Honda’s current range is so bereft of spirit and excitement, the company has to talk about a hot hatch still two years away to get any attention.
Okay, that’s a little harsh, but no less valid. The company that gave the world the Integra Type R, the NSX, the CR-X, heck even Prelude had its moments, has very little about which we enthusiasts can enthuse.
The company that forged a delicious reputation on high-revving small capacity engines and lightweight sports car – before lightweight was truly fashionable – has struggled more than most to survive the GFC and acclimatise to the modern automotive landscape.
That’s not likely to change, at least not overnight. At the Frankfurt show Honda again trotted out the NSX, which has been seen so many times it’ll need a mid-life facelift before it finally reaches production.
This one, however, is not a concept. It’s a prototype, and therefore closer to the production version both in looks and time. The mid-engine supercar looks very tasty, and we’re confident it’ll drive as good as it looks.
Of more interest was news of the next-generation Honda Civic Type-R. Honda has set an ambitious target for the front-drive hot hatch: it must be the fastest front-drive production car around the 21.8km Nurburgring.
To that end, Honda has endowed the Type R with a 2.0-litre turbocharged, direct injection four-cylinder engine with “in excess of 206kW”.
That’s a lot of grunt for a north-paw scorcher to handle, so it’s a fair bet the Type R will have some kind of tricky diff up front to help the hardest working front tyres in the trade turn and not just burn.
Honda says a prototype “came very close” in recent testing to breaking the current record of 8min 08 seconds, held by the Renault Megane RS. Honda’s got plenty of time to improve the Type R’s time; it’s not due in dealerships for two years.
Fingers crossed the Type R gets its passport stamped for a tour Downunder.
Filthy rich has a new look. It’s called the S-Class Coupe and has just been revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
The two-door limo measures a massive 5050mm long and will replace the far more conservative CL, the current coupe version of the S-Class.
It is based on the new generation S-Class sedan that has just been revealed, sporting the new Mercedes design language as seen on the recently updated E-class.
For this generation, the S-Class Coupe has a far more confident design, with crisp lines and a profile that suggest it was designed from a clean sheet rather than being a chopped version of the sedan.
It is only a smidgeon shorter than the four-door S-Class, despite only having two doors, which allows for a long flowing C-pillar arc.
The dramatic design is part of a Mercedes push to attract younger buyers and liven up the image of the brand.
Mercedes has also given the S-Class Coupe plenty of power to match its stand-out looks with a 335kW/700Nm version of the existing 4.7-litre twin-turbo V8.
That is enough to propel the S-Class sedan, running the same engine, to 0-100km/h in just 4.8 seconds, so expect the coupe to be similarly quick.
The concept car sits on 21-inch alloys with super low profile tyres (265/35 and the front and 295/35 at the rear) and has a considerable wheelbase of 2945mm.
The S-Class Coupe was one of the most popular cars at this year’s Frankfurt event, with spectators swarming the concept vehicle in the Mercedes pavilion, but it wasn’t the only car the brand revealed.
It also showed the production version of the all-new GLA compact SUV.
The fifth SUV in the Mercedes line-up, the GLA is a soft-roader that introduces the latest generation all-wheel-drive system, which has fully variable torque distribution.
AMG also presented a racing version of the compact CLA 45, complete with wider track, and extreme bodywork as well as a tall rear-spoiler. It also sits on a wider track for extra stability and has bulging wheel arches to accommodate the greater footprint.
Other changes include a race seat, Dunlop race tyres, adjustable springs and dampers, upgraded brakes, a stripped out interior and a carbon-fibre race seat.
No revisions to the 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder production engine were mentioned and it is unclear whether the race cars would be AWD or front-drive.
AMG has proposed the car could be used for a one-make racing series.
Be sure to tune into wheelsmag.com.au or our Facebook page for exclusive Frankfurt Motor show coverage.
Glamour is a word that conjures up images of high fashion, celebration and exclusivity.
The Frankfurt motor show boasts all that and more, including glamorous stand hosts that draw almost as much attention as the shiny new models they represent.
Walk through our exclusive gallery and join the party.
It’s arguably the world’s most significant motor show, and the first of two media preview days at this year’s International Auto Show in Frankfurt has revealed an amazing number of stunning new models.
Here’s the Wheels wrap on all the fresh, shiny metal, including high-performance superstars, futuristic concepts, and ‘save the planet’ hybrids.
