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VWVortex.com Events Coverage One need look no further than the Autobahn to ascertain that Germany is one of the most car-focused societies going. In a land where a speed-no-limit road system defines priorities, it’s no surprise that the Frankfurt International Auto Show is the largest and craziest of the breed – several industry shows within an industry show. With those sorts of event credentials and a home field advantage, it’s also no surprise that Frankfurt is perhaps the most important show stage for the Volkswagen Group and its portfolio of brands.
Volkswagen Group “Night of Driving Ideas” With so much to see by day, nightlife during the two short press days at Frankfurt has also become congested with evening reveal parties as well. One of the most extravagant of these nocturnal events this year was the Volkswagen Group’s “Night of Driving Ideas” display held on the eve of the first press day. As our group’s Volkswagen Transporter caravan approached Frankfurt’s Ballsporthalle, a basketball arena any other day, lines of parked A8s, Phaetons, Flying Spurs and even Skoda Superbs sat in front of the structure with drivers standing at attention. Translation: any VIP from VAG was in attendance. Once inside, it’d be hard to guess that basketball was the main reason for this facility. One main stage with gargantuan presentation screen dominated the hall, surrounded by temporary tile walls dotted with smaller screens. As the presentation moved from brand to brand, the color of the tiles and the brand badge on the screens changed the ambiance of the entire area. Extravagant? That wasn’t the half of it. Every brand within the Volkswagen Group presented a new model or concept, with each car displayed under wraps atop a large remote controlled platform that would move to center stage for each vehicle’s presentation. Audi revealed its new A4 first, followed by Bentley and their GT Speed, Bugatti with its polished aluminum and carbon fiber Veyron Pur Sang, and Lamborghini unveiling its $1M+ (and also sold out) jet-inspired Reventon. The mass-market aimed badges within the Volkswagen Group went for concept debuts, with the three-door SEAT Tribu SUV, Skoda Fabia Combi Scout Design Study and the rear-engined Volkswagen Up! all making their first public showing. Volkswagen Commercial shared their new long-wheelbase Caddy Maxi – think long-wheelbase Touran with dual sliding doors. Worth noting, Pink Floyd drummer and all-round car guy Nick Mason was also on hand during the presentation. Having hooked up with Audi lately, Mason recently drove one of Audi Tradition’s priceless Auto Union Type C racecars at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and was on hand this particular evening to help introduce the SEAT Tribu.
Volkswagen Show Stand The two obvious focal points at Volkswagen were the new Tiguan SUV for production and the rear-engined Up! concept car. Though not very similar in appearance, there is a decidedly parallel underlying theme betwixt the two, and that is sales numbers. Forget the unrealistically aggressive orange Tiguan concept or the somewhat oddball test mule photos that have circulated for months of the A-chassis based SUV. Live and in person, the Tiguan will make you forget goofy Napoleon Dynamite name jokes or that the car shares components with the Rabbit/Golf. Its presence on the stand is strong – a strong family resemblance to the Touareg, but with great proportions that remind us more of the BMW X5. With some of the large wheels fitted to show stand cars, and even more great-looking rims nearby on display, the Tiguan is sure to be a strong-seller, injecting some much-needed numbers in SUV-friendly markets like America. Availability of a TDI engine would be icing on the cake.
With perhaps even more world potential, came the Up! concept. Okay, the name’s a bit of an oddball, but the engineering is anything but. What you see here, in concept form, is the first car to display Volkswagen’s future in several ways. Up! is the first car to utilize a new rear-engined small car chassis set, one that was masterminded by new Volkswagen AG boss Dr. Martin Winterkorn, not terribly different in theory from the Modular Longitudinal Platform (MLP) he implemented before leaving his post at Audi. Having also brought over style boss Walter de’Silva, this is also the first VW to be shown that has benefited from de’Silva’s touch.
