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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.

2017 Ferrari GTC4Lusso First Drive

The Ferrari FF is a monster, a four-wheel-drive bread van with a 6.3-liter V12 that people like us have adored since it arrived in 2011. It's great to drive and better to look at, a shooting brake with more power, less practicality, and a higher price tag than pretty much anything else in this shape. Ferrari has sold almost 6,000 of them, handily beating its target of 800 per year. It was a success by any measure. Its replacement, the GTC4Lusso, might sound like something out of Ferrari's mad, bad Sixties brochures, but under the skin is pretty much the same aluminum-alloy space frame of the FF. Ferrari has carefully listened to its critics on practicality, price, and power, and duly made the GTC more powerful, pricier, and not much more practical. There have been some slight stylistic adjustments. A scallop was cut into the front fender and door skins to reduce the visual weight, and the roofline has been extended, terminating in a slight spoiler at the waist, which is said to improve aerodynamic efficiency by up to six percent. It looks sharp and mean on its 20-inch five-spoke alloys, although some of the detail, such as the wing vents and the absurdly long hood, verge on the cartoonish. The basic 65-degree, 6.3-liter, quad-cam V12 stays largely the same, but has a higher compression ratio and redesigned cylinder heads and pistons, which make the fuel/air mix burn more efficiently and consequently provides 30 more horsepower. The engine shrieks to 8,250 rpm, but peak power is 681 hp at 8,000 rpm with peak torque of 514 pound-feet produced at 5,750 rpm. Top speed remains the same at 208 mph, but the 0–62 mph acceleration time comes down slightly to 3.4 seconds. US gas mileage is yet to be homologated, but the European-cycle figures improve slightly – not that you care. The engine drives a rear-mounted, seven-speed, twin-clutch transaxle and then there is that extraordinary four-wheel-drive system, which consists of a simple, helical-cut, hydraulically controlled gearbox running off the front of the crankshaft. It weighs 100 pounds and has two speeds plus reverse and a couple of Haldex-type clutches to activate each wheel when required in first to fourth gears and at speeds below 124 mph. New for the GTC is a ZF rear-steering system, a ram powered by an electric motor that pushes the rear suspension against its bushings to give a couple of degrees steering in either direction.

One-off '65 Ferrari 330 Shark Nose for auction in Scottsdale

Russo and Steele has a unique Ferrari going up for auction next month in Scottsdale, AZ. The vehicle in question is a 1965 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 – the fastest grand touring Prancing Horse of its day – but fitted with a unique shark-nose front end. This one-of-a-kind Ferrari been comprehensively restored and has remained under American ownership since its creation. Chassis number 6,537 GT (with matching engine number) was delivered new by Ferrari's longtime North American importer Luigi Chinetti to John W. Mecom Jr. – a Texas oil baron, founding owner of the New Orleans Saints, noted car collector, and racing enthusiast. The Series I coupe arrived in a rare combination four-speed overdrive transmission and rare quadruple headlights, in dark blue with tan leather interior. Mecom subsequently had it sent back to Italy and fitted with the new front end you see here. The coachbuilt 330 was subsequently sold to owners in Georgia and Kentucky, and along the way was repainted in metallic red. The car disappeared into storage for many years before re-emerging in 2007. It then underwent a comprehensive restoration at Ferrari of Washington, where it was stripped and refinished in the original blue. The process also saw the interior reupholstered, the brightwork replated, and the original Borrani wheels fitted with fresh rubber. It has now been consigned to Russo and Steele to be auctioned in Scottsdale at the end of January. Ferrari 330s generally sell for much less than their 250-series predecessors, fetching prices in the hundreds of thousands – not millions. This particular auction house does not typically published pre-sale estimate figures, however when reached for comment by Autoblog, spokesman Darin Roberge revealed: "we expect this amazing, one of a kind automobile to cross six figures several times over." Highly Exotic, One Off 1965 Ferrari 330 GT "Shark Nose" with Important Ownership History to Cross the Block at Russo and Steele's 2016 Arizona Auction Event Scottsdale, Arizona (December 1st, 2015) – Combining avant-garde Pininfarina styling with outstanding V-12 performance, Ferrari's 330 GT 2+2 was a comfortable 2+2 model and while following in the footsteps of the prior 250 GTE 2+2, the 330 GT 2+2 upped the ante on performance and set new standards for comfortable, high-speed motoring pleasure for up to four with its 50-millimeter wheelbase extension.