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![Citroen_Revolte]()
The name of Citroen's answer to the Chevy Volt may have gotten lost in translation, but the Revolte plug-in series hybrid wrapped in "silky smooth textiles" and a "feminine, cosmetic environment" may go down in history as the first hybrid chick car, if it ever gets made.![Renault Zoe ZE]()
Renault may not be planning to bring the all-electric Zoe may not be coming to the United States when it goes on sale in 2021, but Renault is allied with Nissan, which has its own plans for electrifying the automobile here, so, you never know. The sporty juice box can accelerate from 0-60 mph in less than 60 seconds, an can go 100 miles on a charge.![Fiat 500 Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari]()
The high-performance Fiat 500 Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari has a name that's bigger than the car itself, but it brings up a good point. Fiat runs Ferrari. Fiat runs Chrysler. Can you say Town and Country Tributo Ferrari? Maybe you shouldn't.![Bentley Mulsanne]()
Bentley's new $300G-plus luxury sedan as a 6 3/4 liter V8 that pumps out 505 horsepower and 752 lb-ft of toruqe. Nice, but it also has a stereo system with 20 speakers that pumps out 2,200 watts. You could probably run an e-Up! with that kind of power.![Ford C Max]()
The minivan is coming back, and it's actually mini. The compact Ford C Max was designed in Europe, but will be built and sold in the U.S. starting in 2011. Seven passengers will fit inside, and a turbocharged 4-cylinder is expected to be under the hood.![Lamborghini_Reventon_Roadster]()
To compare the Lamborghini Reventon Roadster to a stealth fighter is an insult. Jets wish they looked this good, or were this fast. Only 15 of the 205 mph supercars will be sold for $1.6 million, and 12 are already taken. If you want one, you'd better be fast, too.![Ferrari_458_Italia]()
Ferrari Formula 1 great, Michael Schumacher introduces the 458 Italia, a car he helped develop from behind the wheel. The company's new mid-engined coupe sports a 570 hp V8 and a price tag of $220,000.![Trabant_nT]()
The smoky little 2-stroke Trabant was the national car of East Germany, and may have helped the Communist regime counter satellite surveillance by covering the country in a thick cloud of pollution. The Trabant nT concept hopes to fight the new cold war against global warming with an electric motor and lithium ion batteries good for driving 156 miles per charge.![Volkswagen E-Up!]()
Not to be outdone by an East German Retromobile, Volkswagen's E-Up! concept aims to be the Beetle of the 21st century. With solar panels on the roof and the sun visors to help charge the batteries, the smallest VW ever should be able to go 62 miles per charge, but thanks to a low weight, it will do it very quickly.![Volkswagen_1_Liter_Car]()
The Volkswagen L1 name refers to how much fuel it needs to go 100 km, as in 1 liter. OK, the 30 horsepower, tandem 2-seater actually needs 1.2 liters to drive that far, but that's the equivalent of 196 mpg, so we'll let VW slide this time, especially since it says something like this may actually go into production in a couple of years.![Mercedes_Benz_SLS_AMG]()
The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG should fly out out of showrooms, even with a price tag of around $250,000. More than a homage to the classic gullwing SLs of the 1950's, MB's latest supercar has 563 horsepower under that long hood and can go 197 mph. An all-electric version is in the works, but it'll be a few years before it's ready, so this one will have to do in the meantime.![Mercedes_Benz_Blue_Zero_E_Cell]()
The Chevy Volt had better start watching its back. The Mercedes-Benz Blue Zero E-Cell Concept uses a similar extended range electric powertrain, combining a battery-powered electric motor with a small onboard internal combustion engine to provide electricity when the battery runs out. MB says the E-Cell can go 30 miles after a 30 minute charge, with a maximum electric range of 62 miles.![BMW_Concept_Car_Vision]()
With a body like that do you even care what's underneath? For those who do, the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept has a diesel-electric plug-in hybrid powertrain, that not only emits less CO2 than a Toyota Prius, but has 356 horsepower and a top speed of 155 mph.![Audi e-tron]()
Based on the successful Audi R8, the e-tron concept is an all-wheel drive electric version that uses four electric motors to produce 313 horsepower and an insane 3319 lb-ft of torque, about 10 times what a typical sports car can deliver, and more in line with a Top Fuel dragster. With a 0-60 time of 4.8 seconds, the e-tron is quick, but not 3319 lb-ft quick, so it's clear that tire technology needs to catch up with the rest of the car before it can put all of that power to use. Something to think about while you're driving it 154 miles on a charge.![Audi_R8_Spyder]()
Slightly more mainstream than the E-Tron, the Audi R8 Spyder is headed this way next year with a 525 hp V10 behind driver and a price tag of around $200,000. It'll be the perfect summer car for when the economic outlook gets brighter.![Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid]()
The Toyota Prius Plug-In is a concept, but you'll be seeing a few of them on America's roads before the end of 2009. Toyota is sending out a fleet of 150 of them to see if its claim of 12.5 miles of electric drive at speeds of up to 60 mph is ready for prime time. A production version should be on sale by 2012.![Renault_Twizy]()
The Twizy may be the most futuristic-looking car at the show, but you'll be able to buy one in 2011. That is, if you live in Europe. The 20 hp electric 'car' has seating for two, motorcycle style, and offers the performance of a small scooter without having to suffer from helmet head.![Melkus]()
What is it with East Germany and gullwing doors this year? Believe it or not, the Melkus RS2000 is a tribute to the one and only supercar ever built in Communist East Germany, the RS1000, which was made from parts from the Trabant and had a blistering top speed of 99 mph. With a variety of engines available, the new one should be a bit faster than that, but only 25 will be made, so good luck finding one to take on a test drive.![Lexus LF-Ch]()
The Lexus LF-Ch is a hybrid, and a cool-looking one at that. Too bad it's targeted at Europe and is just a design study, so there's no engine, or motor, or battery, or anything on board that would make it a hybrid. At least not yet.![Jaguar_XJ]()
Jaguar rockets into the 21st century with the new XJ. Its sleek body, 510 horsepower supercharged V8 engine, and flat screen virtual instrument panel should make it a big player in the big luxury car segment.2009 Frankfurt Auto Show
Electricity is in the air and many of the cars a the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show.
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- 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show
