2011 Frankfurt: State of the Audi Union

Inside the spectacular Audi Ring temporary hall at the IAA I sat down with Peter
Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management of AUDI AG Marketing and Sales, Sebastian
Mackensen, Head of Sales and Marketing for the Americas AUDI AG, and Johan de Nysschen,
President Audi of America to get a snapshot of how things are going and what’s coming in the
next few years from the four-ring brand. In a nutshell, sales are steadily increasing, up
17% on a year-to-date basis relative to 2010, and the company expects to end up with an
additional 100,000 sales over last year’s 1.1 million. China will overtake Germany soon,
with 300,000 sales there expected in 2011 (their LWB A6 is the big seller). Profits are also
on an upswing thanks to a richer mix of C and D cars–the A8, for example, has tripled its
market share (to 12%) since the new model arrived–and that’s with just one engine. So what
do we have to look forward to in the months/years to come?
A1

This stylish supermini is a super long-shot for the U.S. The notion of a $30,000 microcar is
still anathema to U.S. buyers, but won’t always be so. Audi is unlikely to ever build a car
smaller than the A1, so keep hope alive. In Europe, however, development is proceeding on
the Wankel-powered A1 e-tron, with a fleet of 20 cars on test in Munich (three of which were
available for test drives on the track inside the Audi Ring).

A3

The successor will include a sedan, and electrification is a possibility, but that model is
more than two years out as a 2015 model.

Q3

Discussions and business-case studies are ongoing about the possibility of bringing the current Q3 (which was developed protecting for U.S. regulations) to North America during this initial life cycle, or whether to wait for its next go-‘round. We can expect Audi to be maintaining a watchful eye on the BMW X3 and Mazda CX-5 in the months to come.

Q7

The next generation will drop 350 kilograms (772 lb) in its next iteration. In fact, I’m assured, all new Audi vehicles will be lighter than their predecessors.

Electric Cars

If the A2 comes to the US it may very well be in electric only form. Audi is carefully studying the early entries into our EV market. The A2 would nearly double the Nissan Leaf’s range (to 120 miles) but would probably double the price too. Audi believes this is the ideal solution for inner-city mobility, but how many Americans restrict their movements to inner cities? One Audi electric we WILL get is the R8 e-tron, with sales starting at the end of 2012.

Hybrids

The Audi engineering portfolio includes A6, A8, and Q7 hybrid models, but the company is still investigating the market viability and business cases for these models, and there is a fundamental feeling that plug-in hybrids will make more sense for more people than regular charge-sustaining hybrids. Expect a plug-in for the 2013 model year with an EV-mode range of 30-50 kilometers (18-30 miles).

Diesel

Expect clean diesel engine options to appear almost across the board “very rapidly,” says Johan de Nysschen, with the obvious exception of R8s and other extreme sports models.

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2011 Frankfurt: Upstairs at the IAA – Just Say Yo, Yo

Because most of the A-list cars at the 2011 Frankfurt show are sprawled out on the first floors of nine halls spread out on about as many acres, most journos never venture up to see what’s upstairs. What’s there is mostly a mash-up of SEMA tuner stuff and SAE show supplier stands, but in between you can find nascent or far-flung bit-player car companies that can have some cool stuff.

Just say Yo

That’s how this Russian upstart pronounces its name, which is simply a Cyrillic letter that looks like a lower-case e with an umlaut on top. This so-called “nëw symbol of Russia” plans to begin production next year of a hybrid crossover cleverly named “Crossover,” and a commercial vehicle called Furgon. But at the center of their display was a show-stopping design for a fastback four-seater, called [yo] 7. Unlike the Chinese, these Russians aren’t copying anybody on the engineering or design fronts.

Designer Andrei Trofimtchouk was schooled in Belarus and these are his first automotive designs. The 7’s doors cleverly slide backward and up, curving over the roof and crossing like an insect’s wings. When closed they leave one helluva B/C-pillar blindspot, but hey, it’s a concept, right?

On the engineering front, this hybrid uses no batteries. Instead, it works like a locomotive, with the engine powering a motor-generator that routes surplus electricity into an array of supercapacitors, which then give it back under heavy acceleration. We’re skeptical that this is indeed a better idea, given that none of the mainstream players has seized upon it, but we’ll try to keep an eye on them.

Chang’an a Minute…

Next door to the Russians, Chongquing China based Chang’an Automobile — an independent company with no foreign automaking partner — showed some fetching models that appear to have borrowed heavily from Fisker and Peter Schreyer’s Kia repertoire. The big Sense concept car is a styling exercise aimed to fulfill the IAA show theme “Foresee Fashion in the Future.” The Clover hybrid concept, with its ‘80s Gandini obscured rear wheels, looks decades out of date. The SUV (that’s its name) reminds of the Kia Sportage, and the Eado sedan nicks a few Hyundai Elantra cues. The latter uses a conventional 1.6-liter 93-hp Chang’an four-banger.

