14 September 2009 - 15:00
What’s cool at Frankfurt
It's day one of the biggest motor show in the calendar - some 12 halls of highly polished new metal and thousands of feverish journalists tearing around with notepads and cameras. Sounds exciting, doesn't it?
Nope. Which is why you're probably better off sat safely behind your monitor watching the whole thing unfold here on TopGear.com.
And you can do that in two ways - we'll be Tweeting the coolest new cars live from the show floor all day, plus updating the pages of this site with news and photo galleries once the covers start coming off.
Until then, here's our not-in-any-way-robbed-from-the-telly-show Cool Wall-style run down of the Frankfurt highlights, starting with the coolest:
SUB ZERO
Ferrari 458 Italia: Latest techno-fest from Maranello, developed by Das Stig. Best-looking Ferrari since, well, ever?
Mercedes SLS Gullwing: Spiritual
successor to the 300 SL.
Maserati GranCabrio: Spiritual
successor to... Oh, erm, we mean ‘gorgeous Italian droptop that makes us twitch
with inappropriate delight'.
Abarth 695 Tributo: Special-edition
Abarth 500 built in partnership with Ferrari. With flappy paddles.
COOL
Plethore LC-750: That Canadian supercar thingy we showed you last week.
Audi R8 Spyder: The R8 loses its
roof and sideblade. We still want one.
Citroen 2CV: OK, it's actually
called Rivolte (sounds disgusting) and it's another futuristic small Citroen.
Citroen C3: New French supermini
looks cute and funky.
Citroen DS3: Posh version of the
above. Note ‘shark fin' B-pillar, which we really dig.
Hyundai ix Metro: Tiny hybrid concept
named after British Leyland classic.
Lexus LF-Ch: A rival to the BMW 1-Series
at the posh end of the hatchback market. Looks like something from a sci-fi film and
has hybrid tech.
BMW Vision Concept: M3 performance, low emissions and nutjob styling? Excellent.
Bentley Mulsanne: Enormous new
luxobarge with stonking V8.
Audi RS3: The proliferation of the
RS badge continues. We like.
Rolls-Royce Ghost: It's a cheaper, smaller
Rolls that isn't small or cheap. But it is cool.
Jaguar XJ: The all-new XJ will be on
show in Frankfurt, along with its ample arse.
Peugeot RCZ: A rival for the TT, and
a Peugeot we're actually excited about.
New Ford C-Max: Ford's masterclass in
funky family transport continues.
Bugatti Royale: New big Bug, named
after a Burger King snack but probably faster. Expect to be blown away.
UNCOOL
Mini Coupe Concept: Its roof
is modelled on a backwards baseball cap, a trend that died in the early 80s,
only to be perpetuated by weird mobile disco DJs in Gravesend.
New Toyota Land Cruiser: A car
enjoyed mostly by people who track rhino dung in Namibia.
Mazda MX-5 Superlight: A blatant rip-off
of the Mercedes SLR Moss. Only smaller, slower and more embarrassing.
New Vauxhall Astra: Probably the most
important car here, if you're into sales figures and socio-economic buying
trends and the complex interplay between international political economies.
Hello? Are you there? You've skipped to the next car already, haven't you?
New Saab 9-5: As driven by your
granddad.
Toyota Auris Hybrid: The world's most boring car just got slightly more interesting. Works like a Prius. Built in Britain. Blah. Blah. Blah.
SERIOUSLY UNCOOL
Hyundai ix35: A
segment-busting crossover to rival the, erm, segment-busting Nissan Qashqai in
the segment-busting SUV/hatch segment.
Kia Sorento: A segment-busting
crossover to rival the, erm, segment-busting Hyundai ix35 and Nissan Qashqai in
the segment-busting SUV/hatch segment.
Nissan Leaf: An electric car named after some vegetation will never be cool.
So there you have it. Which cars are you most excited about? Use the space below to let us know...
Want to comment on this?
Well, you showed us all of them, so, er, none? Actually I haven't seen the Bugatti Chicken Royale yet, so that'll be interesting. I have however seen the Abarth 695 Tributo - it's a Ferrari Scuderia that's also a Fiat 500. Same stripes, flappy paddles, same handbrake unit, 4 exhaust pipes, 500GTB-alike wheels in gunmetal grey, it really is, well, daft.
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*599 GTB-alike wheels
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I am interested in the Audi RS3, i think i will use the ttrs engine. The blades in the R8 are important on the looks, dont think lose its will be nice in the spyder. . . just another audi lambos. The mini looks good in a coupe, but that baseball cap it´s rubbish. I still love the Ferrari italia. Just forget the Mazda mx5, peugeot rcz, leaf, sorento, ix35, saab and that other ZR1 engine user canadian plethorubbish. . .
