As another Frankfurt Motor Show winds down we’re left with two clear themes from it; electrification is developing at a fast rate, and the prospect of Chinese brands soon offering desirable cars to the European market.
From a concept perspective, there was one clear winner of the show for me, and that wasn’t the mind-bendingly fast Mercedes-AMG Project One concept. Instead, that accolade goes to the wonderfully resolved Honda Urban EV Concept.
If ever there was a concept that looked just right in every single aspect it’s this one. Many instantly shouted Peugeot 205 or Volkswagen Golf Mk1, but fewer seemed to spot the glaring design nod to the original Honda Civic. It features styling that is elegantly simple and something that could easily have come from the pen of Giorgetto Giugiaro. Its interior is just as minimal and blends in its technology and screens remarkably well. The good news is that several high-ranking people in Honda said it’s penciled for production in two years and shouldn’t change all that much. If this is true, it could be one of the best things to happen to Honda is years.
Audi came out on top of the Volkswagen Group brands with its stylish Elaine Concept that, like the Honda, is believed to be heading for production in a relatively unchanged state. But more fascinating was the Audi AIcon . This large autonomous pod is the company’s vision of what things could be like when Level 5 autonomy arrives in the future. Generally, if I were to look at a car that didn’t have a steering wheel nor any controls for that matter, I’d dismiss it in an instant, but not this time. If this is the future, I could get onboard with it. Not for every journey, mind.
The primary focus from Porsche was the introduction of the new Cayenne Turbo and Turbo S, but off to one side, there was also the new 911 GT3 debuting with the new Touring Pack. There was much talk about how this is now an unlimited production 911 R and how those that stumped up the megabucks for that model will be livid now, but I disagree. Sure, on paper, the two are remarkably similar from a specification perspective, but I think the 911 R has that bit more to it that it will always be something extra special. Real enthusiasts, not the opportunists looking to flip a car quickly for a profit, will see and appreciate this. Personally, I’d quite happily take the 911 GT2 RS.
Getting back to that Mercedes-AMG Project One, given the extraordinary levels of claimed performance, I was most surprised by its relatively subtle appearance given the sphere it shares with other equally bonkers machines. Having a good look over its shape that features eight movable aerodynamic surfaces, you can see a lot other iconic cars in its design. Front and rear there’s some McLaren F1 while the large flat surfaces in side profile have hints of Bugatti EB110 about it. Some will argue it doesn’t do enough visually to be spectacular, but looks don’t matter when you consider what the performance capabilities of this machine.
Shifting focus towards China and it was Wey that proved impressive with its SUV lineup. The brand is the luxury division of Great Wall. Models such as the VV5s look every bit as appealing as offerings from our more well-known brands but what impressed me most was how well made it appeared to be. Spending some time sitting inside showed not only that the design is mature and well-presented, but the quality of the materials used in it was better than we typically expect from Chinese brands. Even slamming the door revealed a reassuringly solid thud that companies like Volkswagen would be proud of.
Similarly, Chery also garnered plenty of attention from the European show goers. Already one of the largest brands in China, its range that includes the Exeed TX, could go down well with buyers on this side of the world, especially if the pricing is right. It seems that just like drivetrain electrification, the Chinese brands are also about to be the next big thing in automotive here.