Volvo has spelled out its new design language in capital letters with the striking Concept Coupe that was revealed overnight at the Frankfurt Motor show.
The Swedish brand, now owned by Chinese outfit Geely, has used the dramatic two-door to introduce some new design cues, but the Concept Coupe also demonstrates what can be achieved with its new SPA Scalable Product Architecture platform.
Volvo’s design chief Thomas Ingenlath says Volvos of the recent past had to share platforms with products from its then-parent, Ford, and that affected the design.
“We used to have to share platforms with Ford, which affected the design, especially the dash to (front) axle measurement ” Ingenlath says.
In the case of the Concept Coupe, the dash to axle measurement is quite long, something that helps give it a sportier presence.
Volvo president, Lex Kerssemakers, toldWheels the Concept Coupe will not go into production.
“It is an indication of where we are going,” Kerssenmakers. “We are not saying that this is a beautiful car that we must put into production.”
Instead the Concept Coupe is simply a canvas for the design cues that will be applied to the next generation of Volvo products, built on its new platform, starting with the new XC90 SUV due next year.
The company is planning two other concept cars that will further emphasise the design change.
Volvo says the dramatic LED daytime running rights, the grille and C-shaped tail-lights will be seen on other models, while the surface treatment of the panels will also be replicated on production models.
After the new XC90, the design treatment will be applied to the new V70, S80, XC60 and V60, which are all due in the next two to three years.
The reception for the new Volvo design language is a crucial part of Volvo’s plan to increase its global volume between now and 2020.
Suzuki’s iV-4 compact SUV due in 2015 promises to be a tough little off-roader if the concept’s rugged design is any indication.
What does the phrase ‘Grab Your Field’ suggest to you? Please tell us, because we’ve no idea. And it’s important; it’s the catch-cry for Suzuki’s spiritual successor to the Jimny 4WD revealed at the Frankfurt Show.
This is the iV-4 concept – we’ve no idea what the name means, either – but a production version is confirmed, and will be with us in 2015. Aimed primarily at Europe, this compact SUV measures just 4215mm tip to toe, which is a smidge longer than the Nissan Juke.
Suzuki believes the iV-4’s tough look, and the rugged off-road potential it suggests, will appeal to buyers. As will a desire to customise the car – Suzuki showed video footage of an iV-4 with different colours on the body, the roof and the pillars.
Info on what’s under the distinctive clamshell bonnet is scarce. Suzuki would only say the iV-4 will be light weight and boast one of the lowest CO2 ratings in its class.
Four-wheel drive is available via Suzuki’s Allgrip system, as fitted to the SX-4.
No word from Suzuki Australia on whether the production version could come to Australia.
Alrighty. It’s time we stopped messing around with all the slow, timid ho-hum series production stuff at Frankfurt and paid a visit to the mad men of German automotive engineering.
I’m talking about Germany’s legendary aftermarket tuners, for whom an out of the box performance car is just the starting point in their quest to unlock and unload some proper, brain-frying horsepower.
Brabus has been doing outrageous things to Mercs and AMGs for 35 years, as well as beautiful restos on classic Stuttgart models.
The 2013 Brabus 850 Shooting Brake, launched at Frankfurt, is the world’s most powerful street-legal all-wheel drive wagon.
Brabus starts with a standard CLS63 AMG Shooting Brake and bores the 5.5-litre V8 out to 5.9-litres. Twin high boost turbos, internals made from unobtanium, ECU and induction/exhaust modifications liberate terrifying numbers: 1450Nm of grunt from 2500-4500rpm and 625kW of power –195kW more than standard — at 4500rpm.
Drive goes to all four wheels via a strengthened AMG 7-speed transmission. The 0-100km/h trip takes 3.1 seconds en route to a top whack of about 370km/h. Not bad for $433,000.
If you’re a cashed-up, completely unhinged performance car freak, though, you’ll want nothing less than the mighty Carbonado, the latest monstrosity from the house of Mansory.
Here’s how it works. Take one Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 coupe or roadster. Replace every exterior panel, the engine bay, strut bracing and most of the interior trim with carbon fibre (hence Carbonado…get it?).
Fit forged rims with carbon fibre inlays and 255/30 20 front, 345/25 21 rear PZeros.
