Auto brands aren’t the only names that are coming to the Frankfurt Motor Show; some of the world’s most prominent tuning brands are also coming in force to show off their latest programs. One of these brands is German tuning company, Hamann, which will be introducing their new Paragon program for the Porsche Panamera. Though the program is still under development, the word is that it’s going to come with an extensive aerodynamic package that will also be complimented by a modest performance boost.
As far as the aerodynamics are concerned, the Paragon Panamera will receive a new and aggressive front bumper with large air intakes, and LED daytime running lights. In addition, the program will also carry a new hood, wider wheel arches, a new rear bumper and rear diffuser, a huge rear wing, a new exhaust system with two large central tail pipes, and a set of 22" dark-finished forged wheels.
With all the parts in tow, the Paragon Panamera will be 60 mm wider than the stock version of the car, and with an upgraded suspension system, the ride height is also lowered by as much as 30 mm. Inside, the Panamera will receive a posh dress-up that includes plenty of leather and Alcantara, aluminum pedals, and a plethora of other interior options.
Then there’s the engine. With the help of the new exhaust system, together with a new engine management unit, Hamann was able to boost the output of the Panamera’s twin-turbo V8 engine from the standard 500 horsepower all the way up to 580 horsepower.
Hamann’s Paragon Porsche Panamera is scheduled to have a space at the coming Frankfurt Motor Show so if you’re in the area, drop by Hamann’s booth to check out their latest high-speed project.
Mercedes tuner extraordinaire, Brabus, is bringing their latest Rocket program to the Frankfurt Motor Show through the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class. Days ahead of the premiere, details of the tuned-up luxury sedan have finally been revealed, giving us an indication on what to expect for the whole program.
The Brabus Rocket 800 comes with both aesthetic and technical improvements. The former includes a new trim that features a new front fascia with massive air intakes, air outlets for the front fenders, a new rear fender and rear fascia, a diffuser wing, a rear wing, and a set of lightweight Brabus Monoblock F Platinum Edition cross-spoke wheels. Inside, the changes largely feature the usual goodies and luxury refinements that Brabus has come to be known for.
The Brabus Rocket 800 is considered one of the, if not the most powerful luxury sedan in the world. As such, great lengths are have been taken by Brabus to ensure that it lives up to the hype. For the 2012 model, the Mercedes CLS is expected to carry a newly tuned V12 engine that produces 800 horsepower and 811 lb/ft of torque mated to an AMG Speedshift MCT seven-speed sports transmission. Performance numbers result in a 0-62 mph sprint time of 3.7 seconds with a top speed of 230 mph.
With its lofty status as one of the fastest luxury sedans in the world, the Brabus Rocket 800 will cost you €429,000, excluding taxes. Base that on current USD exchange rates and you’ll need to shell out $582,000 for the privilege of owning this monster.
On January 29, 1886, Karl Benz received an official patent for his "automobile fueled by gas." Now, 125 years later, Mercedes is celebrating that event with the unveiling of the F125 - a concept car that previews the next generation S-Class and CL-Class.
The F125 concept is powered by four electric motors that take their power from a hydrogen fuel cell stack. The four electric motors deliver a total output of 231 HP and will sprint the concept from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.9 seconds on its way to a top speed of 136 mph - quite impressive performance numbers for a car in this class.
Even more impressive is the fact that the concept has an autonomy of 620 miles. It also comes equipped with a chargeable lithium-ion battery that will help the F125 to run only on electricity for a total length of 31 miles.
UPDATE 10/24/11: Mercedes has released the first presentation video of the F125 Concept detailing how the car’s concept form came into fruition, as well as how the car’s characteristics will help in determining the automaker’s future auto line-up. It’s a good watch that’s definitely worth your time!
A few days ago, a mysterious Audi prototype was spotted in Berlin decked in camouflage, leading to the proverbial question as to what kind of car it was. Fortunately, the mystery didn’t last long.
The German automaker has released the first details of its new Urban E-Tron Concept that will be gracing us with its presence at the coming Frankfurt Motor Show. It took a while for Audi to release all the information of the Urban E-Tron Concept, but thankfully, did so just in time for the opening of Frankfurt, complete with all the performance numbers that might not tickle the fancies of those looking for some speed to go with the cool city car concept.
UPDATE 11/02/2011: We thought the Audi Urban E-Tron Concept was a huge waste of time because there was no chance Audi would ever actually put it into production. Turns out, we were absolutely wrong.
Audi has just announced that the Urban Concept will indeed go into production and that it will be limited to only 999 units. Sales will begin in 2013 at a starting price of £8,800 or about $14,000 at the current exchange rates.
Check out more details on the Audi Urban E-Tron Concept after the jump.
After four years out on the streets, the Smart ForTwo deserves a new generation model. To their credit, Daimler is preparing to accommodate with the debut of their new ForVision Concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
The new concept vehicle is intended to show two things: the new design direction that Smart is undertaking and new technologies that the company is readying for their future models. The latter was made possible by Smart’s collaboration with BASF, the world’s largest chemical company, in the development of several advanced technologies that will be used on the concept and any other future models that could follow suit.
For this particular model - the second Smart concept to come out this year after the ForSpeed - the whole idea was to build a platform for future vehicles. Among the new materials that were built into the car with the idea of future production use include revolutionary plastic wheels and carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy resin for the doors and the passenger compartment. The latter allows the car to reduce up to 50% of its weight compared to steel and 30% when compared to aluminum. The ForVision Concept also carries a solar roof that provides an alternative source of energy for the concept’s electric drivetrain.
