Dubai: The “Futuristic” Motor Show should have been more apt. As the doors open on Monday (September 9) for the International Motor Show in Frankfurt, global automakers seem as intent on showcasing what the future car could look like as much as their models for the present.
Concept cars are set to take pride of place at the event as the global auto industry turns its back on the recent downturn and sets up for what can only be a bullish run over the near to medium term. Except for Europe, where not enough buyers are willing to turn up at showrooms to pick up swanky new models, and India, where sales have hit a rut, all of the other top markets are recording robust volumes.
This could be why automakers at the Frankfurt show have the freedom of space to press their design aspirations for the future rather than deal with the more prosaic needs of today and tomorrow.
There is Jaguar – fresh from striking a blow with the back-to-the-future F Type - with the C-X17 concept, created “to introduce Jaguar’s new modular aluminium architecture,” according to a statement.
“The concept illustrates the diversity of vehicles that could be produced using this architecture.”
Another prestige marque is getting help from the rarefied world of high fashion. The Maserati Quattroporte Ermenegildo Zegna Limited Edition concept car will also have its global bow in Frankfurt, with the Italian carmaker confirming it will launch full tilt into production next year itself.
With Ermenegildo Zegna on board, the interiors will get a closer look, obviously. Hues such as the moka and greige are “re-interpreted to emulate Zegna’s latest men’s fashion collections,” according to Maserati.
If its Audi, the “quattro” can never be far behind. The German carmaker will be plugging in - literally - the Audi Sport quattro concept car. The plug-in coupe hybrid can do a roof-raising 700-hp. (This is also the 30th year since the introduction of the quattro range, with more than 5 million units sold of the permanent all-wheel drive.)
Staying with concepts, there will be a new Lexus compact crossover, the LF-NX, premiering in Frankfurt. The upscale Japanese brand will “explore” whether the compact crossover will work within its line-up. The concept version features a new variant of the Lexus Hybrid Drive system.
If a visitor at the Show wants to move away from futuristic designs, there are quite a few models vying for attention. There is the Porsche 918 Spyder making its debut. It also means that super-sportscars are also learning to do it the hybrid way. Porsche will also have the new 911 Turbo, being presented to the public for the first time.
“Based on how things are going at the moment, we are set to have another record year – and that’s in spite of the fact that the present economic climate is far from satisfactory,” is how Matthias Müller, CEO of Porsche AG, sees the immediate future panning out for the marque.
Then there is BMW, which will be trying not just to light up the show with its versions but also offer a statement of intent on the direction it is headed.
There will be the global launches of the all-electric BMW i3 and that of the i8, the plug-in hybrid as the carmaker widens its scope beyond fossil fuels. There will also be a brand new series in the form of the 4 coupes. “The 4 Series will create a link with the 6 Series and earlier the 8 Series Coupe and you will see this in the car’s design language,” said a spokesperson at the regional office of BMW Group. “It will go on sale in showrooms across the Middle East from the end of September/beginning of October.”
Clearly, automotive majors are not about to let go of the present even as they keep an eye out for the future.
