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We love motor shows. On one hand they admit us early access to important new cars yet to come to our shores, but on the other they allow the car makers to show off the kind of vehicles that most of us will never see, never mind own. Here we look at the best of the supercars at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show. And we're not restricting our focus to actual production models either.
First up is the Audi pair of concepts, the Nanuk quattro and the Sport quattro. The former is a mix of supercar and SUV while the latter celebrates the original Sport Quattro. Rumour suggests that Audi will make a limited number of the Sport quattro, priced not far off €200,000. Sounds a lot (and it is, clearly...), but if the production version retains the concept's 700hp hybrid drivetrain it might just be worth it.
Audi's cousins in Bentley launched a sporty new version of the Continental GT in Frankfurt. Called the V8 S, it takes the relatively new 'entry-level' V8-engined variant and turns the wick up a bit. It was no slouch before, but now the twin turbos help the V8 produce 528hp. The chassis has been tweaked to suit a more enthusiastic driving style and it's all available in coupé or cabriolet guises.
Bugatti is also a distant relation to Audi and Bentley and for its part it had yet another derivative of the Veyron hyper-car to show off. This one pays homage to the company's founder's son, Jean Bugatti, who was responsible for some of its most memorable cars.
Although the BMW stand was all about the efficient new 'i' brand, it turns out that the BMW i8 is a bit of a belter and completely deserves the 'sports car' tag. As BMW likes to say, it's because of its hybrid powertrain that it's this way, not despite it. It won't be cheap though.
How could a piece like this be complete without including a Ferrari? The Italians didn't disappoint in Frankfurt, launching its new 458 Speciale. It does what it says on the tin basically, taking the already sensational 458 Italia and making it, well, more special. So power is up, to 605hp, weight is down by 90kg and it features race-developed aerodynamics and traction control systems. Sensationale. As the Italians might say.
Which leads us neatly onto Lamborghini. Some were disappointed that the other Italian supercar maker had nothing brand new to show us, but if you don't get excited by the Gallardo LP 570-4 Squadra Corse then you may need to check for a pulse. It's the latest in a long line of special editions of the Gallardo and it's as dramatic as ever.
Time to tone things down a little, thanks to Mercedes-Benz. The Concept S-Class Coupé stole the show for its elegant lines and simply gorgeous stance, and what's more it's sure to be a precursor to an all-new production car to replace the aging Mercedes-Benz CL. Hopefully very little changes.
Last, but certainly not least, Porsche launched the production version of its 918 Spyder in Frankfurt, featuring a highly advanced plug-in hybrid system that means it bandies about numbers like 880hp and 0-100km/h in 2.8 seconds in the same breath as 94mpg fuel economy. The price will be pretty staggering too at an estimated €750,000 or so.
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