Noted Mercedes tuner, Brabus, may be famous for all their high-powered tuning programs, but their penchant for power doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t have eco-friendly bones in their bodies.
Somewhat surprisingly, Brabus is tapping into their inner affinity towards the environment with the introduction of the new BRABUS Technology Project HYBRID. The vehicle hybrid program is based on the Mercedes E 220 CDI, but instead of its usual powertrain, this particular car has been fitted with four electric motors. There’s one motor on each wheel and each carries 50 kW (67 horsepower) apiece in Eco mode and up to 80 kW (107 horsepower) each in Sport Mode. The four electric motors are then joined by a 56 kWh lithium-ion battery that further increases the car’s total output to 320 kW (435 horsepower) and - prepare yourself - 2,360 lb/ft of torque. Whoa.
The numbers translate to performance figures that include a 0-62 mph sprint time of 6.9 seconds, an ECO-mode top speed of 118 mph and a Sport-mode top speed of 137 mph. As a hybrid, careful attention has to be paid on the car’s driving range and the BRABUS Technology Project HYBRID returns a very impressive 217 miles on the dot with the battery taking 90 minutes to recharge at a 380 V three phase grid and up to five hours through a normal 220 V AC outlet.
Major auto shows like Frankfurt don’t come by without the participation of renowned tuning firm, Mansory. This year’s no different as the German tuning company has rolled out plenty of programs for some of the most expensive exotics on the market.
One of Mansory’s offerings for Frankfurt is for the Bentley Continental GT and it comes with plenty of aerodynamic and performance upgrades. Speaking about the former, Mansory dressed up the Continental GT with a plethora of items made from lightweight autoclave carbon, including a new front and rear apron that’s been integrated with a new side skirt set. There’s also a spoiler lip, a redesigned engine hood and front fenders, and a new set of 22" alloy wheels. Interior improvements are also available as part of the package with customers getting free reign to design it according to their preference.
In addition to the aforementioned aerodynamic modifications, the Continental GT also gets an impressive power boost courtesy of a reprogrammed engine management system, a sports air filter, and a new sports exhaust system. All these additions took the Continental’s 6.0-liter bi-turbo W12 engine output from the standard 567 horsepower and 516 lb/ft of torque all the way up to 672 horsepower and 575 lb/ft of torque.
For a company that knows their aftermarket programs really well, Mansory’s new program for the Bentley Continental GT doesn’t disappoint.
Lotus promised a trio of sports cars occupying their space at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show and, next to the new generation Exige S and the Exige R-GT, that promise has been delivered with a new addition to the Elise lineup: the Elise S. This new model will replace the existing Elise SC which just displayed its final hoorah with the special edition Elise SC Final Edition.
The Lotus Elise first appeared about 15 years ago and promised the performance of a supercar, but the fuel economy of a city car. That idea is still going on strong today with a new 1.8 liter super charged engine delivering a total of 217 HP and 184 lb-ft of torque. The great thing about the new Elise S is that it has a comparable power output to the Elise SC - it actually has a higher peak torque (184 lb-ft to the SC’s 156 lb-ft) - but it has answered the fuel economy and CO2 emissions issues brought on by the change of regulations.
Want to know more? Hit the jump for details on the Lotus Elise S.
The Frankfurt Motor Show plays host to all sorts of vehicles. Whether they’re production debuts, concepts, exotics, or aftermarket works, there’s plenty of room for vehicles of all shapes and sizes for the world’s biggest auto show. And yes, that also includes race car prototypes such as the Formula Ford Racer.
Scheduled to compete in the British Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship next year, the quirky little single-seat race car is being built using a tubular steel frame that meets the FIA’s safety standards. It also carries plenty of safety features, including front and rear carbon crash structures, side intrusion panels, wheel tethers, a removable seat, and last but not least, an FIA approved head restraint system.
Talking about the engine that makes the race car run, the 2012 Formula Ford Racer will carry a 1.6-liter Ford EcoBoost direct injection turbo engine mated to a six-speed sequential transmission with a mechanical shift mechanism. The output generated by the engine hits 165 horsepower and 162 lb/ft of torque, which isn’t overwhelming, but is right in-line with FIA standards.
More details about the Formula Ford Race Car will be unveiled at a later date. For now, you can check out the photos of the eccentric-looking racer.
Maserati was already late in the sporty SUV game when it first debuted the Kubang Concept back in 2003, and now the Italian luxury car maker is hoping we forget about the eight year long hiatus their SUV has taken to reintroduce the Kubang at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. Tsk, tsk, Maserati. It’s one thing to bring about a second concept of the same vehicle (look at Toyota’s FT-86), but it is quite another to ignore the laid back attitude taken in developing it.
Regardless of the misguided marketing ploys, the new Kubang Concept is here again with a more modern interpretation and a promise that, this time, the concept previews a new sport luxury SUV that will be used to enlarge Maserati’s product range and strengthen its presence in the sport luxury market. The new Kubang was created by the Maserati Style Center headed by Lorenzo Ramaciotti and despite its Jeep platform, is supposed to be all Maserati. Everything from the style, engine, suspension, brakes, handling, and performance is said to be in continuity with the brand’s core values of sportiness, style, elegance, luxury, performance and craftsmanship.
Maserati has also promised that the production version will be powered by a new-generation high-tech Maserati proprietary engine designed in Modena by Paolo Martinelli and produced in Maranello by Ferrari. The SUV will also receive a new AT 8 speed automatic transmission and specific performance settings set to the configurations of the suspension, brakes, and steering exclusively developed in Modena by the Maserati Product Development Department.
