IAA 2017- 5 cars that prove that the automotive world is in safe hands | #blogpost

I think I wasn’t the only one scared of car manufacturers discounting enthusiast orientated models. Mitsubishi canceling the Evo or Dodge finishing the production of the crazy Viper, but after analyzing the cars debuted at the IAA 2017 in Frankfurt- I have good news. The future of cars is definitely in good hands and I’m damn excited for it!

Now that is a strong thesis from me, considering that we’re in an era of electrification and downsizing, but I’m here to prove that there’s nothing to be worried about and I’ll do it by talking about five cars that in my opinion are the most important premieres of the show.

Renault Megane R.S

If you’ve read my review of the VW Golf GTi, you know that I love French hot hatches from the 80’s and the 90’s. My eyes tear up when I think about the times when French manufacturers ruled the roads with cars that were made for pure driving pleasure. Unfortunately, in the XXI century Peugeot, Renault and Citroen forgot about us, the car enthusiasts. Until now.

The front wheel drive machine is powered by a 1.8l turbocharged engine that also powers the brand new Alpine A110. You’ll be able to order yours with either a manual or an EDC gearbox which makes me a happy man.

The power plant in the Renault produces about 280hp, 40 horsepower less than the Civic Type-R and 20 horsepower less than the new, brilliant Cupra 300 from Seat. But the French manufacturer has an ace up its sleeve- four wheel steering! If I had to guess, it would probably be the best handling hot hatch released this decade.

Megane’s full spec sheet is still under a blanket of mystery, hence why we can’t compare the official 0-60 time with its competitors.

That’s not all though! The crazy people running Renault have already announced a Renault Megane RS Trophy which will undergo a drastic diet and its power will be raised to match that of the Cupra 300. The French manufacturer is hoping to break the Nurburgring record for FWD with said machine and I’m thrilled to see whether they’ll be able to achieve their goal!

You will be able to see the stunning Megane R.S. on the streets as soon as early 2018 with orders beginning in December 2017!

Hyundai i30N

I’ve always felt that Hyundai had a lot of potential in their brand but could never actually find it. Well, it looks like they finally struck a goldmine.

The i30 N seems to deliver in almost every single department, fantastic FWD system, 6-speed manual, excellent design, 275horsepower… It truly is something special! It also is the debut car of Hyundai’s “N” sub brand which will focus on more performance orientated cars in the future.

The i30 N drove almost 10000 km’s on the ever famous Nurburgring to ensure its track day capabilities. It also comes with Launch Control which will help you propel it to 60mph in 6.1 seconds. Another useful tech is an automatic rev matcher, which you can enable with a switch on your steering wheel. Oh, and of course the car comes in manual!

Overall I hope this car won’t be overlooked by people who are looking for a new hot hatch, but it does have tough competition such as the 2018 Megane R.S or the beloved Golf GTi. The Korean pocket rocket does have a chance to make some noise in its segment!

Mercedes AMG Project One

You can’t talk IAA 2017 and not mention the Mercedes-AMG Project One. Mercedes just joined the hypercar segment and instantly redefined how crazy those cars are.

This is the modern day Mercedes CLK GTR cranked up to eleven. Let me quickly remind you some facts about this car. 1.6-litre V6 petrol engine, direct injection, electrically assisted turbocharging. Does that engine sound familiar to you? It also powers a different car made by Mercedes- their bloody F1 car. The engine revs up to 11.000 rpm’s which is almost unheard of nowadays.

“Unfortunately” it won’t be as quick as the Formula one car for two reasons. First of all the engines longevity would be way smaller if it wasn’t limited and second of all the car will run on Super Plus petrol mix, instead of the racing fuel. What it means is that the car will “only” manage about 350kmph…

Now let’s talk acceleration since for me it’s probably the most impressive factor of this incredible machine. It reaches 200kmph in, UNDER SIX SECONDS! To put that into perspective, It could reach 200kmph before you finished reading this paragraph…

There’s a lot you can write about the mind bending technology in this car, but for me, the most exciting part of it is that it welcomes us to the new world of hyper cars. The P1, the 918, the LaF, the Chiron and probably the Agera XS will be left to dust during a track comparison with the Project One. I think it’s time we retire the old “Holy Trinity” and, make space for the future one- Mercedes-AMG Project One, the Aston Martin Valkyrie and the rumored McLaren BP23.

The only controversial thing about the Project One is the design, while I adore the side profile, the menacing rear and the insane roof scoop/shark fin situation it’s got going on, I can’t help but be slightly underwhelmed by the front of the car. It kinds of looks like a Centenario/AMG GTR love story, but as long as it is functional, I guess I can’t hate on it.

Porsche 911 GT3 Touring Package

If I were a 911R owner, I would be pretty morose, but since there’s no 911R standing in front of my house I can honestly say “THANK YOU PORSCHE”!

We’ve all been craving a modern, sleek 911 with a manual that didn’t cost as much as a Carrera GT, ever since the 991 generation was unveiled. Well here it is and my god does it pack a punch. It is powered by the fantastic 4.0 NA flat six that we can find in a regular GT3. Just to refresh your memory, it produces 500 horsepower and 339 lb-ft of torque.

It is available only with a manual gearbox. However, you’ll still be able to get the PDK in the “normal” GT3.
The GT3 Touring Package MSRP’s at $150.000 and frankly I’d be happy to spend that money on what basically is a 911R.2.

I may hate the Cayenne and not like the Panamera very much, but as long as they make Porsche enough money for them to produce cars for real enthusiasts, I’ll be happy to see them driving around.

Opel Insignia GSi

I’ve always felt like the first generation Insignia was overlooked, even though it was a pretty damn good car. Especially in the OPC version. Well, I was pleased to see the new Insignia turn so many heads and make quite a noise here on Car Throttle.

Now finally Opel has debuted the new performance version of the sedan and it rocks a pretty legendary “GSi” name. It also looks goddamn stunning!

The Insignia will be the most luxurious car in Opel’s line up by quite a margin. Its main competitors will be the VW Passat/Arteon as well as the Audi A4 and the non-AMG Mercedes C-Class.

The car is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine which produces around 280 horsepower. It’ is four wheel drive and is way lighter than its predecessor. It is also equipped with massive Brembo brakes and an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

While this might not be the fastest car revealed at IAA, I must give it to Opel- they made a goddamn job designing this car. I’m interested to see how it will compare with its competitors!

Conclusion

This year IAA might be one of the most exciting car shows we’ve had in this decade, some other highlights of the show were the: Ferrari Portofino, Lamborghini Aventador S, new Bentley Continental GT and a special RWD edition of the new Audi R8.

In my opinion, such enthusiast orientated cars, prove that the future of our beloved automotive world is in safe hands!

Would you guys like me to write an article about the cars unveiled at IAA that disappointed me? Let me know in the comments! What’s your favorite car debuted in Frankfurt?
Cheers,


Szymek Ślusarczyk