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Weekly Recap: Takeaways from the Frankfurt Motor Show

We obsessively covered the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, and naturally, we selected our favorites from this fall's biggest automotive event. Now that the dust has settled, we're looking ahead to what it all means. Here are three takeaways from the floor in Frankfurt. The Germans are serious about electric vehicles: It's a bit cliche to say BMW, Mercedes, and Audi have downplayed electrics in favor of other technologies, like diesels. For a time that may have been true, but those three companies, along with Porsche and Volkswagen, are emerging as leaders in EV development. That was on display in Frankfurt, when all of them revealed either all-electric or plug-in hybrid models. Gas prices are relatively low in the United States, but clearly the Germans are thinking long-term and globally. Everyone is serious about SUVs: You gotta have one, even if you're Bentley or Jaguar. It's 2015 and it's what consumers want. As Jaguar design director Ian Callum put it, "Not to be in the sector would be a little naive for the sake of purity." It's not just the flashy exotic luxury makers. Nissan showed the Gripz concept, which is rakish, radical, and meant to blend traits of SUVs and sports cars into a vehicle that really crosses over. Look for more, especially in the luxury sector, as Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, and Aston Martin ramp up their own SUV efforts. There's no ceiling to the luxury market: Speaking of high-end cars, companies are continuing to invest in extravagant wares beyond just SUVs. Even during the recession, ultra-luxury makers remained relevant, and now they're back at full stride. In Frankfurt, that was illustrated by yet another S-Class model, the cabriolet, which will come in S550 and S63 AMG variants in the United States. Ferrari also showed off the 488 Spider, and Lamborghini opened up the Huracan LP 610-4 Spyder. Meanwhile, Bugatti's Vision Grand Turismo concept reminded enthusiasts that it's plotting life after the Veyron. European auto shows always draw the glitziest reveals from luxury makers, and this year didn't disappoint. OTHER NEWS & NOTES 2016 Honda Civic redesigned with snazzier style, turbo power The 10th-generation of the Honda Civic debuted this week at events in Los Angeles and Detroit ahead of its launch in the United States this fall as a 2016 model. Honda fortified the Civic with LED lights, an available turbo engine, and a more tech-laden cabin.

Lamborghini's first US Winter Accademia should be snow freaking cool

Though they are equipped almost exclusively with all-wheel drive, a Lamborghini might not be our first choice to drive in the snow. Not for practical reasons, anyway. But the idea sure does sound like fun – and probably more than a little bit educational, too. That's why Lamborghini established the Winter Accademia. Similar to the warm-weather Lamborghini Accademia we recently undertook at Laguna Seca, the Lamborghini Winter Accademia is a factory-organized advanced driving course, only this one takes place in the snow. The program was previously held only in Livogno, Italy, but the Bolognese automaker is now bringing it to the United States. Lamborghini will hold its Winter Accademia program during two sessions in early February at Snowmass in Aspen, Colorado (the same resort town where Ferrari held its winter driving program for the FF). During those sessions, pupils will have the chance to drive the Aventador and Huracan in the snow under the tutelage of factory instructors who will teach them techniques like emergency braking, drifting and lapping a makeshift roadcourse in the snow. Which sounds not only like a whole lot of fun, but like good skills to anyone who doesn't want to put their high-performance sports car in the garage for the entirety of the winter season. LAMBORGHINI ANNOUNCES FIRST-EVER NORTH AMERICAN WINTER ACCADEMIA FOR 2015 High Performance, Dynamic Ice and Snow Driving Coupled with Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity in Aspen/Snowmass HERNDON, Va., December 9, 2014 – Lamborghini Squadra Corse is gearing-up for its first-ever North American-based winter driving school. The 2015 Winter Accademia at Aspen/Snowmass will provide driving enthusiasts and brand aficionados an opportunity to push exclusive Lamborghini cars and themselves to the limit. For those who crave the opportunity, the Lamborghini Winter Accademia program, which takes place February 5-7 and 6-8, 2015 in Aspen/Snowmass, Colorado, will allow enthusiasts to experience the all-wheel-drive supremacy of the Aventador LP 700-4 as well as the Huracan LP 610-4 on ice and snow. Under the guidance of passionate, professional Lamborghini instructors, participants will not only handle critical winter-driving conditions, but learn techniques exclusive to the Lamborghini Winter Accademia Program.

Hyundai Santa Cruz, Kona N and Elantra Hybrid | Autoblog Podcast #691

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by West Coast Editor, James Riswick. They've been driving a lot of new cars, including the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz pickup, 2022 Hyundai Kona N, 2021 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid, 2021 Acura TLX Type S and 2022 Hyundai Genesis G70. Lamborghini revealed a modern interpretation of the Countach, for better or worse. Finally, they heelp a listener replace a 2013 Ford Edge in this week's "Spend My Money" segment. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #691 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we're driving: 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz 2022 Hyundai Kona N 2021 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid 2021 Acura TLX Type S 2022 Hyundai Genesis G70 Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4 revealed Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related Video: