Porsche Panamera
Bentley Mulsanne: That mesh grille and the round headlamps are, apparently, a bold cue take on what is otherwise a big block of an automobile. Bentley says its new Mulsanne is the “pinnacle of British luxury motoring.” What's the point of being rich if this is your car? On sale the middle of next year.
Bentley CEO Franz-Josef Paeffgen poses next to a Bentley Mulsanne — RALPH ORLOWSKI/REUTERS
Jaguar XJ: This Cat is coming next year as the brand's four-door flagship model. It was designed by Jaguar design director Ian Callum, who was named “Person of the Year” at the 2009 Auto Express Awards.
Maserati Gran Cabrio: For sale next year, the Gran Cabrio is the first four-seat convertible in Maserati's history. How is that possible? No, not that Maserati has never produced a four-seat ragtop, but that Maserati thinks it needs one now. This one has a 4.7-litre V-8 engine.
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG: Coming next year and with a likely price tag of more than a quarter million. We welcome the return of gullwing doors. John DeLorean would approve. It has a 6.3-litre V-8 engine and uses 13.2 litres/100 km.
Aston Martin Rapide: Aston's first four-door sports car has a hand-built 6.0-litre V-12 engine producing 470 brake horsepower and a six-speed “Touchtronic 2” automatic transmission that allows the driver the option of automatic or manual gear changes. It will go head-to-head with the Porsche Panamera.
2010 Aston Martin Rapide
REAL CARS MASQUERADING AS CONCEPTS
Mini Coupe Concept: Concept in name only, the Mini Coupe Concept may be the homeliest thing we saw at Frankfurt. A production version of this is coming, which gives Mini time to rethink the design and fix it.
Hyundai ix35: Otherwise known as the next Tucson, this concept shows where Hyundai is going with a very important model in Canada. The production car is coming later this year or early next. It will have a roomier cabin, extra storage capacity and improved fuel economy.
Mercedes-Benz S 500 Plug-in Hybrid: The S-class plug-in electric concept will go into production as soon as possible. The concept can drive for up to 30 km at a time on electric power. Mercedes says the car uses 3.2 litres/100 km and has CO2 emissions of 74 grams/km. The concept is powered by a 3.5-litre V-6 direct-injection gasoline engine and a 44-kW electric motor.
AND THESE ARE JUST CONCEPTS
Lexus LF-Ch: Here we have a premium hybrid model designed to offer the driver “thrilling elegance and pleasure.” The concept lets drivers run around in electric driving mode. Big deal.
Audi e-tron Concept: When will this electric R8 go on sale? Never. Audi will never, ever, ever build a high-performance R8 with a fully electric drive system. Sure, it has four motors, two at the front and two at the rear axle and accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds. Give me the V-10-powered R8 and forget about this.
IndiKar Trabant nT Concept: This new take on the old Trabi is a fully electric concept car. The company is looking for investors, so get out your chequebook. The Trabi, of course, was the lush, smoking ride produced in the former East Germany. More than three million original Trabis were built.
The new "Trabant nT" electric car. Once the much-mocked symbol of drab communist East Germany, Trabant cars are revving up for a dramatic rebirth as electric cars.— AFP/Getty Images
Volkswagen L1 Concept: VW says this, the most fuel-efficient automobile in the world, is targeted for sale in 2013. Certainly it's ugly, but the L1 consumes just 1.38 litre of diesel per 100 kilometres and has CO{-2} emissions of 36 grams/km. Ulrich Hackenberg, a member of VW's development team, says it is “close to production readiness.”
BMW Vision EfficientDynamics: Here we have a concept for a plug-in diesel-electric hybrid sports car. It has gullwing doors and is powered by a three-cylinder turbodiesel engine and two electric motors. Dreamy.