Since the ForVision Concept is still, well, a concept, expect the production version to be a little more attuned to the times. That’s not to say that it won’t carry all of the features of the concept version; it’s just that as far as concept-based production vehicles are concerned, it’s probably to temper expectations on the car.
It’s only been a few weeks since Lexus unveiled the new generation Lexus GS350, and now they are rounding up the crowd again with the debut of the GS 450h at the Frankfurt Motor Show. A relatively young model on the market - it was first unveiled in 2007 - the GS 450H is now the world’s first premium performance sedan to be equipped with a V6 Atkinson cycle gas engine and two-motor hybrid system.
The hybrid system combines an Atkinson cycle 3.5-liter V6 engine with a two-motor hybrid system in a front-engine/rear-wheel drive configuration. They both deliver a total of 338 HP and will sprint the GS 450h from 0 to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds. Fuel economy has also been improved by 30%. The model will be equipped with a Drive Mode selector that will allow the driver to choose between Eco, Sport S, Sport S+ and EV modes.
Hit the jump to read more about the new Lexus GS 450h.
You never know what you’re going to find at shows like the Frankfurt Motor Show, certainly anything like a special edition Volkswagen Beetle. But this is what makes Frankfurt such an interesting place to be in; you never know what you’re going to find.
Speaking of a special edition Beetle, one in particular was introduced in Frankfurt as a collaboration model with Fender. The Beetle Fender comes with a number of unique features, most specifically a state-of-the-art sound system that fits right in with what Fender does best.
The Beetle Fender Edition is 10 mm wider and sits 30 mm closer to the ground than the standard Beetle. It also differentiates itself with a leather coated roof, chromed side mirror coverings, a chromed signature and guitar pick decal on the bonnet, new door handles, side sills, a twin-tailpipe exhaust system, and a new set of 19" alloy wheels. Inside the car, the new additions include RNS 510 radio-navigation system, colored metallic controls, a pick holder and a number of other styling accents that are right up Fender’s alley.
As far as the sound set-up goes, there’s 3-color ambient lighting - red, white, blue - that sets the mood right. There are also two sets of tweeters with neodymium magnets and fabric domes, woofers that carry dual and single voice coils, and a dual voice coil bass box that’s located in the luggage compartment. The whole sound system set-up is rounded up by a 10-channel amplifier with Class A/B power amplifiers and 400 Watts.
No pricing has been set for the special edition Volkswagen Beetle, but expect it to come sooner than later.
UPDATE 05/12/12: We have some good news and some ’lets-wait-and-see-news-based-on-what-the-good-news-tells-us’ news. Ready? Here’s the good news: Volkswagen has announced that the Beetle Fender Edition is headed for production. As for the ’lets-wait-and-see-news-based-on-what-the-good-news-tells-us’ news, VW has yet to release how much one model will cost. Take the good with the incomplete, right?
Next to the Focus ST, Ford also unveiled the Fiesta ST at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The Fiesta ST is a concept car that features bold and dynamic exterior styling inspired by the Fiesta RS WRC and a driver-oriented interior. The concept also hints at what a future Fiesta ST performance model could look like.
The Fiesta ST concept continues a tradition started 35 years ago with models like the Fiesta XR2 and XR2i, Fiesta RS1800, and RS Turbo. Under the hood, the concept gets a 1.6-liter Ford EcoBoost engine that delivers a total of180 HP.
"The Fiesta has a rich history of high-performance models so a new ST performance model is a logical next step in our performance vehicle strategy for our global small cars," said Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development. "The Fiesta ST Concept continues that tradition by showing how a global performance version of our best-selling B-car can be both technically advanced and dramatically styled."
Hit the jump to read more about the Ford Fiesta ST Concept.
It’s very rare for a company like Seat to have the industry’s attention. But when it comes to a new concept car highlighting the company’s new design philosophy, then we get curious. Even for just a little bit.
The new IBL Sedan Concept accomplishes that and more. Quite frankly, the car’s design is far and away improved from what we’re accustomed to with Seat, which in our books, is a pretty good thing.
"The IBL [Concept] was created from the unique design DNA that will prevail right across our next vehicle generation," said new SEAT design chief, Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos.
The IBL Concept carries a pretty sharp looking profile, that much we’ll tell you. It’s got the look of a sporty four-door saloon that capitalizes on its elegant dynamics to catch your attention.
It certainly wouldn’t hurt to see Seat translate this concept to something a little more production-ready, but we’ll take what we can get from these guys anytime. After all, there aren’t a lot of expectations to begin with and if the IBL Concept is merely the first step in what we hope to be a more stylish future for the company, then sign us up.
Find out more about the Seat IBL Sedan Concept after the jump.
It wasn’t until just recently that the idea for a Maserati SUV was completely taboo, but times are tough and if Maserati hopes to stay in the game, they’ll need to bring the bulk. After all, with only 5,675 units sold a year and big plans to push sales up to 50,000 units a year, Maserati will need all of the lineup expansion they can muster to see that dream become a reality. Enter the Maserati SUV Concept.
Fiat CEO, Sergio Marchionne, has a clear picture of what he wants to see in Maserati’s future, and that image has been projected into the first concept version of the company’s future SUV based on the Jeep Grand Cherokee platform. The future SUV will most likely be powered by a 4.7 liter V8 engine mated to a ZF eight speed automatic gearbox. This engine will deliver about 450 HP, but the European market may only be seeing a 3.0 L V6 producing about 300 HP.
There’s not much information on the Maserati SUV Concept just yet, but all will be revealed next week at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, so stay tuned!
