A coupe-like appearance belies the interior of this car. Wide-opening doors with parallelogram kinematics open up to show that the car is without a B-pillar. All of these things give you just what MINI wanted; loading and entering the car as convenient as possible.

The four-seater Mini with its extra-large luggage compartment was launched in September 1960 in the guise of the Austin Seven Countryman and the Morris Mini Traveller. The MINI concept Frankfurt comes with an adjustable cargo box within the luggage compartment.

It sounds like a car the Traveling Wilberrys would love to have owned.

The 2006 Fisker Tramontos' architecture was once a Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG, a great car in its on right. Leaving the technological innovations, safety systems and Active Body Control (ABC)untouched, Fisker put the Midas touch to the rest of the car. Elegant by design inside and out. The sideview is long and elegant. The front is a little more brutish than the rest of the car. The bling bling on the wheels looks like airplane riveting.

The Fsker Latigo CS is based on the BMW 6 Series coupe. Once again Fisker has left the electronics, safety and telematic systems alone and created a beauty that can have a 32-valve, 4.8-liter V-8 with 360 horsepower or an optional 5.0-liter V-10 that generates over 500 horsepower. Final technical details are not set in stone, so if you want something else email Christina Cheever at ccheever@fisker.com.

The first design of the vehicle was based on the chassis of the Maybach "Zeppelin" model with a twelve-cylinder engine. For weight reasons, however, in the end the smaller Maybach SW 38 with 6 cylinders, 3.6 liters cubic capacity and 140 hp was preferred. Todays model is a V-12 that generates 700 horsepower and 1,020 lb.-ft of torque. We couldn't find the miles per gallon

Dr. Ing h.c.F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, is planning a fourth version of the Sport utility Vehicle (SUV)by the end of the decade. Since the Touareg and Cayenne have the same platform it only makes sense that Porsche and Volkswagen will be developing the hybrid drive system together.

"We look forward to the arrival of the new RAV4 in the U.S. later this year," said Jim Lentz, Toyota Division group vice president and general manager, Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. "Completely re-styled, the new RAV4 is larger and more powerful to provide the necessary utility and performance for active singles and the comfort, versatility and convenience to meet the demands of young couples with and without children."

The next-generation RAV4 rides on an all-new platform that is significantly longer and wider, inside and out, with a roomier and more convenient passenger compartment than the previous generation (the U.S. version will have a longer wheelbase than the European version). With an increased length of more than 14-inches over the previous generation, a new seating design features second row seating for three and optional third row seating, a first in the small SUV segment. The seating allows for numerous seat fold-down configurations, and under-floor storage (on models without the third-row seat), providing cargo space comparable to a mid-size SUV. Among the array of interior features new to RAV4 are optitron gauges, cruise control with lever-operated brake deceleration, dual zone automatic air conditioning, audio mini-jack port, and a dual glove box.

The RAV4 will offer an optional all-new class-leading 3.5-liter V6 engine with dual variable valve timing with intelligence (VVT-i) that will generate 268 horsepower, more than some V8-equipped larger SUV's. The standard powertrain will be an upgraded 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with VVT-i. The engine will deliver 166 horsepower, making it one of the most powerful in the small SUV segment. The increased power of the two powertrains is matched with improved fuel efficiency.

A new and Boxster®-based coupe joins the Porsche sports car lineup for 2006, and while this vehicle shares much with the acclaimed roadster, its unique characteristics and exceptional dynamic capabilities earn it the right to its own name — the Cayman S.

With its larger and more powerful 3.4-liter, horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine and its lightweight but extremely rigid chassis riding on a nimble suspension, the 2006 Porsche Cayman S sets the benchmark in the two-seat sports coupe category.

In testing around Germany’s famed Nürburgring racing circuit, the Cayman S turned laps that rivaled even the acclaimed Porsche 911 Carrera.

Yet because of careful engineering for optimizing weight and a design that provides outstanding aerodynamics, the Porsche Cayman S also set new standards on the famed Northern Circuit for turning the fastest lap while using the least fuel.