Mechatronik

One of my favorite cars on the second floor was a beautifully restored Mercedes 280 SE coupe with an AMG 55 engine tucked neatly under the hood. Nearby was a Pagoda SL running a 3-valve V-6. Mechatronik will do whatever you like, from accurate nut-and-bolt restorations to wild-n-crazy restomods like the 280 AMG.

For more on the 2011 Frankfurt show, including videos, the latest photos, and more information, please CLICK HERE to visit our Frankfurt show home page.

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Achieving Singularity: One Ford on Display in Frankfurt

On December 2, 2008, at the height of intense government scrutiny, Ford submitted a business plan to the Senate Banking Committee in charge of investigating the troubled financial situation surrounding the Big Three domestic auto manufacturers.

The plan was called “One Ford – One Team, One Plan, One Goal.” And that goal was “an exciting viable Ford Motor Company delivering profitable growth for all.”

To get there, One Ford was supported by four key pillars:

-       Aggressively restructure to operate profitably at the current demand and changing model mix

-       Accelerate development of new products our customers want and value

-       Finance our plan and improve our balance sheet

-       Work together effectively as one team, leveraging our global assets

So, what does One Ford have to do with Frankfurt? Well, it’s been just shy of three years since Ford boss Alan Mullaly presented that plan to Congress, and these days, three years is about the time it takes for a new car to come to market. Since auto shows are all about the new cars, trucks, and sport utilities covered in point number 2, now is a good time to check on this crucial part of the One Ford plan. Is the Blue Oval designing the kinds of vehicles it promised?

The short answer: Yes. Ford’s Frankfurt offerings are but a European-flavored slice of Ford’s global pie, but one look at what the company is doing with the Focus range is heartening.

Remember just a couple of years back when Ford released the 2008 Ford Focus? At our Car of the Year program that year, my boss, Angus MacKenzie, singled it out as “the most cynical car here,” citing the recycled C170 platform (while the rest of the world got the new C1-based Focus), heavy-handed styling, and a cheap, but not particularly cheerful, feel.

More insulting was to look across the pond at the European-spec Ford Focus, particularly in 300-hp RS trim, and closer to home at Mazda. That small division of Ford somehow managed to utilize the C1 platform in the Mazda3 and the category-killing Mazdaspeed3. Ford’s excuses for the home market not getting its very best Focus? Supposedly that it would be too expensive. Yet Mazda managed to sell the Mazda3 at a competitive price in the U.S.

Three years on, all that has changed. Ford rolled out the new Focus in global fashion, unifying the range around the world. While we won’t get the wagon body style and a few of the new engines (though the 1.0-liter, three-cylinder EcoBoost is still under study), the “leveraging global assets” and “accelerate development of new products our customers want…” parts of the One Ford plan means America will get what matters. No more lukewarm leftovers. We’re slated to get a Focus Electric and now the hot hatch Focus ST. (If anything, the Europeans may have reason to moan about Ford replacing that 300-hp RS with 250-horse ST – but hey, that’s their problem.)

A Ford rep assured us that America will not only get the ST, but it will be a well-equipped version. Too often, manufacturers (looking at you, VW and Audi) bring over hotted-up versions of the cars we love, but remove content such as racy bucket seats and slick steering wheels for cost reasons. Ford says no, we will get Focus ST nearly identical to what the Brits, Germans, and more than 40 other countries will get.

And this type of attitude may extend to the Fiesta ST. After all, if the One Ford plan means a Focus ST makes sense for the U.S., shouldn’t Fiesta ST as well ? We think so.

We also think Ford is on to something with its renewed commitment to racing.

With the Focus ST-R, a race car designed specifically for series such as Grand Am ST, World Challenge TC, and the Canadian Touring Car Series, and EcoBoost-powered Formula Ford, the company is showing serious support of a core market – one that normally is cut, not promoted, during times of financial distress. In fact, it appears that Ford grasps the concept that, beyond the NASCAR glitz and glamour, grassroots racing is a valuable way to build and sustain long-lasting relationships with some of its strongest brand champions – racers from trackday weekend warriors all the way up to the pros.

[Digression: Perhaps this is something Mark Fields, Ford’s president of the Americas, picked up while running Mazda? Mazda has been and continues to be a strong supporter of grassroots racing, offering a ladder system for weekend racers and serious amateurs who progress their spec Miata racers into the Star Mazda series, Mazda’s formula race car program.]