On a different end of the Volkswagen stand, Volkswagen Commercial also displayed their new Caddy Maxi. The Caddy, as you may recall, uses the front clip of the Touran but production changes and facilities make it decidedly cheaper to build. The Maxi is a long-wheelbase version, sporting dual sliding doors and a whole lot of room. You have to wonder if such a car could work in the United States. Volkswagen’s large array of additional European models were also on display. Volkswagen’s performance side of the brand was well represented by the Polo GTI, Golf GTI, Passat R36, Golf R32 and a range of R-line models including a Passat Variant and even an R-line Touareg. The more luxurious side of the brand could also be seen, with several Phaetons and Touaregs touched by Volkswagen Individual. The Phaetons were of particular interest, as Volkswagen AG boss Dr. Martin Winterkorn mentioned in a conversation with American journalists at the stand that he was keen to bring the car back to America in short wheelbase form and fitted with the same 3.0 TDI as is planned for the Touareg.
Karmann Cabrio Karmann Coachworks has been known to bring out some different concept cars to Frankfurt in an effort to show off some of their production skills, particularly in building drop-tops. While always interesting technically, we’ve never seen a Karmann concept that tugs at our heart quite like their latest Cabrio concept? Why the difference? Well, a Karmann badge on some concept is always a bit ambiguous. However, the company does have plenty of heritage in building Volkswagen convertibles, so doing a particularly well-done convertible concept of the current-generation Polo with a major knod to Rabbit and Golf Cabrios of yore certainly grabbed our attention. That the car’s red fabric top featured cool new convertible features like a sliding glass sunroof and hatch glass didn’t hurt either. The actual top technology is quite interesting in and of itself. As companies, including VW, have moved to folding hard tops, Karmann shows just how functional a soft top can be as well. Also surprising was just how convincing the finished Karmann Cabrio looked. This could easily have been a concept made by VW themselves, and certainly must have lightbulbs going off in Wolfsburg. Though the Polo’s roll hoops are more akin to today’s Mini Cooper Cabriolet than the roll hoop of Golf Cabriolets past, the nostalgia the car creates is undeniable… even without the cool plaid interior.
Audi Show Stand Audi’s onslaught of new and refreshed products was quite evident. The big news from Audi, of course, was the planned reveal of the new A4 and RS 6 Avant. Canadian singer Bryan Adams would help Audi AG’s Rupert Stadler and company to present these two new models. Once the wraps came off, several new A4s sat on display. A red example showed the new S-line body kit, most easily identified by its below-the-door sideblades. A silver 3.0 TDI quattro sat nearby, closer in spec to how we may likely see a standard American car. Even a standard B8 A4 gets a more aggressive fascia – standard fare for even the most lowly A4. With a knod towards the American market and its more edgy styling taste, Audi pushed the envelope in the design of the standard A4, even beyond that of today’s S4.
The silver 3.0 TDI had MMI – optional in Europe, but Audi of America product planners tell us it’ll be standard for the USA. Navigation will be optional. Also available for the USA will be Audi’s Drive Select feature. Planned with two levels of packaging in Europe, America will get solely the more extensive version. Controlling aspects such as steering weight, suspension dynamics and shift points, Drive Select can be run in Comfort and a more aggressive Dynamic settings. There’s even an Auto mode that learns your driving patterns and an Individual mode where the driver can choose his or her preferred settings on one’s own. Audi’s spotlight also shone brightly on the all-new RS 6. Worldwide, the A6 and the segment in which it competes has proven to be a tough sell, so a halo car like the twin-turbocharged V10 RS 6 should help rejuvenate the A6 within the Audi lineup.