With its combination of a powerful drivetrain, exceptionally well-balanced dynamic dexterity and the quality of braking that characterizes all Porsche vehicles, the performance by the Cayman S on Germany’s most demanding closed circuit resulted in lap times some 15 seconds faster than the closest of its rivals in the two-seat coupe category.

But the Cayman S is more than a performance car. It also was designed to be comfortable and well appointed for long-distance driving, whether on two-lane mountain roads or wide-open stretches of Interstate highway with a well-equipped passenger compartment.

The all-new XK continues the Jaguar tradition of beautiful, powerful, ground-breaking sports cars, but behind its stunning looks, it bristles with practical, intuitive, modern technology, clearly focussed on enhancing the driving experience. It delivers significant improvements in performance, dynamics, safety, exterior and interior design and equipment, and product quality. When it is launched in early 2006, this first of the next generation of Jaguars will become the sporting flagship of the Jaguar brand.

By starting with a blank canvas, Jaguar was able to make use of the latest aerospace technologies alongside more traditional Jaguar skills to create a luxurious, powerful, highly advanced sports car. A major key to the all-new XK’s character is Jaguar’s industry-leading aluminium monocoque body structure, introduced with the latest XJ saloons.

With this unique high-tech construction method, the all-new XK’s bodyshell is 31 percent stiffer than the previous XK’s and significantly offers a 10 percent improvement in power to weight ratio. The all-new XK is up to 90 percent stiffer and 180kg lighter than key rivals, with a kerb weight of just 1595kg.

In the words of Jaguar's Chief Engineer Mike Cross, in charge of the all-new XK’s vehicle dynamics, "What the team has looked to engineer is a sports car with true all-round ability. That means it must be fast, outstandingly agile, and truly exciting to drive. It has to go quickly, stop quickly, and do everything in between in the way a Jaguar should. Yet it’s also a rational choice – the all-new XK will deliver a balance of superb driving dynamics and comfort that is the epitome of sophisticated sporting luxury."

The all-new Volvo C70 can be transformed seamlessly from a coupe into a convertible; the retractable hardtop folding away quickly and smoothly into the trunk. Apart from the flexibility offered by the retractable hardtop it also makes for a quieter, more comfortable coupe. The large rear window glass offers outstanding outward visibility and improves body rigidity.

An important part of the side impact and rollover protection is the inflatable curtain, IC. In the all-new Volvo C70 it has been given a unique design. The curtain has an extra stiff construction with double rows of slats that are slightly offset from each other. This allows them to remain upright and offer effective head protection even with the window open. The curtain also deflates slowly to provide protection should the car roll over. This is a unique solution in the automotive world.

The all-new Volvo C70 is designed to accommodate four adults. The two rear seats have comfortably angled backrests and generous width across the supportive cushions. Like all Volvo cars, the front seats are ergonomically shaped. With a push of a button on the backrest, the front seats move quickly forward to facilitate entry to the rear seat. The (standard on driver's side optional for passenger seat) electrically operated seats move forward twice as quickly as the previous C70.

Mazda’s latest show car is a lightweight, urban vehicle for young, first time car buyers that makes everyday city driving fun, highly practical, economical and aiming for clean emissions. A sleek, three-door hatchback, it employs evolved Zoom-Zoom exterior design language with youthful lightness and unique hidden features.

Designed at Mazda’s design center in Frankfurt, Germany, Mazda SASSOU is the first design concept derived from a unique approach to show cars for Mazda Motor Corporation this year. Besides the Frankfurt Motor Show, the Tokyo Motor Show and the 2006 North American International Automobile Show will also feature a Mazda design concept created at each regional design center.

