torque of 750 Nm) that had already been deployed in the BMW M5.
BMW Vision M Next concept: An inconspicuous car
I am a great fan of BMWs, but this car did not win me over with its looks. In my opinion, it is quite inconspicuous. I do appreciate, though, that not only is it powered with electricity (up to 600 km-range) but also ultimately contemporary – it is autonomous, has a hiding steering wheel and is button-free (it is controlled via touch screens). The car is destined for production in 2012.
Lamborghini Sian: Electrified and electrifying
I left this car until the end for a reason as I found it the most interesting of all three. It is futuristically aerodynamic and is the most powerful serial-produced Lamborghini ever. The 6.5-litre V12 (known from the Aventador SVJ), generating 770 KM is supported with an electric engine. The result? Full power of 819 KM and it accelerates from 0 to 100 km in just 2.8 s. The Italians did a great job when designing the aerodynamic downforce of the car – the Sian has a lot of inlets, spoilers and other elements that were installed to streamline air flow.
The Lamborghini Sian will be manufactured in 63 copies only, and each will cost PLN 14 million. Allegedly, every single one has already been sold.
