The Continental: The Buzz and Impressions from Frankfurt

Each week, our German correspondent slices and dices the latest rumblings, news, and quick-hit driving impressions from the other side of the pond. His byline may say Jens Meiners, but we simply call him . . . the Continental. Ah yes, Frankfurt again. This auto show is so large and sprawling you need to bring your hiking boots to cover it. Seriously, if you are informed that someone you were hoping to meet is "just doing a tour of the show," you needn't check in again for the next six hours. Thankfully, it was relatively cool this year; on hot days, the climatisation is a poor joke. Regardless, the IAA is probably the most stressful of the world's A-list shows, you can't afford to miss it. Here are some of my observations, right from the show floor. The E-Golf on stage: "Ye have come late, but ye are come! The distance, Count [VW], excuses your delay." The VW Group was Weak The Volkswagen Group put on a relatively weak show this year. The pre-show Group night is usually a "can't miss" event, but this year, the uninspired array of new vehicles and concepts was a real letdown. On top of that, the electric Golf limped on stage a full awkward minute after the other electrics took position. VW's boutique brands were particularly disappointing, with a mildly tweaked variation of the Bentley Continental GT V8 (reprogrammed ECU), the aging Lamborghini Gallardo (diagonal air intakes), and the Bugatti Veyron (it now comes in black). Seat and Škoda chose to show body variations of the Leon (station wagon) and the Rapid (hatchback), both of which have been communicated long ago. Volkswagen unveiled an electrified commercial version of the Up minicar, as well as the Golf Sportsvan, a high-roof Golf derivative. Porsche showed the well-known 918 and an updated Panamera hybrid. Audi brought the A3 cabriolet and the reworked A8 to Frankfurt—and two confusing concept cars. Which leads to the question: Audi chief Rupert Stadler and the Nanuk concept Where is Audi Heading? Two years ago, Germany's third and youngest premium brand received a lot of goodwill for its provocative and innovative Urban Concept (internally called Neo). It was a futuristic electric sports car that bucked the "bigger, heavier, more powerful" trend most new cars adhere to. Two years and two R&D chiefs later, Audi brings us a pair of concept cars which are the polar opposite not only of Audi's own Urban Concept, but also of BMW's light-weight attempt to bring sports cars into the future. The first is the Sport Quattro Concept, a 700-horsepower, V-8-powered plug-in hybrid that weighs 4079 lbs. Its design apes the three-year-old quattro concept, but this time the "Sport Quattro" is bigger and longer than the original quattro. Then there is the Nanuk Quattro concept, far too obviously derived from Giugiaro's controversial Parcour concept, a 4189-pound coupe/crossover powered by a 544-horsepower diesel V-10. Both cars reach exactly 190 mph. My question: Wasn't Audi—until recently—known for light-weight technology? By the way, the brand's 2011 Frankfurt concept, the charmingly innovative and intellectual A2, is dead. Audi's Urban Concept The Big Diesel Lives There is one thing that intrigued me about the Audi Nanuk concept: The fact that it is powered by a diesel V-10 TDI. I hear that this engine, previously sold in the Volkswagen Phaeton and Touareg, will likely be offered in future VW group vehicles—updated and upgraded to make close to 500 horsepower. It could fit into the next Phaeton, the next Audi A8, and future Bentley models. The V-10 TDI represents a real commitment to upmarket diesels, especially considering that Mercedes-Benz and BMW don't even offer a V-8 diesel anymore; both brands killed theirs in favor of six-cylinder oil-burners. Meanwhile, Audi's V-12 TDI has no future. It will die with the current Q7. Benz's stunning S-Class coupe concept Mercedes-Benz Design is Back The evening before the show, Benz put on a glamorous press event. Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche arrived in an autonomously driving S-class, which was impressive. But more impressive still was the S-class coupe concept, which nearly blew me away. This low-slung and sculpted large coupe is a dramatic step forward from the current CL and its tall roof and soft graphics, and it might well have been the most attractive concept at this year's IAA. And it is virtually identical to the series production car that will be launched sometime in 2014. Future, more-mainstream Mercedes cars will be similarly impressive. First Drive: 2015 Volkswagen Golf TDI Instrumented Test: 2014 Audi R8 Spyder V-8 First Drive: 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-class / S550 BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer and the i8 BMW Gets Official Feedback BMW is putting out great "conventional" product, like the third-generation X5, but the brand's focus of attention clearly lies on the electrics and hybrids sold under the fledgling "i" sub-brand. Nobody knows whether the BMW's gamble on electrics will pay off and put it way ahead of the competition—or whether it will go down in flames like the C1 scooter or (quite literally) the E1 concept car. At a pre-show reception, brand CEO Norbert Reithofer spoke to journalists and outlined a 20-year time frame during which the "old technologies"—represented, for example, by the fabulous M135i that I piloted to Frankfurt—would have to subsidize the "new technologies." At her obligatory tour of the auto show, Germany's chancellor, Mrs. Angela Merkel, checked out the interior of the BMW i3, a vehicle triggered not least by her plea for such "new technologies." Merkel has been a brash proponent of E-mobility, and her most generous comment about the i3: "It leaves a pleasantly plushy impression." BMW must hope that customers exceed that level of enthusiasm. from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

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