The name “SASSOU” is a Japanese term that means having a positive state of mind, of looking ahead with optimism to the future. And with a lightweight , compact and stylish exterior, Mazda SASSOU certainly embodies this. It is an advanced interpretation of Mazda stylishness that employs the latest in aerodynamic techniques that visually hints at the agility and fun-to-drive attributes so typical of the brand. It mixes these with a unique use of exterior and interior materials and hidden features based on the “Shoji” principle. Shoji screens are thin Japanese doors made of ricepaper that allow you to see the outline of what is behind without seeing the details. The Mazda SASSOU concept has attributes that are hidden within the body and are suddenly revealed by an illumination system that makes the car seem to spring to life in a way that is appealing and surprising.

"iosis is more than just a show car, it is sending a message about how Ford of Europe's future design will be defined,” says Martin Smith, Ford of Europe's Executive Design Director. "It sends a bold message because our future products will be bold."

Energy in motion

With 'kinetic design', the Ford of Europe design team has embraced the marque’s core values in an expressive, new design language. iosis expresses this language in its ultimate form. Kinetic design visualises Ford's acclaimed driving quality – it expresses energy in motion.

The foundation for this new design language is modern vehicle architectures derived from Ford's 'shared technologies' strategy. Designers now have the freedom to develop very different models and designs from these shared component sets. 'iosis' demonstrates how the same component set used for the SAV Concept shown at Geneva can be applied to an entirely different type of vehicle.

In the case of iosis this language is applied in its most muscular form as expressed by the full surfaces spanning taut, dynamic feature lines. Strong shoulders supported by sharply defined undercut lines further support this muscular stance.

European premiere for new hybrid power high-performance saloon

FIRST EUROPEAN APPEARANCE OF GS 450h

The centrepiece of Lexus’s stand at the Frankfurt Motor Show will be the hybrid power GS 450h. The high performance prestige saloon will be making its European show debut, ahead of going on sale next year.

The GS 450h is the second Lexus production model to feature hybrid drive technology, following the launch of the RX 400h premium SUV earlier this year. It has a drivetrain that combines a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine with a high-output electric motor for a maximum power output in excess of 300bhp, sufficient to move the car from rest to 62mph in less than six seconds.

At the same time, the high efficiency of the hybrid system means that fuel consumption and carbon dioxide exhaust emissions levels are comparable with those from saloons with conventional four-cylinder, two-litre petrol engines

Layout:

Front engine / front wheel drive

Powertrain:

Engine: 1.6L, DOHC, 16-valve inline 4-cylinder engine with Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT)

Construction: Cast iron block and aluminum head

Horsepower @ rpm: 110 @ 6,000

Torque (lb-ft.) @ rpm: 106 @ 4,500

Transmission:

Standard: 5-speed manual

Optional: Electronically controlled 4-speed automatic with overdrive

The latest generation of Honda's Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) technology allows the Civic to achieve an EPA estimated city/highway fuel economy of 50/50 miles per gallon while achieving Advanced-Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV) standards in all 50 states. Equipped with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) as standard equipment for 2006, Civic

Hybrid fuel economy increases by 6 percent in the city and 4 percent on the highway as compared to the 2005 Civic Hybrid with CVT and AT-PZEV certification. The Civic Hybrid can now deactivate all four of its cylinders and operate using only the electric motor in certain steady-state cruising situations. Compared to the 2006 Civic Sedan with an automatic transmission, the Civic Hybrid provides a city fuel economy increase of approximately 65 percent and a highway fuel economy increase of 25 percent.

The interior focuses on maximum comfort, with a host of stowage facilities (e.g. under the front passenger seat), a cup-holder, and map pockets in the front door panels.

On the road, Clio's handling is beyond reproach. Whether it drives through the Quickshift 5 robotized gearbox or Proactive automatic transmission, the car is extremely responsive.

Regarding safety, Clio offers the best of Renault's expertise: ABS with EBD, the Renault System for Restraint and Protection (SRP), reinforced body structure and programmed deformation zones, plus a new-generation electronic immobilizer to protect against theft. When slippage occurs on a wet road surface, ESP combined with ASR traction control automatically corrects the car's trajectory.