The doors open this week in Frankfurt to one of the biggest Motor Shows in the world. This feast of polished new metal, spread across thirteen massive halls included 159 world premieres and showcases some of the world’s most exciting new cars from Bentley and Rolls-Royce, to Ferrari and Lamborghini we pick our top ten cars writes Geraldine Herbert
Bentley Bentayga
Bentley enter the luxury SUV market with their new Bentayga. Designed to compete with Land Rover’s Range Rover and Lamborghini’s Urus it is not only the fastest SUV in the world but it’s also likely to be the most expensive. The 12-cylinder engine will propel it to a top speed of 301 kilometers per hour which is faster than Porsche’s Cayenne Turbo S, Mercedes-Benz GLE 63 S AMG and a Range Rover. And if were wondering where the name comes from its inspired by a Siberian forest apparently.
Rolls-Royce Dawn
Rolls-Royce don’t unveil a new model that often and the Dawn is only the fourth to be added to a range that includes the Phantom, Ghost and Wraith and is the first Rolls to feature a non-ghostly name. The name refers to the Silver Dawn that Rolls-Royce made in the 1950s. Designed to appeal to women and younger drivers the Dawn is more than just a roofless Rolls-Royce Wraith and almost 70% of its body panels are new. Powering the Dawn is a 6.6-litre V12 is good for 563bhp.
Ferrari 488 Spider
Ferrari takes the roof off its 660-bhp turbocharged 488 GTB. With a 3.9-litre turbocharged V8 and maximum torque of 760 Nm at 3000 rpm it goes from a 0 to 100 km/h time of just 3 seconds and 0 to 193km/h in just 8.7 seconds so it’s not short of performance. The top speed is 3 km/h behind the GTB at 325 km/h but we doubt you’ll notice.
Jaguar F-Pace
Jaguar’s new F-Pace is likely to steal a large chunk of the limelight at the show and this hotly anticipated five-seat performance crossover is the first vehicle of its kind to come from Jaguar. The F-Pace is the production version of the C-X17 concept car that was unveiled at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor show. Made from lightweight aluminium the new F-Pace will take on rivals such as the BMW X3, Audi Q5, Porsche Macan, Land Rover Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque.
Mercedes-Benz S-class Convertible
Mercedes will launch their first S-class convertible since 1971. The new four-seater weighs roughly the same as the S-Class Coupe and will be powered by two petrol engines a 450bhp twin-turbo 4.6-litre V8 (S500) and a stomping 577bhp twin-turbo 5.5-litre V8 engine (S63 AMG). According to Gorden Wagener, head of design, Daimler AG “With its sensual and pure design idiom, our new S-Class Cabriolet is one of the most beautiful and exclusive S-Class cars of all time.” Also on the Mercedes stand will be the C63 AMG Coupe and C-Class Coupe.
Opel Astra
The new Astra will be the star of the Opel stand and is due to reach Irish shores in October. Packed with technology including automatic braking, lane-departure alert and assist and blind spot monitoring the new Astra is a shadow of its former self and has shed 200 kilograms in weight compared to its predecessor so it promises to be more fun to drive and more efficient.
Peugeot 308 GTI
One of the five new Peugeots making their debut in Frankfurt is the 308 GTi. Performance comes from a 1.6L THP 270bhp turbo petrol engine that propels this hot hatch from 0 to 100 km/h in just 6-seconds and sprints to 1,000 m from a standing start in 25.3 seconds, with a top speed that is electronically limited to 250 km/h. Thanks to its highly efficient engine and a weight limited to 1205 kg, the 308 GTi only emits 139g CO2/km.
Renault Megane
Twenty years since it was first launched, the fourth generation of Renault’s hatchback, Megane will be shown at Frankfurt. It is now lower and wider than before but overall proportions don’t change drastically. The range will also include an estate version. Technical details have not been released yet and there are no indication of pricing or specification levels for Irish buyers.
Toyota will also reveal their iconic fuel-sipping hybrid New Prius, we finally get a glimpse of the new Volvo S90 and V90 and Kia will unveil their new Mondeo challenger, the Optima.
Geraldine Herbert
14th September, 2015
