CarAdvice From Frankfurt Motor Show Day 1

BMW unveiled the 2008 X6, 2008 123d Coupe, and Concept CS. The Concept CS is an exceptionally good looking car that blends the long bonnet and shark like nose of Aston Martin with the Merc CL swoop.

It is a new four door innovation that appears to be aimed squarely at Mercs CL series. The 2007 BMW M3 attracted large crowds as it commenced international sales from 11 September 2007. Hydrogen powered V12 BMW 7 Series saloons provided a shuttle service around the 220,000 square meters of exhibition space.

Audi presented the 2008 A4 with a line-up of 1.8T and TDI models. Audi hopes this vehicle will promote the sporty nature of the A4 within the established elegance and luxury appeal Audi enjoys. The 2008 Audi RS6 made its World Premier running the V10 TFSI engine.

Volkswagen brought out their big brother to the R32, unveiling the R36. Artega, a new German entrant into the sports car market, are on the verge of launching the Artega GT in mid-2008.

Artega were tight lipped on the technical specifications of their GT but CarAdvice.com.au was able to confirm it would be running a V6 engine supplied by Volkswagen – adapted from the R36. Unfortunately, Artega have no plans to sell in Australia and only comes in a left-hand drive configuration.

Petter Solberg presented the Subaru WRC concept rally car based on the European premier of the Subaru Impreza. Petter also commented on the drivability of the new Subaru, saying it was extremely stable and very comfortable. Unfortunately he did not pass comment on the new looks of the Impreza.

The 5-door Impreza hatch is already on sale in Australia, with the USA/Canada gaining a 4-door sedan in their line-up. Australia should see the sedan variant within 18 months.

Subaru also announced the world’s the first ever turbo diesel boxer engine (that we talked about late last year) which is likely to be included in the Impreza line-up. The 2.0-litre engine is anticipated to generate 110 kW and 350 Nm.

Mitsubishi presented the Prototype-X giving further insight into the next EVO Lancer which will be launched at the Tokyo Motor show on 24 October 2007. In addition, the new Lancer was on display and it looks to be a great car at the showroom. We’ll just have to wait and see how it drives.

The Ford Kuga Concept was shown to the world, with Ford Europe CEO John Fleming saying demand for the Kuga could outstrip supply.

Jaguar dropped the new XF on the showroom floor. This new Jag model departs from the long standing design cues of previous Jaguar models and looks to attract new buyers to the brand. The interior and exterior look nothing like a “normal” Jaguars but we’ll leave the judgement to you.

Looking forward to day 2!

Shaun Lay.