BMW opened Frankfurt with its Vision EfficientDynamics concept, a 2+2 seat plug-in hybrid sports car that set the overall tone for a show where green technology and low emissions were the dominant focus. At the heart of the car is a small, 3-cylinder turbodiesel engine, positioned directly in front of the rear axle and working in tandem with a spine of lithium-polymer batteries powering electric motors.
Led by Mario Majdanzic (exterior) and Jochen Paesen (interior) the design of the four-seat, 4.6m long, 1.24m high sports car is very powerful design proportionally, with asymmetric surfacing communicating emotion and minimalism in a futuristic way. The ‘layering' of surfaces is immediately apparent both inside and out: thin surfaces fit on top of one another, reducing total component count and overall vehicle weight.
The exterior design is particularly successful at the front, with a powerful DRG referencing the M1 Homage concept. Sinister-looking, deep-set twin lamps flank the kidney grille, whose insides are blanked off and backlit with blue - a color picked up on the rocker cover, A-pillars and elsewhere, in places highlighting channels to improve aero-efficiency. Large, leaf-shaped gullwing doors, hinging from aft of the front wheels, reveal more layering inside, with materials wrapping into and over one another on the driver-oriented IP and center ‘spine'. The presence of the latter is reinforced by the seat bases, extended on their inner edges to flow towards - but never touch - the central tunnel.
The concept was well received by many of the designers we spoke with on the show floor. BMW believes premium brand values, performance and sustainability can go hand in hand - judged by this concept, they might just be right. Post Chris Bangle, there's still a strong desire for experimental, visionary concept cars within the firm.
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The Zoe Z.E. is one of four electric concepts that Renault revealed in Frankfurt and the one with the most daring design ideas. Z.E. is Renault-speak for ‘Zero Emissions'. It will be the new nomenclature for all models featuring an electric or hybrid powertrain. At the unveiling CEO Carlos Ghosn stunned his audience by declaring that the Renault-Nissan Alliance will become a world leader in offering a full line-up of Z.E. models and that all four concepts would be put into production in the next three years.
The Zoe is a four-meter B-segment car with a soft surface language to express aerodynamic efficiency. Huge butterfly doors open from the A-pillar as on a McLaren, while the split rear tailgate is hinged on a center spine that also carries the rear seat headrests. The roof has been designed as an intelligent protective membrane that can recover energy via its honeycomb photovoltaic cells. These also cast an interesting pattern over the entire interior. Batteries are cooled via the large air intakes on either side of the car.
At front and rear, a shield of polyurethane gel protects the lights which feature electroluminescent diodes set in a snowflake clusters that emit a blue-tinted light. This second skin protects vulnerable components from small knocks in town, while underlining this electric concept car's hi-tech feel and providing a benign facial expression, not overly cute nor caricatured.
The interior is dominated by a huge white driver's seat looking somewhat like a maternity birthing cushion, with seatbacks suspended from the roof. Driver information is presented by an avatar that appears on a TFT screen that can be personalized (male or female) and provides information about traffic conditions, the route and remaining range. The air-con system features various active scent and detox functions, developed in association with L'Oréal.
It will be interesting to see how this concept is translated to a production version in due course.
This was the first time people outside of Aston Martin's Gaydon studios have seen the production Rapide, and the result remains impressively faithful to the concept seen at Detroit in 2006. The Rapide concept was Marek Reichmann's first Aston design and was a fundamental part of the deal to lure him away from Lincoln. Although based on the DB9 with a 70mm stretch to the wheelbase, it doesn't actually share any exterior panels with its sibling despite first appearances. It's slightly more glitzy, with a little more brightwork but that totally fits for its target markets in Dubai and Shanghai.
Its key asset is that it's the only four-door limousine derived directly from a supercar and that gives it a unique balance of drama and elegance. The drama is provided by the proportions and frameless doors that open slightly uphill; the elegance is within the surfaces and details. Sure, for rear passengers, access is tight and once inside, there's a very high beltline - but it's still a practical proposition for a businessman and there's a useful trunk that can be divided by a neat flip-up shield.
The dark blue and ivory interior on the showcar showed some exquisite detailing: note the unusual magnetic grab handles on the B-pillar and the milled aluminium phone holder.
Reaction to the car seemed overwhelmingly positive. Some observers made comparisons to the Panamera, although the similarities are misplaced: at €180,000, it's nearly twice the price of the Porsche and a far more exclusive offering. Talking to CEO Ulrich Bez, he revealed the Rapide is becoming a very significant model in Aston Martin's plans now: the production projections have been ramped up to around 2000 units/year, which is far higher than the original target of 600 units/year. Production will be outsourced to Magna in Austria.
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