Six red-hot concepts from the Frankfurt motor show 2015
Spicy SUVs, Tesla-baiters and aerodynamic armadillos were among this year's highlights
There are few things as wow-inducing as a high-end car concept.
Real, you-can-buy-them-down-the-local-garage cars are great, but they’re usually at least a little bit sensible too. But concepts… why, they can be as kerrrrazy as the designer’s imagination.
Nowhere is that more apparent than the Frankfurt motor show. Every year, crowds descend on the city to witness the large German brands do battle in a sweaty hall, and every year we get to gawp at a plethora of shiny supercar concepts.
Here are our favourites from this year’s show.
Mercedes-Benz Concept IAA
It may look like an armour-clad armadillo but Mercedes’ radical Intelligent Aerodynamic Automobile provides a peek into the future of shape-shifting vehicles. The 279bhp plug-in petrol/electric cruiser features panels that close and extend at speed, meaning the machine slices through the air and uses less fuel when tackling long motorway schleps.
It’s just as wacky inside, with a steering wheel that uses Optical Finger Navigation, so the driver can scroll through menus via a sort of touch-screen steering wheel.
It’s highly unlikely you’ll see one of these pull up at the lights any time soon, but don’t be surprised if future Mercedes saloons feature some of the aerodynamic tech seen here.
Porsche Mission E Concept
Elon Musk could be heard gently sobbing into his latte when the silk sheets were dropped on Porsche’s latest all-electric offering. Not really – he probably wasn’t even in Frankfurt – but the Mission E pure electric sports car has given the Tesla overlord good reason to panic.
It packs the latest lithium ion battery and electric motor tech, which is powerful enough to propel the machine from 0-62mph in just 3.5-seconds. But unlike other electric sports car wannabes, Porsche claims its creation can travel for 300 miles before the batteries run dry. It’s also an absolute stunner to behold and features an interior that’s festooned with iPad-esque control screens and fully digital readouts.
Porsche has a reputation for jumping headfirst into innovative ventures, so it’s highly likely Tesla’s upcoming P90D will have an exquisite German rival in the coming years.
Bugatti Vision GT Concept
As petrolheads across the planet eagerly await the Veyron successor, Bugatti revealed this stunning GT Concept to give them a reason to salivate. It’s officially a virtual undertaking for the racing sim franchise but Bugatti wheeled out a full-scale version at Frankfurt to whoops and gasps from the crowd.
A massive W16 engine that pumps an estimated 1500bhp to all four wheels powers it, while engineers claim it could potentially reach speeds in excess of 250mph… if they build it.
Don’t get too excited: there are no plans to put it into production just yet, but that’s not to say the Veyron successor won’t steal a few styling tips.
Honda Project 2&4
And now for something a little, erm, different. Honda’s madcap Project 2&4 features a 999cc engine that has been pinched from the current RC213V Honda MotoGP bike. It can rev to an eye-watering 14,000rpm and punts out a heady 213bhp.
That may not sound like much when compared to some of the automotive giants on show this year but this thing weighs just 405kg, meaning performance will be scintillating.
Obvious rivals are Ariel’s infamous Atom and Caterham’s banzai 620R, which can both accelerate from 0-62mph in under 3.0-seconds, so expect the Honda to be as freakishly fast.
There’s no word on whether Honda has the cojones to put the 2&4 into production, but if it does, it will be one of the most radical undertakings the Japanese marque has manufactured in a very long time.
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Nissan Gripz Concept
Nissan believes that bulbous SUVs can really be sporty, desirable and fast. Hence why the Gripz concept borrows design cues from the marque’s speedy Z-cars (350, 370 and the stunning 240Z from the 1970s).
The Gripz fuses a small petrol engine and the electric motors from the Leaf to deliver electric performance with the reliability of a combustion engine generator to top up the batteries on the go.
Other highlights include the outrageous 23-inch alloy wheels, the awesome scissor-style doors and cameras embedded in the headlamps so off-road adventures can be streamed online. There’s also a surfeit of carbonfibre on the bodywork that even finds its way into the cabin via a steering wheel that looks a bit like a very expensive road bike rim.
Citroën Cactus M Concept
“Surf’s up dude! Load the boards into my soft-top Citroën Cactus and let’s shred some gnarly waves!” These are the sorts of exclamations Citroen wants its customers to make when enjoying its latest creation.
Snarkiness aside, the Cactus M is actually pretty cool. Its soft-top roof doubles-up as an inflatable tent and an extendable load bay appears from the rear so two people can camp out in relative comfort.
The ‘M’ in the name is a nod to Citroën’s Méhari beach buggies of the late 1960s, but unlike those free-spirited hippy machines, this is unlikely to make production. Best-case scenario, we get a convertible Cactus but let’s hope the ace tent/roof concept sticks at the very least.
Leon Poultney
Freelance Automotive and Tech Writer 
