We pick our favorites from Frankfurt
You probably already know which vehicle most captured our attention from the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. After all, a thousand horsepower has a way of making the auto-obsessed sit up and take notice. But that’s not all there was to see in Frankfurt.
Electric concepts, wagons, the hottest of hot hatchbacks, and even an SUV all make appearances on our Editor’s Choice list. See the results of our voting by clicking on the slide above.
Fifth Place (Tie): Land Rover Discovery SVX – 9 points
Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder: My one non-green pick of the show, this thing is just such a beast that I’m afraid of what it’d do to me if I excluded it. Power and off-road prowess make for an impressive combination. I’d love drive it through deep water, or descend a mountain with the integrated winch.
Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski: This is the Disco I’ve been waiting for. Ready for whatever life throws at you, and a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 providing 517 horsepower and 461 pound-feet of torque means it’ll do it with style and speed.
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Fifth Place (Tie): Mercedes-Benz Concept EQA – 9 points
Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder: Sleek and simple in appearance, this electric luxury hatchback leads me to believe that Mercedes is leading with the right foot for its EQ sub-brand. I’m excited to see what comes next, but this is exactly the type of car that I want in my garage.
Managing Editor Greg Rasa: All five cars on my ballot were electrified, and Frankfurt confirmed the seismic shift toward EVs we’ve been covering. The EQA is beautiful, like a smooth stone you’d skip across a pond, yet it would fit right in with MB’s current lineup. And its performance numbers indicate that our electric future could be pretty exciting.
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Fourth Place: Mini John Cooper Works GP concept – 12 points
Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski: It’s not the most exotic vehicle unveiled in Frankfurt, but it’s the one regular Joe’s like you and I could actually buy and drive every day. Please, Mini, make it happen.
Senior Producer Eddie Sabatini: Looks like it would be hella fun to drive. Hella is not a typo, the car just brings out that Cali slang in me.
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Third Place: Audi RS4 Avant 17 points
Senior Producer Eddie Sabatini: All I really have to say is: 450-hp wagon.
Contract Editor James Riswick: I own an Audi Allroad. I’d much rather own this. And it’s electric blue. Yum.
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Second Place: Honda Urban EV – 47 points
Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder: I love the blend of retro cute and modern tech. Plus, it’s basically got couches in it!
Associate Editor Joel Stocksdale: This would be the car that captured my heart. I love little cars, I love sporty-looking cars, and this one is both. It’s a scrappy little retro design that picks the best bits from the original Mini and first-generation Honda Civic. I wish we would get it in the U.S.
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First Place: Mercedes-AMG Project One – 50 points
Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore: The Project One was my top car of the show. It’s a halo for Mercedes and a statement to the rest of the industry that MB means business when it comes to performance. Years from now, the Project One is how I’ll remember the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show.
Associate Editor Joel Stocksdale: While there may be a few cars at this show that capture my heart more than the Project One, I simply can’t deny how incredible this thing is. It’s literally the closest thing to an F1 car you can drive. The engine is a total screamer, and it sounded just like Hamilton’s open-wheeler when Hamilton himself revved the Project One on stage at the public press conference. It also looks the part, with its low, purposeful body. I’m relieved that Mercedes didn’t try to slap a Panamericana grille on it, too, simply letting it be its functional self.
Associate Editor Reese Counts: I mean, this is an F1 car for the street. It uses an actual F1-based engine making more than 1,000 horsepower and revs to 11,000 rpm. I think it’s awesome that it’s just a 1.6-liter turbo V6 and that it’s such a high-stress machine that it needs a rebuild after 31,000 miles. No owner will ever drive it that far. I love supercars. This is AMG swinging its weight and showing what it can do with no restrictions.
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