FRANKFURT FAVOURITES

The Garmin Connect app on my iphone shows that I walked 21 990 steps on September 13th. That’s the date of the opening Press Day of the Frankfurt Motor Show. Free advice: don’t wear new shoes on Day 1. (My luggage arrived a day late, so I had no alternative but to cobble together a substitute wardrobe at the local equivalent of Edgars).

Frankfurt is generally regarded as the biggest show of its kind. Even though some big names were absent – Peugeot Citroën, Nissan, Fiat Chrysler – those present provided enough eye candy to keep the punters coming through the turnstiles. What was particularly fascinating for me this year was that I finally had the opportunity to experience the public viewing days. Usually we stay for only the first two media days. I’d been warned to expect crowds. The warning was accurate.

This show report is less about trying to cover all the hot new releases and concepts; rather, it’s about 10 of the exhibits that made me stop and stare and wonder for a while.

ASPARK OWL

Claimed to be the world's fastest EV, the Aspark Owl (don't ask) is a Japanese carbon-fibre hypercar with an electric drivetrain that produces around 1 000 horsepower (750 kilowatts). According to the designer, it will be capable of 0 to 100 km/h in under two seconds. The car was making its first showing at Frankfurt, though it has been in the making for three years.