Frankfurt Motor Show: Hottest Concept Cars Timeline

The Frankfurt Motor Show is a massive display of creativity, industry insight, brand building and strategy for the future, as such it's a wellspring of concept vehicles. Everything from tiny two seat city cars to enormous luxury sedans and high-performance SUVs becomes a part of this world's largest motor show. The Motor Show is a grand display for all the products that public love to see and can relate with their world of imagination.

Concept cars preview future production models, a dry run of new ideas, or just lure attention of automobile enthusiasts like nothing else. Often conceived without safety systems, emission controls or other mass-production requirements, concept cars allow designers to color outside the lines and engineers to stretch their minds, fueling our fantasies about what cars could be. That said, some concepts look like they could hit the highway tomorrow with little alteration, while others are so advanced that there is no way we'll see them on the road anytime soon.

Each new motor show brings a garage full of concept cars from around the corner of the world to a single stage - Frankfurt Motor Show. Automakers put their best on display here. Let's look at the concept cars making the rounds at Frankfurt Motor Show since its starting year 1995 to the present.

1995 Frankfurt Motor Show:

This was the time when launching a production car that looks like the concept was not an easy task. Car designs were used to finalized so far in advance that usually, concept cars remained just tweaked versions of actual production vehicles. Meanwhile, the Audi TT made its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show as a concept car in 1995. The model took its name from the successful motor-racing tradition of NSU in the British Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) motorcycle race since 1911. Audi TT is the car that brought Audi some serious attention in the mid-to-late-90's while also influencing design for the brand.

1997 Frankfurt Motor Show:

Unveiled at the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Peugeot 806 Runabout Concept itself is a simple car to understand. It's a large MPV part of the famous Eurovans family. Its design combines the open-air feel of a speedster and supposedly the practicality of an American pickup. The powertrain consisted of a 3.0-litre V6 engine generating a 190 HP and mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission.

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1999 Frankfurt Motor Show:

Besides Citroen C6 Lignage and Opel Omega, at 1999 Frankfurt Motor Show Volkswagen Concept D was unveiled featuring a V10 TDI diesel engine. The powertrain boasts an impressive set of performance data, 313 BHP at 4000 rpm and 750 Nm of torque as well as a range of innovative features. The design study “Concept D” embodied luxury in the shape of a four-door coupe. It represented a first taste of the luxury sedan built in the transparent factory in the center of Dresden, combining elegance with a clear and functional design.

2001 Frankfurt Motor Show:

The Seat Tango revealed at the 2001 Frankfurt Motor Show was a roadster, designed by a team directed by Walter de Silva with the contribution of SEAT's chief of exterior design, Steve Lewis. Featuring a two-door two-seater roadster body style, it interprets the essence of '50s and '60s sports cars without resorting to retro elements.

2003 Frankfurt Motor Show:

The Toyota CS&S concept displayed in 2003 is the first Toyota vehicle to feature Toyota Space Touch, a system in which the driver touches holographic projections to control other systems inside the car. There is a 1.5-litre engine driving the rear wheels and an electric motor to drive the front wheels making it a four-wheel drive, mid-engine sports concept car.

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2005 Frankfurt Motor Show:

The Citroen C-SportLounge is the French manufacturer's idea of what a sporty luxury car could look like. The SportLounge has a jellybean-shaped body that has a low drag coefficient of 0.26. Front doors open conventionally while rear doors are hinged at the C-pillar and swing in the opposite direction.

2009 Frankfurt Motor Show:

BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics concept car is a plug-in hybrid released at the 2009 show. BMW described this vehicle as having “outstanding aerodynamic qualities”, a claim which no one can question. It is powered with a 1.5-litre three cylinder turbo diesel mounted between the rear seat and the rear axle, plus two electric motors, one at each axle.

2011 Frankfurt Motor Show:

“Born Electric” is the tag line attached to BMWs “i” line of concept cars. The BMW i3 Concept is designed for the urban environment and in addition to all-electric operation its enormous windows offer outward visibility excellent. The i3 's specially designed Michelin tires balance low rolling resistance and performance, with unique compounds and construction.

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2013 Frankfurt Motor Show:

2013 Frankfurt Motor Show was quite a kickoff. Germans were out in force with production cars like the BMW i8 and Porsche 918 Spyder, and concepts like the radical Audi Nanuk Quattro. This car was Audi's idea of a crossover, combining a mid-engined sports car and off-road vehicle. The prodigious power that comes from a 5.0-litre turbodiesel V10 gets the nanuk quattro to 100 kmph in just 3.8 seconds and on to a top speed of 305 kmph.

2015 Frankfurt Motor Show:

The 2015 edition of the humungous IIA auto show has already started offering its spectators an array of upcoming models, new car launches and some crazy concepts. All the German makers are high on 'take' this year and pretty much confident about their latest concept enteries to the Frankfurt Show. Such futuristic designs like Audi E-Tron Quattro Concept, Porsche Mission E Concept, Buggati Vision Gran Turismo and Mercedes-Benz Concept IIA assures an innovative future to the enthusiasts. From the mentioned names, the Stuttgart-based luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz displayed an astonishing concept featuring eight segments of the body that extend at the rear, when superior aerodynamics is in demand. When activated, the front flaps in the front bumper extend by 25 mm to the front and 20 mm to the rear.

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