Updated 09/28/2011: Maserati has unveiled a first official video for the Kubang concept who made its world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show. A production version will be built in Detroit and will be put on sale sometime in 2013. Until then enjoy the concept in action!
Updated 04/27/2012: In a recent interview with Automotive News, Maserati CEO Harald Wester announced that the Beijing Auto Show has been the last appearance of their Kubang concept. Next time we will see a Maserati SUV will be in 2014 at the Detroit Auto Show when the company will bring it in a production version and with a different name. Sales will begin in the first half of 2014.
Hamann is coming to the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show locked, stocked, and ready to rock. The German tuning company is bringing a number of tuning projects to the world’s biggest auto show, one of which is the 2011 Porsche Cayenne Turbo Guardian Evo.
Featuring an aerodynamic package that includes an extensive body kit, the Cayenne Turbo Guardian Evo is coming to Frankfurt dressed to the nines. A new front apron with large air intakes are two of the many new additions to the Porsche SUV, as are the new integrated fog lights and LED daytime running lights. The kit also carries wider wheel arches, which increases the width of the Cayenne by 120 and 160 mm in the front and back, respectively. There are also new side skirts, a roof spoiler, a rear apron with an integrated diffuser, and a new exhaust system with two enormous tail pipes right in the middle of the rear apron. Hamann also improved the SUV’s suspension system, allowing the ride height to be lowered by 335 mm. Inside, the Hamann dressed up the Guardian Evo with the works, including a full leather upholstery, a new steering wheel, and plenty of carbon fiber components on the center console and instrument panel of the Cayenne Turbo.
As for performance, Hamann spared no expense in tweaking the Cayenne Turbo’s capabilities, re-mapping the ECU and adding a sports silencer, sports catalysts, and a sports air filter. All the modifications result in the Cayenne Turbo boasting an increased output of 550 horsepower at 6,100 rpm and 568 lb/ft of torque from 2,300 rpm to 4,600 rpm, up from the standard model’s 500 horsepower output with a peak torque of 516 lb/ft. The improvements allow the Cayenne Guardian Evo to hit 0 to 62 mph in just 4.6 seconds, as well as reach an improved top speed of 187 mph.
Next to the study buggy up!, Volkswagen has also brought the cross up! concept to the Frankfurt Motor Show. The company has promised that even if this was displayed as a concept, it is in fact a near production version and reveals how a cross Up! version will look like.
The Cross up! concept is finished in a "Tornado Red" exterior paint combined with silver elements and dark anthracite on the wheel well extensions and side sill extensions. The roof rails highlight the look in "matte silver." The bumpers have received a new design and is combined with a larger honeycomb grille, larger air intakes, and a silver cross-bar in the bumper. The concept sits on a special set of 16" alloy wheels in cross design.
On the interior, the seats feature a special cross trim with center panels and grey side panels, while the steering wheel, gear shift grip, and parking brake grip are wrapped in leather.
The new Volkswagen up! might have caught all the attention at Volkswagen’s stand in Frankfurt, but next to it there were six other concept cars worth taking a look at. The first of these concepts is called the Volkswagen study buggy up! and unlike the original Buggy launched in the 1960s which was based on the Beetle, the new concept is based on the recently launched Up!
The new study buggy up! keeps the underbody, running gear, and
drive technology of the up!, but adds a completed redesigned roof-less exterior skin, and a lowered ride height (lowered by 20 mm). The study will immediately be recognized as an Up! model, but the bonnet is built much flatter, the bumpers show an independent character, and the roof was inspired by small convertible sports cars. The study is also about 44 mm longer and 31 mm wider than the production Up!, while the height has been lowered by 190 mm. The new buggy sits on a new set of 18" alloy wheels and is finished in a "hot orange paint which was specially created for this vehicle.
Another feature for the new study buggy up! is that it is 100% beach ready; everything on the interior is waterproof, including the controls for the infotainment system.
The second concept car - next to the DC100 Concept - Land Rover has unveiled in Frankfurt is the sportier version, the DC100 Sport. The second concept is basically a roof-less version of the DC100 with a more aggressive appearance. It takes its inspiration from the early canvas-roofed Defenders with their fold-down windscreens, but has been redesigned as a performance concept for the 21st century.
The DC100 Sport features a wraparound aero screen and cut-down side
windows, and is painted in a special yellow inspired by the vibrant ochre hues found in Africa. On the interior, the seats are trimmed in leather with a lightweight, breathable mesh insert in a bold Tribal Tech pattern. The same pattern is repeated on the floor of the DC100 Sport where floor mats
are made of Ombrae, a sculptural medium used in art installations and modern architecture.
The DC100 Sport is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol engine
with hybrid compatibility mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission with Intelligent Stop/Start and a transfer case.
UPDATE 01/06/12: Land Rover trooped to the 2012 Auto Delhi Expo and brought their two new Land Rover Defender Concepts dressed in a fiery Firenze Red finish. We gotta say, these new digs are all sorts of smokin’ in our eyes! Agree? Check out the gallery!
Earlier this year Volvo unveiled the Concept Universe that gave customers an inside look at what we can expect from Volvo’s next large sedan. Now, Volvo has brought the new Concept You to the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show that refines the future of Volvo’s future model.
The new Concept You is powered by a four-cylinder engine that drives the front wheels and is combined with the Flywheel KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) fitted to the car’s rear axle. This system offers an additional 80 HP and also helps to improve fuel economy.
"Concept You gives a good indication of what you can expect from our next large sedan. The blend of contemporary Scandinavian design, exquisite craftsmanship and intuitive technology will appeal to luxury car buyers all over the world," says Stefan Jacoby, President and CEO of Volvo Car Corporation.
Hit the jump to read more about the Volvo Concept You.
