Arias Pistons 12.5:1 Compression 82mm Bore Honda B-series on 2040-parts.com

The Frankfurt motor show 2009 review, by Ben Oliver

By Ben Oliver Motor Shows 16 September 2009 00:01 Taking the metro to the Frankfurt motor show, I was surrounded by men whose grey suits, lapel badges and reading matter made it obvious they were car company execs heading the same way. In previous years they probably had access to the fleets of chauffeur-driven cars that used to clog the town as they shuttled from airport to exhibition hall to hotel. But Frankfurt, like every other motor show, finds itself in reduced circumstances this year.  The Paris and Frankurt shows alternate, and the comparison with Paris this time last year is instructive.

The 15 most significant cars of the 2011 Frankfurt motor show

Over 100 new cars were unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show, but which are the most important? From production cars to concepts that will never be built, CAR's road test editor Ben Pulman, decides on the 15 most significant models premiered at the IAA...  1 – Land Rover DC100 concept Chunky and funky, it’s Land Rover’s Evoque, the Defender urbanised, modernised and stylised for the 21st century. Range Rovers have become too ‘bling’, but the DC100 has the restrained elegance of the Disco 3 – we’ll ignore its bright yellow sister, the speedster-style DC100 Sport.

Hyundai Suicide ‘Advert’ causes a rumpus

It’s not easy advertising your wares and finding the right balance between mainstream and innovative to capture attention, as Hyundai has found out to their cost with an ‘advert’ for the hydrogen powered ix35 FCEV which, rather distastefully, depicts a man trying to commit suicide by running a hose from the tailpipe to the cabin before realising he can’t achieve his aim as the FCEV’s only emissions are water. It’s a proper cock-up from Hyundai – usually so sure-footed with their PR – but, despite Hyundai US putting the blame at the door of Hyundai UK, there’s more to this suicide ‘advert’ than meets the eye. It seems the suicide video was put together by Innocean – a European Ad Agency owned by Hyundai’s Chairman Chung Mong-koo and his daughter, and responsible for much of Hyundai’s marketing output – and was a clumsy attempt to gauge reaction to the somewhat macabre take on the benefits of an FCEV.