2001
Frankfurt Auto Show Index
As Europe’s biggest auto show, the biennial frenzy that
is Frankfurt approaches, more manufacturers are lifting the veil on what they
will be showing this year. Here’s our second preview of what’s going to be
there.
Porsche’s new Targa

2002 Porsche 911 Targa
Porsche added a new word to the
automotive vocabulary in 1967 when it introduced its first Targa
semi-convertible to the 911 range. The lift-off center section, with a fixed
rear screen rather than a folding rear window, brought open air to what was, to
all intents and purposes, a coupe when the ‘lid’ was in place. The original
Targa avoided the problems of cracks and milkiness that came with the flexible
plastic rear screens that were the only answer for convertibles in those days.
Things have changed, and Porsche’s new 2002 911 Convertible, that goes on sale
in September, is the first such Porsche to feature a glass rear screen that
folds with the top. The Targa has progressed too, and Frankfurt will see the
arrival of a new Targa, which features a sliding glass roof in place of the
lift-off panel of the original. The electrically operated roof slides back to
give that open-air feeling, and from pictures issued by Porsche ahead of the
launch, it looks great too.
Spanish tango

2002 SEAT Tango concept
Spain’s SEAT is part of the vast
VW empire, and it is the company that has the task of bringing some Hispanic
emotion into the German conglomerate’s range. Production SEATs are still
reminiscent of their VW genealogy, but the company’s designers are working to
change that. We have to wait for a mass-market car that moves to the rhythms of
the bullfight and the flamenco, but the company has come up with some handsome
concept cars that give the impression that the wait will be worthwhile. The
teaser at Frankfurt will be the Tango, a sexy little (145 in long, 67.5 in wide
and 46.5 in high) open two-seater that’s built on the basis of the tough tubular
chassis construction used for SEAT’s rally cars. A 180-hp four-cylinder engine
drives the front wheels, and following a trend that’s appeared in other
concepts, the driver’s seat is fixed, while the steering wheel, column and
pedals all move to provide a perfect fit. Xenon lamps are linked to turn with
the front wheels, which is a good idea until you get on to opposite lock – well
that’s what happened when Citroen tried it in the 1960s!
Skoda Moves on Up

2002 Skoda Superb
Another member of the VW group is
Skoda, the Czech manufacturer whose history goes back to the early days of the
industry. Skoda’s image suffered from its Iron Curtain links in the days when
there was an Iron Curtain, but now that it’s in the Wolfsburg clan that image is
changing, as the skilled Czech workforce turns out cars that, like those of
SEAT, are based on VW designs. The result is that Skoda is earning a reputation
for VW quality at East European prices. Now the company is ready to move
upmarket, and Frankfurt will mark the launch of the Superb, a car that has a
110-inch wheelbase and is 189 inches long. That’s well into the upper reaches of
the European family sedan market. Emphasising Skoda’s heritage, the name Superb
is taken from a sedan the company first made back in 1934.
GM Ditches the Stick-shift
Could it be the central gearshift
is about to become a thing of the past? BMW’s new 7-Series, one of the major new
cars to be launched in Frankfurt, has done away with the central gear-shift
lever and transferred it to a slim stalk behind the steering wheel. GM’s Signum
II concept, a forward-thinking blend of station wagon and coupe, also features a
large free space on the floor between the driver and the passenger. The Signum’s
power unit, a new 4.3-liter V-8 from GM Powertrain in the U.S., drives through a
five-speed auto box that has no need of a centrally mounted stick shift. In
fact, few modern gearboxes, even manuals, really need a four (or five, or
six) on the floor. But are Europe’s macho drivers ready to give it up? We’ll
see.
This Supermini’s a Major Model

2002 Ford Fiesta
Ford will take the wraps off a
major new model at Frankfurt as part of a program that’s designed to get the
sickly Ford of Europe organization back into good financial health again. The
newcomer is a brand-new iteration of the Fiesta supermini, which first saw the
light of day back in 1976. The supermini class – in U.S. terms, think of a sedan
a little larger than a Miata – is commercially very important in Europe, and if
Ford is to pull its European operation back from the brink, the Fiesta will have
to be a success. It’s backed up by the team that created the Focus, which means
that it will be a great drive, and it will be put together to the quality
standards that have transformed Jaguar, so there’s hope. The 154-inch five-door
(hatchback) will have four four-cylinder engine options – 1297cc, 1388cc and
1596cc gas and a 1399cc diesel – and it will go on sale in early ’02. Ford’s
accountants will be waiting to see how it goes.
Mitsubishi Moves the Pajero

2002 Mitsubishi Pajero concept
Mitsubishi’s popular SUV gets a
radical makeover for Frankfurt in the shape of a concept car that has a strong
French accent. The tough 4x4 has been shaped by Mitsubishi’s new chief designer,
Frenchman Oliver Boulay, and it has been influenced by the Mitsubishis that have
been so successful in the toughest trans-continental race in the world, the
legendary Paris-Dakar rally. This event was conceived in France, the drivers
that know it best are French and French specialists are the best at preparing
SUVs for it. A Pajero won the 2001 event, and the concept is designed to give an
idea of the kind of Mitsubishis that will be tackling the event in the
future.
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