Arguably, the Frankfurt Motor Show is the biggest and best of all the global extravaganzas aimed at grabbing the interest of potential car buyers. Geneva may be more artistic, Tokyo more gadget minded, and Sydney and Melbourne are obviously focussed on what’s happening in Australia. But Frankfurt wins on sheer size and scope. Let’s take a look at some of the offerings from the 2011 edition.
Ferrari 458 Spider adds to the delight of the car called the Italia. Now topless, with a lightweight aluminium roof it looks simply sensational. Now a pure two-seater, the 458 coupe has a pair of small back seats, the Spider has a luggage shelf behind the front pair of seats.
Maserati Kubang is an unashamedly bold SUV from the Italian marque famed for being different in a sporting manner. The Kubang – now there’s a name to upset the wowsers – makes a bigger splash than any other Maser before it. Not that we expect many to go off the road and make real splashes!
Bentley Continental GTC has an all-new body, but one that follows the same theme as the previous successful Grand Touring Convertible. Look at the sharper edges to get an idea of the bodies’ evolution.
Alfa Romeo 4C stunned onlookers when displayed as a concept at this year’s Geneva Motor Show. Alfa Romeo has announced its definitely going into production. Best news of all is that it will be built with the steering wheel on the right side for Australia.
Subaru BRZ is a stunning sports machine that will go into production soon. Unlike all other Subarus currently on sale in Australia it doesn’t have all-wheel drive, it’s powered only through the rear wheels. Subaru in Australia is proud that it only sells AWD cars here, so is still to make a decision on BRZ imports downunder.
Volkswagen Scirocco R is the high-performance version of the stunning little coupe. It has taken too long for VW Australia to commit to bring Scirocco to Australia but it seems likely the 188 kilowatt ‘R’ will be added to the import list.
Kia Rio in three-door format may not be as exciting as some of the wild concepts displayed at the bi-annual Frankfurt Motor Show, but its futuristic shape and low price (the latter still to be announced) seem sure to make it a common sight on Australian roads.
Hyundai i30 has been a huge success in Australia, now the second generation has been unveiled. In some ways it’s less radical in its shape then before, perhaps a sign it’s being aimed at even larger groups of buyers.
Honda Civic is less radical in its shape than in the current model, but the new one certainly wouldn't be called conservative. Expect it in Australia in by the middle of 2012.
Subaru XV is coming to Australia very soon, but the Europeans got to enjoy the first sighting of the production version at Frankfurt. Australians are already paying a lot of attention to the compact crossover based on the upcoming all-new Subaru Impreza.
Mazda CX-5 was previewed in Australia in concept form only a couple of months back. The shape has been toned down slightly for the ‘real’ version that will join big brothers Mazda CX-7 and CX-9.
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