Top 3 cars at the Frankfurt Motor Show

This is a subjective matter of course but here are my top 3 cars on display at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

1 - Volvo Concept Coupe

This is a hugely important car for Volvo.  The Concept Coupe showcases Volvo's design direction, scalable product architecture, safety features and range of new engines. The engine is the new Design-E 2 litre petrol with both a supercharger, for low rev power, and a turbocharger for upper rev range boost.  The car is the work of Volvo's new designer, Thomas Ingenlath.  His work, and the features and architecture in the car ARE Volvo's future.  It is a vital part of Volvo's plans to double its sales over the next 8 years.  It doesn't hurt that it's the prettiest Volvo in decades.

2 - Jaguar C-X17

Another important car for another company who have massive ambitions.  In order to triple sales over the next 10 years Jaguar must move out of its large saloon and sports car comfort zone.  The C-X17 is bursting with details of how this will happen in terms of aluminium construction, the iQ platform and design direction.  A 3-series sized saloon will come first, followed by an SUV.

3 - BMW i8

The BMW i8 is the best looking BMW sports car since the M1.  It's packed with the latest tech such as a hybrid powerplant and a carbon reinforced polymer body sitting on a welded aluminium chassis.  The i8 represents a shift in direction for BMW, although sadly its handsome looks aren't shared with the i3.  The i8 has a 50:50 weight distribution, weighs 1490kg and returns 118mpg, with emissions of 25 g/km.    As a package it demonstrates what BMW can do.  The £86,000 is pretty steep though.

Article by Matt Hubbard