The Melkus RS2000 took about three years to make by renowned East German racecar builder Melkus but don’t you think that it’s worth the wait? The car is based on an Lotus Elise and has been fitted with an aluminum double-wishbone suspension, which Melkus designed himself. It also wears a glass-fiber reinforced polyester body.

Powering it is the 1.8-liter, 16-valve, 4-cylinder Elise boosted to 270 hp connected to a 6-speed transmission. It has a curb weight of 950 kg or 2,090 pounds, allowing the car to go from 0 to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. The car comes standard with plenty of comforts, certainly far more than what its rivals are offering. Its interiors are highly customizable. The Melkus RS2000 comes with a price tag of €107,000. Photo gallery after the jump!

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Tags:2009 frankfurt motor show, 2009 frankfurt motor show melkus, 2009 iaa, 2009 iaa melkus, 2009frankfurtmotorshow, 2009iaa, frankfurt motor show, frankfurtmotorshow, melkus, melkus rs2000, melkus rs2000 iaa live photos, melkusrs2000, rs2000
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With your purchase of a Renaultsport Megane 250, you will get a high-tech lap timer. The Renaultsport Megane 250 goes on sale in November. At the Frankfurt Motor Show, the Ford Focus RS rival was sighted sporting a Renaultsport Monitor display in the middle of the dashboard.

With the timer, the demands put on the engine and “real-time” performance of the unit would be shown. It also indicates lateral acceleration, 0-60mph times, and lap times. The driver is even allowed to tweak the throttle mapping. Also built in is a gearchange warning light. The new model comes in either the standard sports chassis or the cup version, which also features a limited-slip differential. Power comes for a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine, which produces 247bhp and 251lb ft of torque. More details and photos after the jump!

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Tags:2009 frankfurt motor show, 2009 iaa, 2009frankfurtmotorshow, 2009iaa, 2010 megane renaultsport 250, 2010 megane renaultsport 250 iaa, 2010 megane renaultsport250, 2010 renault megane renaultsport 250, 2010 renault megane renaultsport250, 2010meganerenaultsport250, 2010renaultmeganerenaultsport250, frankfurt motor show, frankfurtmotorshow, iaa
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The new Focus Econetic is said to pave the way for some of Ford’s technologies to be implemented into its core vehicle series in the near future, according to Dr Thilo Seibert, Manager CO2 Technologies for Ford of Europe. The new Focus Econetic boasts considerably improved CO2 emissions of 99g/km and 74.2mpg.

It is the first European Ford to benefit from a raft of new eco technologies including the Ford Auto-Start-Stop, Smart Regenerative Charging, and Ford Eco Mode. The Focus Econetic uses the stop-start system, which was previewed on Iosis MAX Concept at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. However, the car claims that without it, the Focus Econetic will manage 104g/km. The previous Focus Econetic model emits 114g/km of CO2. Powering the car is a 108bhp 1.6-litre Duratorq TDCi engine. Ford has also given the Focus a slipperier shape; the Econetic is lowered by 10mm at the front and 8mm at the rear, with blanking plates at the front, helping to achieve a cd of 0.31. It also gets the latest generation Michelin Energy Saver 195/65R15 tires to lower rolling resistance. Seibert added that to achieve these figures, Ford combined the proven approach of the original Focus Econetic model with even more detail improvements and all-new technologies. Photo gallery after the jump!

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Tags:2009 frankfurt motor show, 2009 iaa, 2010 focus econetic, 2010 focus econetic frankfurt, 2010 focus econetic iaa, 2010 ford focus econetic, 2010focuseconetic, 2010fordfocuseconetic, focus econetic, focuseconetic, ford focus econetic, fordfocuseconetic, frankfurt motor show, iaa
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At the Frankfurt Motor Show, Mercedes admitted that its engineers are gaining a lot of progress in its goal to develop an electric version of the 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and to eventually have a limited production in 2015.

Drawing heavily on the production version of the SLS, the new zero-emission supercar, the SLS eDrive, will be offered with the same lightweight aluminum body as the production version of the SLS. It even has its signature gullwing doors. The new car’s interior is mostly unchanged, except for minor modifications made to the switchgear to reflect the electric driveline. The SLS eDrive will use a heavily modified version of the standard SLS’s rear-wheel-drive platform. To accommodate the new hardware, the carmaker brought about the inclusion of a new pushrod front suspension, with coilover damper units mounted horizontally in place of the standard car’s more conventional upright double wishbone arrangement to free up space around the front axle. More details and photos after the jump!

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Tags:2009 frankfurt motor show, 2009 iaa, 2015 mercedes-benz sls edrive, 2015mercedes-benzslsedrive, car news, frankfurt motor show, iaa, mercedes-benz sls edrive, mercedes-benzslsedrive, sls amg edrive, sls edrive
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Mini Cooper revealed a new version of latest model at the Frankfurt Auto Show, the Mini Roadster, a sister car of the Coupe Concept. The new Roadster will be produced in the UK Mini’s plant and will enter in direct competition with the Mazda MX 5 and the Audi TT Roadster.

The Roadster concept is inspired on the re-worked Mini Convertible body, the same used on the Coupe, showing cunning A-pillars and lowered roofline. As a new expensive feature, the Roadster Concept includes also an extra 16 degrees of pillar rake meant to give a sportier look to the car, but it is still not confirmed weather the change will be included in the production plan. The company’s officials declare that “the glasshouse is significantly lower, slimmer and more dynamic than the regular production models, providing a strikingly sleek silhouette.” Continued after the jump!

