Premi autoweek per Francoforte 2005

[daimlerchrysler]

L' importante rivista americana Autoweek ha premiato le più belle vetture esposte a Francoforte. Ecco il resoconto.

Best in Show: Porsche Cayman S

Porsche called Frankfurt the Cayman's "world debut," except it has been on the cover of every car magazine from here to Shanghai, including this one, and we've driven it. Twice. Oh well, Frankfurt was the first time the Cayman was seen at an auto show. So why did we name it our Best in Show? Because it's sexy as hell, that's why—and looks far better in the sheetmetal than it does in photos, which don't even begin to capture its aggressive stance, strong rear shoulders and arching roofline. Something more than a Boxster, and a little less than a 911, the Cayman is a Boxster-based, mid-engine coupe using a 3.4-liter flat six developing 295 hp and 251 lb-ft, linked to a six-speed manual gearbox, good enough for 60 mph to arrive in 5.4 seconds. Cayman promises 911-like torsional rigidity, better-than-911 balance, and a $59,695 sticker. U.S. sales start next spring. Others considered: BMW Z4 Coupe, Jaguar XK Coupe, Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Most Significant: Fiat Grande Punto

The 2006 Grande Punto is the most important car ever to the survival of Fiat Auto. We know partly because everyone here kept telling us this. With the terrible Croma ("Just remove the r!") introduced last March bound to fail, the pressure is on this fresh-look Punto compact to carry on the success of the Nuova Panda. The Giugiaro design—looks like a mini Maserati in the face, no?—ushers in the new company look. This complete redo is vastly better than the car it replaces. Besides its significance as a post-General Motors company-saver, the Grande Punto is injecting a mess of fun into this economy segment with a range of interior and exterior color choices that out-cute any Smart car. Fiat also showed the nasty side of the Grande Punto with a rollicking Rally Super 2000 Abarth version aimed at the World Rally Championship in two years' time. Others considered: The growing Chinese presence

Best Concept: Jeep Compass

At the European introduction of the seven-passenger Commander, Jeep unveiled two different concepts: Compass and Patriot, each with a distinct buyer in mind. Only one is an AutoWeek Editors' choice and that's the hot-rodded Compass. Built on the coming Dodge Caliber small-car (future Neon) platform, the U.S. street-racing Jeep fan will get a 2.4-liter gas mill fitted to a 103.7-inch wheelbase. Compass' high level of fit-and-finish is the first clue it's in the product plan; the second comes from suppliers who say it's a done deal. We won't see the 2.0-liter diesel in the U.S., but it still comes with sporting looks and tough stance as standard. Do you think this would make a fine off-road racer, maybe with a turbocharged engine under a big hood scoop? How about a Paris-Dakar runner? Execs confess that those discussions have been held. Others considered: Opel Antara, Citroën SportLounge, Renault Egeus, Hyundai Accent SR

Most Fun: Mitsubishi Concept-Sportback

In Europe, five-door premium hatchbacks are the rage, so what's a car company to do? Mitsubishi's Concept-Sportback is the Japanese automaker's answer to that question, as well as to the larger question of whether Mitsubishi has a survival plan in the wake of DaimlerChrysler's decision a year ago to forego additional investment in the company. You bet Mitsubishi has such a plan, and this future product is at its heart. Designed in Germany, Concept-Sportback rides on a world platform capable of many derivatives, from the new Outlander to a Volkswagen Golf-sized hatchback. With its 200-plus-hp four-cylinder global engine as one powerplant option, front- or all-wheel drive, and a racy coupe-like rake to its rear window despite a practical and roomy high roofline, we like it as a future Evo, pitted against the Subaru WRX STI and other coming rally runners. Others considered: Fiat Punto Abarth, Smart Crosstown

[daimlerchrysler]

Ecco il link http://autoweek.com/article.cms?articleId=103202

[T a u r u s]

ha premiato le piu' belle esposte per la prima volta...non le piu' belle esposte in generale

[daimlerchrysler]

Sì ma se hai letto bene con Fiat non sono stati molto gentili.

[Regazzoni]

Francamente mi sembrano completamente ciechi.

A parte il giudizio sulla GPunto ( che è comunque cattivo perchè indicano come concorrenti le "auto cinesi" in generale, sminuendo del tutto il riconoscimento), che la dice tutta sulla riuscita estetica di quest'auto, direi che hanno delirato.

La migliore del salone la Cayman? La migliore, con tutto quello che c'era in giro?

Capirei se fosse stata nella categoria "Fun", ma...

Miglior concept la Compass? Capisco il campanilismo, ma è francamente il peggior concept Jeep degli ultimi 10 anni!

Best fun la Mitsubishi? Cos'ha di divertente quest'auto? E' un concept, nessuno ha idea di come vada in strada e mi sembra che nelle linee abbiano cercato di essere aggressivi, ma non certo fun!

[Stefano73]

Già di per sa da sola più che le vedo, poco, più la trovo inguardabile poi di fianco a punto croma fa ancora una figura più grama come design...come auto invece trovo che sia buona, anzi pià che buona come prezzo.

Cayman a parte penso che hanno giudicato bene

[pablo]

Beh, ammetiamo che la battuta per Croma

che basta togliere la "r" fa ridere...

Il resto è chiacchiera e distintivo.

ciao

[daimlerchrysler]

Significant vuole dire significativa non per forza bella. Se leggi l' articolo i giornalisti oltre ad apprezzarne l' estetica dicono che è un auto fondamentale per il rilancio Fiat. La compass se leggi nei forum statunitensi di autoweek, autoblog, carspyshots.net ( quelli che frequento ) è piaciuta parecchio.

[Guglielmo]

hey Daimler ma non ti scandalizzi

come italiano per la supponenza di quetso articolo

come sarebbe a dire la macchina della sopravvivenza

come sarebbe a dire che CROMA è terribile

**** che non son altro [edit: carrera4]

ma che pensassero un po a VW e hai dicimila operai da mandare a casa.

[carrera4]

la compass fa schifo, ma come si fa...