When a friend asked me if I wanted to go the IAA Press days, I was really excited for two reasons. First of all, I had never experienced any other motorshow apart from Geneva’s, and secondly, I could finally go and visit Frankfurt ! The IAA has a reputation of being a very vast and immense motorshow and so I was not very confident about what to expect. Nevertheless personally the IAA is one of the main automotive events that you have to do once in a lifetime, and this was an excellent opportunity. Text : Mickaël B. Images : Tobias G.
First press day – 10th September 2013
We decided not to visit the IAA with a planned tour and chose randomly our first hall. Our first stand was Mansory who presented a beautiful carbon red Ferrari F12 Stallone, along its usual Carbonado based on the Lamborghini LP700-4 Aventador, and strange green McLaren MP4-12C. Although I have never been a fan of Mansory’s work, I have to admit the F12 was as exceptionnal as a king’s crown. A bit outrageous, but distinguished, noble and handcrafted with style.
The F12 Stallone has one big challenge to live up with : making more or at least as much noise as its predecessor, the 599 Stallone. If you don’t really remember how loud that car was you can still check out this amazing video where it sets off cars alarm in Russia :
We continued our walk just to find out the Ferrari 458 Speciale who hadn’t been revealed yet being prepared for its world premiere. Outside we found two facelifted Audi R8s in Coupé and Spyder waiting to get in the Audi building. There has been no real new technical evolution apart from the front and rear lamps and the exhaust pipes wich are now cylindrical as they were on the limited edition GT. The R8 is still available with the 4.2 liter V8 issued from the RS4 developping 430 hp or the 5.2 liter V10 from the Lamborghini Gallardo with 525 hp. Audi proposes a Plus Version of the V10 R8 which adds 25 more horsepower to a total 550 hp and carbon-ceramic brakes as standard, gaining 12 kg in total weight of the car. A quick look at the Carlsson Racing Cars parked outside and we jumped in the Volkswagen group hall.
It’s almost the entire Volkswagen group brands that you can find into IAA’s hall number 3, apart from Audi who has its own separate hall in the middle of the Frankfurt Messe. The Bugatti Veyron Vitesse « Jean Bugatti » was getting ready for its press conference, and Lamborghini’s brand new Gallardo LP570-4 Squadra Corse was still hiding under its cover along its GT3 and Blancpain racing version.
Getting outside again, the press shuttles were starting to move in. BMW had chosen their brand new electric i3 models, whereas Mini decided to play it retro with old Cooper’s furrowing through the different halls of the Messe, bringing journalists and photographs wherever they wanted.
Stepping into the Mercedes building, I was very glad to see the SLS AMG Black Series which I had hoped to see in Geneva, desesperatly. It is the lighter and more powerful version of the standard SLS AMG, and is by the way the most powerful atmospherical car AMG has ever built. The 6.3 liter V8 now developps an whopping 631 hp at 8000 rpm, for a weight gain of 70 kilos, putting the total to 1550 kg. Consequently performances increase with a 0-100 km/h in 3.5 seconds and an unchanged top speed of 315 km/h. The SLS received as well a bodykit making it more agressive, more savage, with massive use of carbon fiber, on the dampers, rear diffuser and spoiler. The interior is pretty much the same but the new carbon bucket seats which can be suited with 4 points harnesses for some track fun are really comfortable and give the Black Series the little hardcore feel that was missing on the standard car.
