While new car launches were few at the 2007 Frankfurt auto show, some were significant. Mini brought around the Clubman, a stretched version of the Cooper. Volkswagen showed off its new crossover, the Tiguan, and Audi had a significant model update for the A4. Dodge also came to play, putting a crossover called Journey on the floor.
Automakers used the 2007 Frankfurt auto show to launch a set of hot new cars and updates. These aren't all supercars, but they are all superfast. Exotics are displayed by Ferrari and Lamborghini, while Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche, and Audi represent Germany. And there's a significant British contingent from Bentley and McLaren. These are the cars you dream about.
Our favorite part of any auto show is the concept cars. These cars are mostly design studies put on display by automakers to gauge public reaction. This year, Mercedes-Benz and BMW come out with concepts that seem close to production. Nissan, VW, and Mitsubishi put some far-flung design studies on display. Hyundai reaches far beyond its traditional car style, and we get a surprise from China.
BMW showed off its entry-level 135i sport coupe at the 2007 Frankfurt auto show. But with BMW, "entry-level" means one of the most exciting small cars available. Although the 135i is BMW's smallest four-seater, the company packs its incredible twin-turbo, 3-liter, straight six-cylinder engine under the hood. And best of all, BMW will import the 135i to the U.S.
Some of the more interesting exhibits at the 2007 Frankfurt auto show are hidden up among the automotive equipment makers, such as this stealth touch interface by Siemens VDO. Although not implemented in any cars yet, Siemens VDO is showing it off as a concept. This black panel uses similar touch technology as the iPod, with no actual buttons. This example is an audio controller, and Siemens VDO demonstrated it with a USB drive, a docked iPod Nano, and a CD. You only have to brush your finger over any button to activate it. For volume, you slide your finger … Read more
If diesels and hybrid cars both get great mileage, why not add a hybrid system to a diesel engine? Mercedes-Benz decided to answer that in the affirmative, showing off numerous diesel-electric hybrids at the 2007 Frankfurt auto show. Because diesel engines and electric motors duplicate their most efficient performance bands, high torque at low RPMs, Mercedes-Benz found a small hybrid system was all that was needed on its Bluetec diesel electrics, rather than the more robust two-mode system coming out on its ML450 and S400.
In 2010, Mercedes-Benz will launch the E300 and the S300, both cars using a Bluetec … Read more
We were surprised that Jaguar got its production XF ready in time for the 2007 Frankfurt auto show, as the c-XF concept was just unveiled at last season's auto shows. Concept to production usually takes a couple of years, and you lose most of the cooler features from the concept. But not in the case of the Jaguar XF. Even though its exterior received plenty of criticism on the Internet for being too bland once photos were released, the production XF looks just like its concept predecessor. The XF is the first sedan in Jaguar's new design language, … Read more
When we saw the Lamborghini Reventon on the floor at the 2007 Frankfurt auto show, we had mixed reactions. It was either put on black gloves and sunglasses, and jump in the driver's seat, or find an X-Wing fighter and get into a dogfight with the Reventon. With its matte-gray paint and sharp angles, the thing looks like a stealth fighter or a new Batmobile. It's the most dangerous-looking Lamborghini we've ever seen, and rightly so, as it's named after a bull that won its fight with a famous toreador in 1943. From the front, it … Read more
As evidenced by the F700, launched at the 2007 Frankfurt auto show, Mercedes-Benz expects to be building large luxury sedans long into the future. But also recognizing the need to reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, the company includes some miraculous-sounding technologies in the F700. It's also using the vehicle to explore advances in passenger comfort and infotainment.
At the 2007 Frankfurt auto show, German automakers had hybrid cars and concepts on display. Up until now, European automakers seemed uninterested in employing hybrid technologies, but Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche, and Audi have all stepped up to the plate. Mercedes-Benz has an actual hybrid SUV ready for production, while the other automakers have concepts that strongly indicate future hybrid powertrain development.
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