2007 Frankfurt auto show: Day three roundup

The Porsche 911 GT2 is one of the new models on display at the 2007 Frankfurt auto show
(Credit: CNET Networks)

The 2007 Frankfurt auto show officially opens to the public on Saturday, but we've been getting a preview of the automotive delights on display for the past couple of days. CNET Car Tech Senior Editor Wayne Cunningham has been busy scouring the show floor to bring you a whole slew of picture galleries. His roundup of the show's speed kings includes close-ups of the V-8 BMW M3, the Porsche 911 GT2, and the Mercedes C63.

Meanwhile, Frankfurt is showing off its fair share of concept cars, including the futuristic Nissan Mixim and the Porsche Cayenne hybrid. Among the new models on show, BMW's 1-Series sedan and updated 6-Series coupe have been real crowd-pleasers, as has the production version of Volkswagen's Tiguan crossover. As ever, you can check out all the coverage from the show on our new, dedicated Car Tech blog. [...]

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Kevin Massy. CRAVE

2007 Frankfurt auto show: Day two roundup

Mercedes' F700 is being used to demonstrate prototype cabin technology at Frankfurt
(Credit: CNET Networks)

The new models and concept cars just keep on coming at the 2007 Frankfurt auto show. One notable trend at this year's event is the willingness of luxury German automakers to finally embrace hybrid technology, with Audi, BMW, Porsche, and Mercedes all either announcing production hybrids or showing off advanced hybrid concepts. Meanwhile, the 2009 Jaguar XF shows that concept technology can make it off the auto show floor, as the latest Big Cat retains its futuristic shifter for production. On the subject of cabin gadgetry, automotive equipment manufacturer Siemens VDO showed off its next-generation in-car touch screen technology, among other things, while Mercedes used its F700 research vehicle to demonstrate a prototype of a new version of its COMAND interface. All this plus a badass million-dollar Lamborghini, a look at the clean diesel-hybrid vehicles of the future, and tons more from the show can be found over on our new Car Tech blog, right here. [...]

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Kevin Massy. CRAVE

Photos: Frankfurt auto show

Behold the four-cylinder VW Tiguan.
(Credit: Volkswagen)

• The summer driving season has come and gone--just in time for us to give our undivided attention to the Frankfurt auto show.
• On the home turf of BMW, Audi and Volkswagen, the 62nd International Motor Show is playing host this week to carmakers from around the world. They've promised to bring scads of new rides, from the green to the lean to the turbocharged driving machine.
• Consider these, for starters: Ferrari's 430 Scuderia has classic sports car lines, Nissan's Mixim packs a pair of electric motors, Volvo's ReCharge is a plug-in hybrid and Ford is trotting out names like Econetic and Kugo.
• To see those models and more, click here: "Photos: Cleaning up at the Frankfurt Auto Show."

To see CNET Car Tech's coverage from the 2007 Frankfurt auto show, click here. [...]

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Crave staff. CRAVE

GM goes electric in Frankfurt

The future of electric propulsion...
(Credit: CNET Networks)

• We're not convinced about the wisdom of this one. GM is using this week's Frankfurt auto show to reiterate its commitment to alternative fuel cars with the unveiling of the Opel Flextreme, a concept plug-in car that builds on the buzz of the E-Flex drive train from the Chevy Volt. The car itself relies on a series hybrid drive train, which combines a lithium-ion powered-electric motor with a biodiesel combustion engine that is used solely for running the electric motor when the battery's charge runs out.

...or the past?
(Credit: CNET Networks)

• However, as blue-sky as the vehicle's power train may be (lithium-ion batteries have a long way to go before they're ready for production vehicles), that is not the main cause of our concern. What troubles us is the fact that the GM has integrated two Segways into the back of the Flextreme--presumably to highlight its electric-mobility message. Now, we're no marketing mavens, but we suspect that a company trying to promote a fledgling technology would try to avoid association with a device that ended up falling--commercially and physically--flat on its face. [...]

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Kevin Massy. CRAVE

Audi A4 photos show bling LEDs

• Audi has released photos and some spec info on its new A4, which will officially debut at the 2008 Frankfurt auto show in September.
• Most notable to tech enthusiasts may be the optional xenon headlights that include 14 LED lights. These are "daytime driving lights," aka LED bling, for your car. Audi refers to them as "wings." I think they look more like eyelashes. You can see what they look liked turned on below.
• As for the goodies for the driver who's into automation, the new A4 will include lane departure warning, blind spot detection and adaptive cruise control.
• The A4 also has a an electro-mechanical parking/emergency brake button in lieu of a parking brake lever. With more room in that area, Audi offers an armrest with two 12-Volt power sockets beneath it as an extra. A new radio-operated key can store car settings, lock and unlock the car, and start the ignition with a button push.

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Nissan Mixim concept

• It's showtime again in the auto world--that time of the year when manufacturers trot out their latest fleets of new models and wacky concepts. In preparation for the forthcoming Frankfurt auto show, Nissan this week unveiled details of its Mixim electric concept car. According to Nissan, the Mixim (which is unlikely to make it to production) is aimed at young, Web-savvy, digital-age drivers with a penchant for gaming. Check out our photo gallery here.

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