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I'm sorry. But you're all wrong. The Abarth Tributo Sub Zero? It has Scuderia stripes and 4 exhaust pipes. And the 458 is the best looking Ferrari ever? Maybe, if you're 2 years old.
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^ It's not about where they're from. And what mindless use of Clarkson-isms and exclamation marks.
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The RS3 could be the faster hatchback, and that is simply cool?? What? that is sub zero! Plethore is simply uncool, its just that ZR1 engine, with many bhp and mounted in the middle of junk. Now the Ford C max is cool? I think it is ugly trash, just uncool. The SLS it a really nice car, it´s cool either, but there are other better cars on the list. Please, THINK AGAIN!
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The RS3 could be the faster hatchback, and that is simply cool?? What? that is sub zero! Plethore is simply uncool, its just that ZR1 engine, with many bhp and mounted in the middle of junk. Now the Ford C max is cool? I think it is ugly trash, just uncool. The SLS it a really nice car, it´s cool either, but there are other better cars on the list. Please, THINK AGAIN!
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R8 looses sideblades - thats seriously uncool. Just look at the image and imagine it with sideblades, connected like in an arch, like in Porsche 914. DS3's shark fin cool? Why did they place it like shark is going backwards??? Other than that, its ugly. Other than that, list is cool ;)
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Oh, btw, which cars am I most excited about? Audi A1 and VW Polo 3dr, which aren't on the list
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I'm probably must excited about the Mercedes SLS AMG Gullwing and the Audi R8 Spider, but as an Audi R8 lover, there's only one way to find out. Race!!!
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Nice ones for the Stig there, can't believe I missed the Grancabrio, that car is gorgeous!
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-Ferrari 458 Italia looks (front) like citroen c6, so it`s just cool. -Mercedes SLS Gullwing: interior from 911 (which interior from beatle) with steering wheel from M-B B-class. Engine in the front (so is slower), but there's "no" boot (so isn't comfortable). Doors ale only a (stupid) gadget (in old was necessity). Side looks like z4 (but worst), front looks like apache (but has no machineguns). And weights the same as old (now) 599 but is much slower. New M-B is uncool. (sorry for english I'm age only two (and half))
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I totaly agree on the sub-zero list, but I dont like the new bugatti on the cool wall it should be in the sub-zero but still realy nice cars that are in the list......exept for the seriously uncool those cars should be in a lower rank but its just my opinion..........
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ferrari 458 yea
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Rolls Royce Ghost and Jaguar XJ are definitley to be palced in the sub zero section they are just magnificent and especially the XJ because I'm thinking of getting one
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That Abarth looks hot . .and so does that Ferris . . . 3 Italian Cars and only one German in Sub-zero?? seems the world has come to it's senses at last :)
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Plethore LC-750 finnaly canadas getting a supercar yes!
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Hey. Where did the Audi R8 V-12 TDi go. That's easily the coolest thing ever. DIESEL POWER IS THE FUTURE !!!
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Glad I'm not the only one who thinks the Ferrari 458 is Supercool. It deserves it.
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I think that Ferrari 458 isn't cool at all, but Merc gullwing should join Aston Martin db9 in the fridge.
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Thank god tastes still differ, where the styling & character of affordable cars don't. Well, hardly. Who cares about the new Saab? Not the Saab fan of old, that's for sure. Also: thank god for Citroen who still try to be something special in normal cars. Oh, right. As far as I'm concerned, expensive cars can never be cool. It's only cool if you manage to be cool on a budget. Like a true artist never has any money.
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Erm, guys.........what about the Lamborghini Reventon Roadster????? It's a symphony of evil, my jaw dropped when I saw it and I'm still drooling and unable to close my mouth, it's that good and so bloody scary but in a good way. surely that has to be cool if not subzero.
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the R8's stupid side things have gone finally. the soft top is actually cooler than the coupe! except i still find it immensely ugly. a hybrid thats cool... and a hyundai, sorry no. that SLS Gullwing is too aggressive and wrecks the 300 SL's image :( the 458-amazing. same goes for the Maser
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What about the Brabus EV12 "Black Baron"?
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Blake1Lewis commented on this article
14 September 2009
First comment! Anyway, I think the major cars are all the sub-zeros, the jaaaaag xj, rolls ghost, r8 spyder,bentley mulsanne, bmw vision and the new buggati. I think the mini coupe is a idea to make a cool mini gone wrong. It is awful!
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