Archive for the ‘2009 Frankfurt Auto Show’ Category

At the Frankfurt auto show, German automaker BMW has confirmed that the next-generation BMW 3-Series will offer a four-cylinder engine. But it’s still two and a half years away.

The twin-turbocharged four-cylinder would likely be offered alongside its much-loved in-line six-cylinder engines, as well as a diesel, as BMW already offers in the 335d.

BMW of North America CEO Jim O’Donnell told Automotive News that a four-cylinder model will be added to the 3-Series lineup by spring 2012, in hopes to meet U.S. fuel economy guidelines seeking a five-percent annual improvement leading up to a 35.5-mpg national standard in 2016.

The move will at...

The 2010 Lexus HS 250h is barely out and about, and already Lexus is preparing for an even more compact hybrid. The concept for the new car, called the LF-Ch, hit the floor in Frankfurt today, and these live photos show what it's like up close and personal.

As in the studio shots revealed about a week ago, the front view of the car shows off some pleasant lines, with a heavy dose of nostril-like air scoops on each side of the front bumper. A heavily-styled rear fascia ties this theme in from behind, though the smooth sides and stealthed door handles make for a surprisingly plain profile, perhaps hinting at the production version's...

Audi of America's President Johan de Nysschen may have put his foot in his mouth by calling buyers of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt "idiots," but Audi headquarters seems to like electric cars.

Enough, at any rate, to trumpet the complete specs of its all-wheel-drive, all-electric e-Tron concept car, revealed this morning at the Frankfurt Auto Show.

Or perhaps we should say concept supercar, since the e-Tron's performance figures clearly put it in that category.

For starters, the e-Tron has four electric motors, two at the front, two at the rear. The car's control electronics allocate torque among the wheels as required, making the concept a...