Concept Cars Serve Up Alternative-Fuel Technology

Mercedes-Benz F700 Concept

Mercedes calls the F700 the future of the premium touring sedan. Many of its features are modeled on the S-Class, which could mean that this concept vehicle’s design cues may indicate what the next S-Class will look like. The car gets a 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, rated at 238 hp. It’s mated to an electric hybrid module good for another 20 hp. The F700 Concept gets nearly 43 mpg while emitting less than half a pound of CO2 per mile. The automaker says the car accelerates from 0 to over 60 mph in 7.5 seconds. A suspension technology called Pre-Scan uses sensors in the front headlamps to capture an image of the roadway and make necessary adjustments. A virtual personal assistant, called an “avatar,” is Mercedes’ way of taking dashboard interfaces to the next level: A holographic image of a person aids drivers by asking for a desired destination to provide directions, placing a call from a saved phone list, or tuning in a desired radio station. Mercedes suggests that the avatar could someday read aloud important e-mails, access online databases via the Internet or add items to drivers’ appointment books.

Nissan Mixim Concept

The Nissan Mixim Concept is a futuristic-looking, all-electronic, four-wheel drive concept car aimed at “the next generation of drivers.” Nissan set out to please a socially conscious, digitally engaged younger generation with a good-looking, ultramodern electric vehicle (EV). Gullwing-like doors open up and forward to provide easier interior access. The angular styling and muscular stance suggest sport and performance, characteristics not typically associated with electric cars. Inside, the driver sits centrally, with seats on either side. A wraparound LCD instrument panel runs beneath the windshield and a forward-facing camera projects an image of the road ahead. The U-shaped steering wheel resembles a controller for a computer racing game. The all-wheel-drive Mixim is powered by two electric motors (one for the front wheels and one for the rear) that run off of compact lithium-ion batteries. Nissan says the Mixim would have a potential maximum range of 155 miles and an expected top speed of 112 mph. While there’s no guarantee that the Mixim Concept will be turned into a production model, its development is in line with Nissan’s “Green Program,” which has the goal of creating “a more sustainable mobile society.”

Nissan Micra C+C

Nissan is showing a special edition Micra at Frankfurt, called C+C, which stands for “color and concept.” The vehicle is intended as a “mobile test bed” to showcase the latest in paint effects. It includes a new “Liquid Metal” finish which appears, from certain angles, to be wet to the touch. The car’s two-tone paint juxtaposes a “Liquid Gold” effect covering the top of the vehicle with a three-coat pearlescent white paint scheme along the bottom.

Subaru WRC Impreza Concept

Subaru World Rally Car (WRC) race driver Petter Solberg will be on hand in Frankfurt to unwrap the new Impreza-based WRC Concept. The car is a five-door hatchback that Subaru says is “an indication of future styling trends for a world rally car.” Many say this concept will provide design cues for both the upcoming Impreza WRX STi hatchback (reported to debut in October at the Tokyo Motor Show), as well as the next WRC competition vehicle.

Toyota iQ Concept

The iQ Concept is an ultra-compact car — just under ten feet long — aimed at European urbanites who, Toyota says, seek environmentally friendly vehicles that can navigate narrow city streets with enough space for three adults and a child, or cargo like groceries and luggage. The iQ Concept is similar in width and height to the Yaris hatchback, allowing for a spacious interior that makes the car highly functional despite its diminutive size. Styling cues suggest charm and practicality. In giving direction to its design studio, Toyota says it wanted something “forward-looking, intelligent and energetic, while retaining a clarity of purpose and function.” The roof is almost entirely glass and is meant to bring in sunlight or stars to convey a sense of spaciousness. A dark purple and black interior is highlighted by a center console shaped like a manta ray, with a single center dial to control temperature and ventilation. Looks seem to count most here: Toyota gave no details on the fuel efficiency and lower CO2 emissions it claims for the iQ.

Volkswagen up! Concept

The exuberantly named up! is a four-passenger compact car designed especially for city driving. There are no plans for the up! to head to production just yet, but Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, VW’s board member in charge of technical development, said that the response from Frankfurt show visitors “will be a decisive test to determine whether the concept has the same kind of potential possessed by the Beetle at one time, or the Golf today.” Volkswagen says the up! offers more space than any other car of similar length. Just like the famous Beetle, the engine sits in the rear. That layout has its advantages, VW contends: All seats except the driver’s can be folded up and removed from the car, or stored in the front trunk for cargo-carrying needs (there’s also a trunk in back). A touch-screen monitor has proximity-sensing technology that reacts to hand gestures to adjust the radio, navigation, travel computer and climate-control system.

Volvo ReCharge Concept

Volvo has introduced the ReCharge, a plug-in electric hybrid that takes styling cues from the C30 hatchback. Electric motors at each wheel provide independent traction and power, fed by a battery pack housed in the luggage compartment. The ReCharge can travel up to 60 miles on electric power alone before a four-cylinder 1.6-liter flex-fuel engine kicks in. The driver can choose the car’s power source with a button on the instrument panel. Volvo said operating costs are expected to be about 80 percent less than those of a comparable gas-only car. “This plug-in hybrid car, when used as intended, should have about 66 percent lower emissions of carbon dioxide compared with the best hybrid cars available on the market today,” said Magnus Jonsson, Volvo Car’s SVP of research and development. Take a 93-mile drive starting with a full charge, and the car will require less than 0.75 gallons of fuel — that’s more than 120 mpg.

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