Porsche Mission E Concept
Appearance: Making its debut at the 2015 Frankfurt Motorshow, Porsche’s Mission E bears the obvious signs of electrification in its shape and aerodynamics. You don’t aim for a 300 mile range in an EV without making an effort with aero. Nonetheless, you can see echoes of the 911 in there, as well as a profile that looks just a bit Maserati-ish. It’s a looker, that’s for sure, and it’s hiding the potential to hit 62mph in less than 3.5 seconds.
Prediction: Porsche is racing (and winning) in the World Endurance Championship for a reason. Technology in the race cars’ hybrid systems is making its way to the road, via concepts like this. The motors, for example, are almost identical to the racing 919’s. Still, as electric cars go, Porsche is miles behind Tesla who already had a car of this sort of performance on the market by last year. A Porsche electric supercar will happen – it’s just a question of time.
Rating: 8/10.
Mercedes-Benz Concept IAAMercedes-Benz Concept IAA
Appearance: The Concept IAA’s shape is clearly dictated by aerodynamics, as reflected in the name (Intelligent Aerodynamic Automobile). This slippery shape gives it a drag coefficient of just 0.19Cd. That’s as low as a fat badger’s belly. What’s more, the shape automatically changes from ‘design mode’ to ‘aerodynamic mode’ when the car hits 50mph. Futuristic or what?
Prediction: Frankly, who knows whether half the technologies in this model are even possible in a production car? What we know is that Mercedes’ engineers put as much effort into honing the aerodynamic science behind the Concept IAA as they do for actual production cars. They wouldn’t have done that without a financially justifiable reason, so expect some of this knowledge to go into cars that are still around 10 years away.
Rating: 8/10.
Aston Martin RapidE ConceptAston Martin RapidE Concept
Appearance: Never mind the looks, which apart from the silly stickers (why must they always add rubbish graphics?) and new badges, are much the same as the petrol-powered Rapide’s. The name is what concerns us. Rapid-ee? Rapide-ee? It’s anybody’s guess. The yawning grille isn’t to everyone’s tastes, but the four-door car was perfect for Williams Engineering, the company behind the electric drivetrain, to work with.
Prediction: Aston’s CEO says electric luxury cars are intrinsic to the brand’s future, which is bold considering how much its sales have relied on the character and unique Britishness of its V12 engines. But in this particular case there’s Chinese investment capital on the table, and that’s too big an invitation to turn down. Expect a production version, but don’t be surprised if it’s China-only.
Rating: 6/10.
BMW Concept Stunt G 310BMW Concept Stunt G 310
Appearance: BMW’s G 310 is a lightweight design that uses cues from stunt motorcycles to showcase its compact size and manoeuvrability. It has a single-cylinder engine that has been designed to keep the weight low in the bike’s frame. It’s also been designed to be as compact as possible to make the bike very agile. BMW’s own stunt rider Chris Pfeiffer helped with the design of the G 310 and has already tried it out for some of his amazing stunts. Among the modifications that Pfeiffer inspired are different gear ratios to give better response at lower revs and a stronger rear brake. There’s also added crash protection should a stunt rider make a mistake and BMW says these extras would help make the G 310 an ideal bike for all type of uses.
Prediction: Although BMW has not yet announced if it will build a production version of the G 310, this concept bike is a real eye-catcher and everything about it seems to be shouting out to ride it.
Rating: 8/10.