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Tags:2009 frankfurt motor show, 2009 iaa, cooper roadster concept, cooperroadsterconcept, frankfurt motor show, iaa, mini cooper roadster concept, mini roadster concept, mini roadster concept frankfurt, mini roadster concept iaa, minicooper roadster concept, minicooperroadsterconcept, miniroadsterconcept, roadster concept, roadsterconcept
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Audi revealed today at the Frankfurt Motor Show its latest car: the E-Tron Concept, a high-performance sports car with a purely electric drive system. The new concept carries four motors, two each at the front and rear axles, capable to develop 230 kW (313 hp) and a spectacular 4,500 Nm (3,319.03 lb-ft) of torque.

The new car accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 4.8 seconds and from 60 to 120 km/h (37.28 – 74.56 mph) in 4.1 seconds. The E-Tron has a range of 248 kilometers which makes it the perfect sports car. Regarding the design, this is based on the Audi R8 and features a “single-frame grille dominates the front end and is flanked by two large air intakes. The top of the grille merges into the flat strips of the adaptive matrix beam headlamp modules with their clear glass covers. High-efficiency LED technology is used for all lighting units – a matter of honor for Audi as the worldwide pioneer in this field.” Photo gallery and press release after the jump!

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Tags:2009 frankfurt motor show, 2009 iaa, Audi, audi e-tron, audi e-tron concept, audi e-tron concept frankfurt, audi e-tron concept iaa, audi etron concept, audie-tronconcept, audietronconcept, e-tron, e-tron concept, e-tronconcept, frankfurt motor show, iaa
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This is the Audi S5 Sportback, which has just been formally announced to be priced at €57,900. It is fitted with the blown 3.0L V6 that’s standard kit in the S4, available in the A6, and will shortly replace the V8 as the motivator under the S5 coupe’s hood. Declared standard for the Sportback is the Quattro as well as the seven-speed S tronic twin-clutch gearbox.

At extra cost, a sport differential can be added. Other standard S-car bits include the metallic-finished mirrors, quad pipes, S-design wheels and polished vertical grille slats. Basically, it’s the S5 with two extra doors and a hatchback. The Sportback demonstrates that a standard model can be turned into a sporty hatch without going all Crosstour. Power from the V6 is 333hp and 324 lb-ft, allowing for a 5.4-second acceleration to 62 mph (100 km/h) and an electro-powered 155-mph top speed. The car is capable of more than 24 mpg. It will arrive in Deutschland Audi stores this spring. Photo gallery and press release after the jump!

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Tags:2009 frankfurt motor show, 2009 iaa, 2010audis5sportback, 2010s5sportback, Audi, audi s5, audi s5 sportback, audis5sportback, frankfurt motor show, iaa, s5 sportback, s5 sportback frankfurt, s5 sportback iaa, s5sportback
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Volkswagen is aiming to bring its 189mpg hybrid two-seater to production by 2013. The L1 Concept is powered by an 800cc two-stroke diesel, which is coupled to an electric motor, and emits only 39g/km of CO2. It has a drag coefficient of just 0.195.

The powerplant develops up to 29bhp in ‘sport’ mode, along with 74lb ft of torque at 1900rpm. This enables to car to reach 62mph in 14.3sec and go up to a top speed of 99mph. The 14bhp electric motor steps in under acceleration, lifting torque by 40%. The L1 concept is as low as Lamborghini’s Murcielago and has the same length as the VW Fox. Continued after the jump!

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Tags:2009 frankfurt motor show, 2009 iaa, car news, frankfurt motor show, iaa, l1 concept, l1concept, Volkswagen, volkswagen l1 concept, vw, vw l1 concept, vw l1 concept official, vwl1concept
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Finally, the first official images of the Skoda Superb estate have come out. Be on the lookout for the car’s official unveiling at the Frankfurt Motor Show. From these pictures, we can see its Octavia-inspired styling.

The estate has retained the same length, wheelbase and width with the conventional Superb but it is taller at the back. The pictures also confirm that the innovative split hatchback from the regular model will not feature on the estate. The car’s rear seating was revised to maximize load space. Capacity details of the boot are not yet available. The estate’s engine line-up will include the three petrols and three diesels from the current Superb range, linked to five and six-speed gearboxes. The buyer can opt to have DSG dual-clutch transmissions. A model with a Haldex developed four-wheel drive system is also expected to be available; it is speculated to be linked to the Superb’s 3.6-litre V6 and the DSG gearbox to create a sports estate model. Photo gallery after the jump!

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Tags:2009 frankfurt motor show, 2010 skoda superb combi, 2010 skoda superb estate, 2010 superb combi, 2010 superb combi frankfurt, 2010 superb combi iaa, 2010 superb estate, 2010skodasuperbcombi, 2010superbcombi, car news, frankfurt motor show, iaa, Skoda
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When the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid becomes available for leasing next year, it will be the cleanest car on the roads, releasing less than 60g/km of CO2. Check out its display at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It has a 12.5-mile electric range (six miles further than the conventional Prius) at speeds up to 62mph, before switching to conventional petrol-electric hybrid operation. According to Toyota, 80% of UK journeys are less than 6.2 miles long, signifying that an electric-only journey would be possible. The plug-in Prius will be the first Toyota to use lithium-ion batteries, which are smaller, lighter and hold more charge than the nickel metal hydride cells the company has used to date. The plug-in Prius can be fully recharged from a 230V power supply in 1.5 hours. Next year’s test program will involve 500 customers worldwide leasing the car and putting it through everyday use. Around 150 plug-in Prius’s will be tested in Europe, including some in the UK. Press release and photo gallery after the jump!

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Tags:2009 frankfurt motor show, 2009 iaa, frankfurt motor show, iaa, prius plug-in hybrid concept, priusplug-inhybridconcept, toyota prius plug-in hybrid concept, toyotapriusplug-inhybridconcept
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