Add a little frisson of excitement by ripping the guts out of the 6.5-litre V12, replacing them with more unobtanium bits and two turbos. This delivers a handy performance increase, up from the standard engine’s 515kW to, ahem, 920kW.
Light fuse, stand clear and enjoy the mayhem: 0-100 in 2.6 seconds and 380km/h. Yours for $1,720,000.
Really, who gives a rat’s about the new VW E-up, Audi’s A3 cabrio or BMW’s i3? Wouldn’t you rather have a Carbonado in your life?
Look out Ferrari and McLaren, Porsche’s new 918 Spyder hypercar may have blown you out of the water.
Freshly unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Porsche revealed the plug-in 918 has absolutely demolished the lap record at the infamous Nurburgring, setting a time of… 6m57s.
That’s an astonishing time for a car on road-legal tyres, and one that’s just nine seconds slower than the official ‘production car’ yardstick set by the hard-core, track-prepped Radical SR8LM.
More to the point, it’s a time that should have Ferrari and McLaren shaking in their boots.
Reports last week suggested the McLaren P1 had clocked a time of 7m04s at the ‘ring, with the Ferrari LaFerrari expected to be in the same ballpark.
The 918’s time in even more impressive when you consider, that on paper at least, it’s at a significant disadvantage to the P1 and LaFerrari.
Weighing in at over 1650kg the 918 is not only heavier than the P1 (1400kg) and lightweight LaFerrari (1270kg) but is down on grunt too.
Porsche says the 918’s superior technology, like sophisticated torque vectoring and advanced four-wheel drive are the keys to its success. And looking at its lap time, its hard to argue with the result.
So the race of the new hypercars is on. Can Ferrari and McLaren do better?
Finally, after weeks of teaser images and promises of ground-breaking new models, the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show is here.
And trust us, it’s been worth the wait. Considered motor show royalty, Frankfurt is one of the biggest shows on earth – a colossus of exhibition halls where the world’s sharpest motoring minds congregating to unveil their newest creations.
From hypercars and mind-bending concepts to environmentally-conscious hybrids and the latest in cutting-edge safety, Frankfurt has it all.
And happily for you, you don’t even have to leave your armchair to experience it.
Wheels has flown its best journalists to Frankfurt to do all the legwork for you – starting with this: our wrap up from day one.
Jaguar’s C-X17 concept introduces its new modular aluminium monocoque platform that will also underpin its BMW 3 Series/Mercedes Class rival, due in 2015.
The CX itself will ultimately morph into a mid-size luxury SUV not long afterwards.
Although supposedly under “strict embargo” until this morning, these official C-X17 factory images have already appeared in several media outlets.
So perhaps we should now treat “strict embargo” as just another tactic, up there with “exclusive spy shots” and “…to a select group of motoring journalists,” from the car company PR flack’s textbook “How to Manipulate the Media to ensure the Best Possible Coverage for your New Model.”
In other words, we should ignore it.
At 4718mm, C-X17 is slightly shorter than an X5/M Class but considerably longer, especially in its 2905mm wheelbase, than a Q5, so the production version will compete in X5 territory.
CX’s unique styling feature, apart from its signature ready to pounce feline profile and finely tensioned metal, is a low roofline; at just 1649mm, it’s certainly not your typical two blocks of flats SUV, and a clear indication that the production model will be positioned as a go-fast rather than a go-anywhere machine.
Expect hybrid drivetrains, including the new 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel hybrid now available in Range Rover, plus the 3.0-litre V6 petrol engines from F-Type.
While it’s a fair bet that the production model’s exterior won’t differ greatly from the C-X17 concept, apart from smaller, more practical wheels than the show car’s 23-inchers, the concept’s interior is more vaudeville than production viable, as is the way with these things.
Features such as the panoramic roof, kick-ass Meridian audio, twin dial configurable TFT instruments, head-up display and rotary gear selector will migrate to the production version, along with Jag’s lovely Connolly cowhide, however the “Interactive Surface Console,” which allows passengers to upload pix, sound and video and share them with each other via individual touchscreens and an in-car Wi-Fi network, does sound a tad too nerfy to ever see daylight.
Still, the official press release, in its description of the “Interactive Surface Console,” does introduce another phrase that surely deserves a place too in the aforementioned car company PR manual. Jaguar calls it “a unified multisensory experience.”
Jesus wept. Sometimes they just can’t help themselves, can they?