Of course not all of the pieces of the One Ford plan make sense. Tucked away in the back of the Ford booth, looking very smart in its silvery gray paint and chromed roll bar, is Ford’s new Ranger compact truck. The same gorgeous compact truck that will be going everywhere but the U.S. To add insult to injury, the Ranger has the 3.2-liter TDCi DuarTorq turbodiesel engine, a combination we both “want and value.” Ford claims it could not bring the Ranger to the U.S. at a price consumers would accept, and thus has taken steps to tailor the F-150 (which is surprisingly similar in size) to cover the Ranger market. Sounds like more global assets need leveraging…

But from the perspective of Frankfurt and the U.S., the One Ford plan appears solid and is showing results. Though we’ve knocked Ford a bit for vehicles like the Ecoboost Explorer,  consumers seem content. Sales across the board are up 18 percent through August; in fact, Ford sold more Explorers last month than in all three previous model years. Although we generally prefer the edgier-styled Flex, based on sales, consumers have voted overwhelmingly for the more conventionally-packaged Explorer.

So what is next step for Ford? Well, we can look forward to the Los Angeles Auto Show in November, when the Focus ST makes its North American debut. By then, details on what spec ST we will be getting should be more clear. We may even have an update on the status of Fiesta ST.

Then, at the Detroit show in January, we will see the Evos Concept design language on a production vehicle. All signs indicate it will be applied to the next-generation Fusion/Mondeo, which is due for a major overhaul.

Three years on, it appears One Ford is fully underway. And that is good news.

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Marching Through Frankfurt: Design Thoughts on the 2011 Frankfurt Show

The 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show is without question the biggest auto show in the world, in terms of distance hiked. We’re talking more than 2,000,000 square feet of convention floor space spread out in at least 11 buildings (though Audi built its own, separate 12th building, and there were tons of tiny SEMA-style shows tucked up into the rafters). Point is: Wear sensible shoes. One poor booth babe from Mazda had to march a bunch of us journalist types from one hall to another and got her spiked heel caught between cobblestones, thrice! The upside is all that marching leads to cars. Lots and lots of cars. Here are some thoughts on some of what I spied.

Porsche 911 (991)

The new 911, AKA the icon’s icon. My first reaction to seeing it in the flesh is, “Big!” The 991 simply strikes me as big. Wide, thick, long — but really just big. All two of the 991s I saw on the floor were sitting on massive 20-inch wheels that dwarf the relatively puny-looking brakes. Kim Reynolds said it much better and more articulately than I’ll ever be able to, but while the 991 looks good it really no longer resembles a 911. A claim that’s all the easier to make because Porsche thought to bring along the “Ur 911” from its museum. Looking at the 1963 original compared to its 2012 offspring, it’s plain a link is missing. The fact is, the 991 looks more like the Panamera than the OG 911. Is that sad, or does it matter at all? Dunno. Will it be any good to drive? Here’s hoping!

Jaguar C-X16

The new Jaguar coupe is a little… fussy. I’m not sure how else to term it, but there’s a beautiful shape in there somewhere (it’s a proper Jag, there has to be) but the C-X16 has a lot of secondary visual noise grafted to it. It’s as if the actual, well-formed car is sitting atop an abstract expressionist plinth. For whatever reason, all the extra flutter seems to be affixed to the base of the body, giving me some hope that the busyness is just show car flair and that the production car can be de-fuss-i-fied by the time it hits showrooms. Here’s hoping, at any rate. I will say — in the parlance of the U.K. — that the front end is smashing. Worlds better than the 1996 Ford Taurus snout found on the XK.

Hyundai i30

Here we have a good-looking car. I still remember seeing the current Sonata for the first time two years back at the L.A. show and not knowing quite what to make of Hyundai’s striking new design language, the ill-named “fluidic sculpture.” However, this here i30 – which we’ll be calling the Elantra Touring when it makes its way Stateside – is a wonderful take on the theme. I particularly like the headlamp and foglight treatment, which is more masculine and less childlike than on the sedan version of the Elantra. And really, at the end of the day, can we have too many station wagons? I think not.

Land Rover DC100 and DC100 Sport Concepts

Big bossman MacKenzie and I stood and stared at the new Land Rover concepts (DC100 three-door hardtop and the DC100 Sport, an open top version (pictured at top) for a good 30 minutes. We had a particularly unique view, as between us and the two concepts stood the ageless, indefatigable, and really just fantastic Defender 90. Looking at the two design proposals next to the hulking, carved-from-British-steel original, it became immediately clear (to paraphrase Lloyd Bensten) that they’re no Defender 90. The DC100 Sport falls into the will-never-be-more-than-a-show-car file, while the three-door hardtop comes off as what a Toyota FJ Sport would look like. I won’t name names, but a fairly high ranking Land Rover dude assured me and MacKenzie that these two are really “just concepts.” Phew.