With 580hp on tap, the car will be the most powerful Audi ever sold. Two RS6 Avants were displayed in the Audi stand, a red example and a stunning white and titanium package car complete with optional Audi Ceramic brakes. While design elements from the current RS 4 such as its alloy wheels have filtered down into lesser Audi models, the RS 6 shows a new and more aggressive direction for the RS line of cars. From a new 5-spoke wheel design to fender flares that harken back to the ur Quattro, the new RS 6 is definitely the most in-your-face of the RS lineage to date. Though not on center stage, Frankfurt marked the first show display for the freshened A8, and even the first sighting of the updated S8 save a handful of photos found online. Specifics of the latter, such as a good look at the car’s new wheel design, were basically first-ever sightings. Also seen for the first time was a display showing Audi’s latest hybrid drivetrain. The company didn’t package it in an all-new model as they had done two years ago with the Q7 Hybrid concept. Instead the drivetrain sat unbridled by body panels for full display – better for eying details but worse for grabbing attention in a target rich environment like the Audi stand. The hybrid chassis was about the size of the also-on-hand new B8 A4, though a conversation later in the day with Audi AG boss Rupert Stadler confirmed why they didn’t make it an A4 Hybrid for the display. According to Stadler, the hybrid drivetrain will go to market first in the as-of-yet unreleased Q5 SUV. Most other Audi models were also on display, though it’s the R8 that garners extra mention. No, there was no new drivetrain or hardware to report, but an R8 in handsome Ibis White with contrasting carbonfiber side blades will still stop you in your tracks.
Lamborghini As expected, center stage at the Lamborghini stand was occupied by the aviation-inspired Reventon revealed the night before. Sharing mechanicals with the Murcielago LP640, a very limited run of this super-aggressive Lambo is planned with a pricetag over $1M. If you’re thinking skeptically about whether the car is worth it, don’t bother. The entire production run was sold out before the car was even revealed. Emphasizing the stealth and performance theme, the Reventon sat in formation between matching triple black stablemates – a Murcielago LP640 Roadster and Gallardo Superleggera. Attractive booth models in flight suits stood at attention next to each and, no… they weren’t wearing Aviators. A second Superleggera in bright orange was also on display on the second level of the stand.
Skoda The Czech side of the family focused heavily on their new Fabia Combi – Skoda speak for wagon. The small Fabia, using the Polo A0 platform, gets a conservatively handsome new 5-door body style. Perhaps also showing additional Fabia Combi potential, Skoda applied its more rugged Scout treatment (think Subaru Outback) to the Fabia Combi for a design study that will most assuredly see production. Elements such as bungee cord fitment to pockets and storage compartments and a lift-out lower gate cushion were particularly clever design elements that the brand would do well to implement in more models.
SEAT Perhaps there’s light at the end of the tunnel for SEAT. With Lambo designer Luc Donckerwolke steering the styling department and a commitment by the Volkswagen Group to grow the marque, the brand certainly seems to be trying harder than it has in recent years. The Spanish subsidiary’s focus at Frankfurt was a three-door SUV concept called the Tribu. Spanish for “Tribe”, the Tribu looks like a shorter and more aggressive Tiguan. We don’t know if a two-door will make production, but the design was a handsome departure from SEAT’s otherwise otherwise identical range.
Specialty Cars with the Heart of a Volkswagen Though brands like Lamborghini and Bugatti are owned by the Volkswagen Group, it’s usually not the only make displaying cars with ties to the company at Auto shows like Frankfurt. Spyker with its recent financial problems that have included sale of the company’s F1 team and a resignation by its founder, was notably absent this year. A bare C8 Spyder chassis, normally fitted with Audi’s 4.2-liter V8 in full production form, was seen in the Karmann Coachworks display, though that was the only hint of the Dutch manufacturer at this year’s IAA. Browsing through the OEM halls, we also stumbled across a KTM X-bow. Though the motorcycle manufacturer wasn’t present at the event, one of their 2.0T-powered ultra-light cars was on display in the Polytec Group stand. Most notable this year amongst the niche sportscar manufacturers using VAG mills as a heart was the German-based Artega and their GT coupe penned by Henrik Fisker. Not surprisingly given Fisker’s Aston Martin past, the GT bears a slight familial resemblance to the British marque. However, it’s the FSI-powered 3.6-liter as the Passat, Touareg and Audi Q7, mounted amidships and mated to the company’s DSG gearbox, that powers this interesting new coupe. Other Volkswagen Group components can also be spotted on the inside of the car, along with revolutionary new technology from paragon.
