Frankfurt Feature: Amazing concept cars
Thinking out of the box is what concept cars are all about. Most motor shows have a good number of leftfield choices. Frankfurt didn't have quite as many as usual with the car makers focusing on the real world, though these five all caught our attention on the show floor.
One of four concepts on Renault's show stand in Frankfurt, the Twizy Z.E. (Zero Emissions) is certainly the most unconventional. Looking like a single seater it can actually carry two in tandem with the footprint of a large moped. Its four wheels are entirely clad, giving the Twizy the look that it's got square wheels.
Power comes from a 15kW electric motor that gives the Twizy Z.E. the sort of performance you'd expect from a 125cc motorcycle such as a 47mph top speed. Not lightning fast then, but more than quick enough for the cut and thrust of town traffic. Its compact dimensions, 60-mile range and tight turning circle help out the Twizy Z.E. driver around the city. That's pretty standard urban concept car then, except the Twizy Z.E. also features front and rear panels with honeycomb-shaped diodes that allow you to communicate with other vehicles. The Twizy Z.E. could be introduced in 2011.
Chance of production: 5/10
Undoubtedly one of the most unusual looking of the concepts on display in Frankfurt, Peugeot's BB1 looks rather like a smart fortwo that's been sat on. Peugeot calls its BB1 a 'totally new solution to the current and future needs of urban mobility' and although we're inclined to agree, if it were a case of sitting in the back seats or walking we'd wear out some shoe leather.
Peugeot has managed to squeeze four seats into the 2.5-metre long BB1 concept, which means you need to be very friendly with all on board as you sit with your legs wrapped around the person in front. Even the skinny beautiful people on Peugeot's stand looked a touch cramped. Still, with electric motors powering the rear wheels, handlebar steering, a quoted 75-mile range and solar panels helping cool the interior it's got town trips for one or two covered. Don't expect to see it in showrooms soon.
Chance of production: 2/10
Trabant nT
As a symbol of East Germany the Trabant is etched on the memories of all who witnessed the Berlin wall tumble. Just like the Hoff - who played at the breaking down of the famous wall - the Trabant is now cool again, at least in a slightly ironic way. Hiding away in one of the Frankfurt's halls is a new Trabant, sharing its looks with the paper-bodied original, if little else.
The resurrection of the Trabant is the brainchild of toy firm Minaturmodelle and German car parts company IndiKar, and the plan is to get this electric Trabant on the road by 2012. With a 150-mile range and a potential top speed of 80mph the performance exceeds the original, but we're not so sure people are going to warm to a car that for many was a symbol of oppression - green drivetrain or not.
Chance of production: 6/10
Volkswagen's L1 Concept might look a little like a sporty tandem pedal car but it's difficult to ignore the figures associated with it. On the official combined consumption cycle the L1 returns 189mpg and emits just 39g/km of CO2. That's possible thanks to the diesel-electric hybrid powertrain, the L1's lightweight carbon-fibre structure and its wind-cheating shape. Boasting figures of 0-62mph in 14.3 seconds and a 99mph top speed, the L1 can stretch the distance between fill-ups to 416 miles, despite having a tiny 10-litre fuel tank. Using its 800cc two-cylinder turbodiesel for the majority of the time the L1's electric drive can be engaged when additional acceleration is required or for short electric-only running.
Drawing inspiration from the original 1-litre car unveiled in 2002, the processes required to build the L1 are now possible with mass production techniques. Wearing the same amusing 'WOB L1' number plate as its predecessor, this unconventional, narrow machine might just make production in limited numbers one day.
Chance of production: 7/10
Not perhaps the best name to call your new concept, but then Citroen never was a firm that liked to do things conventionally. Unlike the utilitarian 2CV it draws inspiration from, Citroen claims the REVOLTe is luxurious and interesting rather than basic and simple. The parallels - or lack of them - are once again demonstrated by Citroen describing the 2CV as slow and bouncy and the REVOLTe lively and spirited. Enough of this comparison nonsense; Citroen like so many others is plundering its design heritage to create a concept car of the future. So 2CV design cues are all over the REVOLTe, though everything else is different.
A hybrid-electric powertrain provides motion, while more out-there features include an on-board air recycling system and a three-seat layout. No word on any production version, but with Citroen promising new models via its 'upmarket' DS brand the REVOLTe may be in showrooms in a slightly more toned down guise within a few years.
Chance of production: 8/10
Frankfurt Feature: Amazing concept cars pictures