Mazda CX-5

Now here’s a good-looking little crossover. If you remember all the way back to the Geneva show, you’ll remember the Mazda Minagi concept. Basically, the CX-5 is the Minagi, minus the show car rearview wing cameras and that long strip of chrome that ran around the front and bisected the headlights. Taller than the CX-7, but smaller, the CX-5 is a good and solid-looking entry into a very crowded and competitive field. The difference will be in the application of Mazda’s new SkyActive tech, which should meld great performance with high MPG – especially the diesel with the manual, which our own Todd Lassa said is the SUV you want now. Trouble is – at least in the U.S. – you (probably) can’t get it. Shame, that.

Maserati Kubang

Uh… no.

Peugeot HX1 Concept

Well, hello there! At the end of the day, I’m a sucker for any car that’s long, low, and sleek, with a huge amount of space between the wheels. And Peugeot’s HX1 people-mover delivers that sort of shape in spades. But more than that, this six-passenger minivan alternative shows off a nice smattering of smart thinking. First off, there’s active aero everywhere.

The headlights pop out to create drag coefficient lowering turbulence (0.31 cd to a slippery 0.29 cd). Beyond that, the funky wheels (my personal least favorite part) kick up some MPG-helping air. But the real active-aero highlight are the three spoilers found at the back of the roof. One sits up top, while the two others flank the D-pillars. Again, they not only help with reducing drag, but when you slam the brakes, they pop up Veyron-style to form a triple-blade air brake. Cool!

But that’s not all. Underneath the double (and suicide!) slanty gullwings sits a six passenger cabin. Two plus two plus two, with a twist. The middle row seats slide into the fronts seats when they’re not in use, giving the back row occupants Maybach-levels of legroom. This strikes me as particularly brilliant, because it doesn’t use up an ounce of floor space like a Stow’n Go type solution. Is it safe, legal? Who cares — pure concept! Great use of wood throughout, too. And this, friends, the Peugeot HX1, is why I love auto shows.

Kia GT Concept

Not content to sit back and let kissing cousin Hyundai reap all the RWD Korean fun, Kia has taken the gloves off to give us the GT Concept, an extremely stylized four-door that should swim in the same water as cars like the Audi A7 and Mercedes-Benz CLS. Overall I like the design, though I’m curious to see what a de-blinged non-show car version looks like. I’m just not that into the front intakes that flank the headlights. The Aston Martin One-77 features similar venting, but on the uber-car Aston, those intakes actually go into the carbon-fiber frame and feed the intake plenums. Here? Brake cooling, maybe?

The GT Concept’s best angle is from the side, though I do see some cribbed notes from the Jaguar XJ. I’m fine with that because as Woody Allen says, if you’re going to steal, steal from the best. I also like the copper accents that start in the A-pillars and then trail down the roof because, hey, show cars are supposed to be adventurous. The back is nice and tidy, though perhaps a little too slabby. I do like the big diffuser, however. Still, it works better than the busy, insect-like nose. Will they build it? Time (or a very friendly company insider) will tell. That said, I hope the twin-turbo 390-horsepower V-6 makes it into something.

Citroen Tubik Concept

Look, if you love Citroens — the classic, awesome Citroens of yore — then your fancy was very much tickled by the hulking Tubik concept truck. Not only does it elicit warm fuzzies because of the resemblance to the tres hip Citroen H van, but it owes more than passing debt to the never-produced VW Microbus concept from a decade back, the one car Volkswagen really should’ve built. If you couldn’t care less about the distant past of European vanery, well, then the Tubik is not for you. As for me, I dig it, though I wish they’d spent a bit more time resolving the sides.

BMW i3 and i8

The first thing you need to do when looking at the i3 Concept is to imagine what it will look like with non-transparent doors. Do that and you’re left with quite a nice-looking city car. Especially as the global small CUV craze shows no signs at all of slowing down. The neatest attribute shared by both cars is the way the kidney grilles are three-dimensional, curving up and onto the hood. The effect is more dramatic on the larger i8 but it’s definitely present on the i3. Also, you’ve got to love the i3’s floating taillights. Reminds me of the ghosts from Pac-Man. I find the sleeker, sporty i8 much more attractive, and I also find it refreshing that it’s somewhat restrained. BMW could have slapped on 24-inch wagon wheels. They didn’t because A) they’re serious about their i sub-brand and B) they’re going to build this car. Just try and visualize what real doors will look like.

There’s a load of clever design on hand with both cars, but the big take away is that while they don’t look like conventional cars, they don’t look preposterously far-fetched, either. The two represent a new milestone in production car materials. BMW had both the i3 and i8 concepts perched on a platform high above the rest of its products. I’m stealing this line from Moray Callum, but it was like looking at the future of the car, and then looking down on the past. The two concepts seem to be from a different century compared to the rest of BMW’s lineup. And peering into that future, these might be the two most significant cars of the entire show. Not so much for their electric powertrains, but because they just might usher in a new era of high-tech composite construction for the masses.

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