Tuners and Vendors Almost like a mini version of Las Vegas’ SEMA Show, Frankfurt boasts the largest tuner and vendor involvement of any major auto show. Most of this can be found in Hall 1 of the Frankfurt convention center. The top floor of the building is dedicated almost exclusively to the large tuning houses that are a staple of Germany’s aftermarket. Abt Sportsline is perhaps the best known in the Volkswagen arena – the Kempten based Abt family owning several VAG dealerships, managing one of the Audi DTM race teams and operating their tuning business for many years. The biggest news at Abt was the introduction of a new 5-spoke wheel design, though three VAG offerings were also on display – an Eos, an Audi TT Coupe and an Audi Q7. Another Volkswagen and Audi oriented firm that’s been around for years is Nothelle. As part of a multi-brand stand, Nothelle showed off a white Audi Q7 with their full kit installed.
Within the same stand as Nothelle, Lambo-Style Doors (LSD) showed off their new A5/S5 kit on a black S5. Less known for aftermarket offerings in the US and more often a behind-the-scenes supplier, the Austrian firm MS Design showed several new body kit packages. Among them, a full kit for the R8 was displayed, consisting of front and rear pieces and more aggressive sideskirts. Germany’s Eisemann Exhaust Systems also chose to showcase Audi’s R8 in their stand. The car was fitted with a prototype retro faux-intake atop the car’s 4.2-liter V8, and another prototype center-mount exhaust. Company representatives said that it was the exhaust that was expected for production, though whether it will be center-mount or made to fit the R8’s current configuration has not yet been decided. Also up in the air is whether the system will be fabricated in stainless steel or more expensive titanium. Lamborghini has also drawn its own healthy following from the aftermarket. Lamborghini tuner BF Performance displayed a Gallardo and Murcielago with their full treatment, while jack-of-all-trades Hamann also showed kitted versions of each of the two Lambos amongst numerous other offerings. Below the tuner hall, on a lower level of Hall 1, reside a range of vendors. From boutiques to model car manufacturers like Herpa, Wiking and Minichamps, there’s much to be seen… especially if you’re a model car enthusiast. HO-scale (1:87) model manufacturer Herpa showed off new offerings such as the A5 and the new B8 A4 that will be first available through the Audi Collection. Wiking introduced a limited run IAA-edition 1:43 scale red and silver Audi R8, special editions being a tradition of the event.
At a model car boutique stand, we also found more of the Audi Collection’s limited edition 1:43 scale S-cars. In addition to the S4 sedan and Avant seen in the Audi Collection store , it appears that the modern S6 and S8 are also available. We also spotted a cool Gulf-liveried 1:18 scale Golf V, a 1:43 scale Scirocco GTX and even an old VW panel van with Martini Racing livery – perhaps a model of a support truck back in the old Martini Porsche days at Le Mans. OEM Supplier Halls For the true car geek, perusing the halls of the OEM suppliers is also worth some time. More here for industry purposes, such as manufacturers making relations with suppliers, you never know what you’ll find amongst the throngs of OEMs. Displays of things like the Audi S5’s LED-equipped headlight assembly aren’t terribly surprising to find, though a more extensive display of the entire S5 chassis, complete with hood, trunk and doors at a body stamping supplier’s stand drew our attention. Audi’s supplier for MMI controllers also showed what could be done with metal plating on interior controls with a display of several MMI units. As seen in the RS 6, satin silver buttons look fantastic, and they also offer a gold-plated version in case that ever comes back into style.
Speaking of "visual trends" another supplier showed door handle graphics - just the thing for dressing up your Volkswagen. The Frankfurt IAA continues to be our favorite event of the show season. For anyone interested in Audi and the ripples it makes in the industry, this is one show not to miss. There is so much to see, you’ll need several days to do so, but it’s well worth the trip. For the Volkswagen Group themselves, there should be no better measure of a company’s success than its presence at an event as important as Frankfurt. Whether that be crowd-drawing new products, a healthy aftermarket following, OE Supplier attention or even the number of new scale model cars from toy manufacturers, seeing just how many facets of the Volkswagen story there are to tell at Frankfurt is proof enough that Wolfsburg is on a roll.
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