On the eve of the opening of the IAA Frankfurt, Volkswagen showed the way our automotive mobility will develop in the future. I already showed you on another page on this site some photo impressions of this magnificent event, called Volkswagen Group Night "Via Vision - Ways into the Future", and would like to dwell a bit further on it here.

Hans Knol ten Bensel

Dr. Ferdinand K. Piëch, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Volkswagen AG and his wife Ursula looking confidently into the automotive future at the Volkswagen Group Night...

The international presence was overwhelming, and I met amongst others Miss Cao Yu of Shanghai Volkswagen. She is the Board secretary at the Office of the Managing Director, and followed of course the event with the greatest interest, together with her colleagues.

Miss Cao Yu of Shanghai Volkswagen listened with interest...

Close to the “inner circle…”

Fascinated as I was with the unfolding of the show, where the public could see on large screens what happened on the podium thanks to a flurry of ultra high definition camera’s, I stayed close to the podium, and remained by chance very near the company surrounding Mr. Piëch and his wife Ursula, a woman full of spirit, humour and flamboyant charm. Armed with the Sony Alpha 500, I took of course some close range shots of the couple.

Reinhard Reinhard Jung, Chairman of the Board Škoda Auto A.S., presenting the Skoda Superb Estate, together with a whole family in the car!

The atmosphere on the show was buoyant and confident, and what impressed me was the way the VW group has been able to give every marque of the group a very distinct flavor and character, and it was also a very good idea to let each of the CEO’s of the respective marques present personally on the podium  their new cars and IAA premieres. The whole show was also marked by the emphasis on technological know how, which the VW group has acquired as a car builder, and which is indeed found back in all its cars.

 

James Muir, President and CEO Seat S.A., presenting the SEAT Ibiza Concept IBZ

As could be expected, electric propulsion is one of the major themes, although it was not without humour that Bugatti Chairman Paefgen surprised the public by driving on the podium at the helm of an… electric vintage Bugatti runabout in … Belgian colours, as this veteran car had been originally delivered there. 

Dr.Dr.  Dr. -Ing. Franz-Josef Paefgen, President Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S., presenting... the electric Bugatti in Belgian colours!

Good dynamic qualities of a car besides frugality was also an overriding theme running through the presentation, and was stressed clearly when presenting the Bugatti Aveyron and the red Audi R8 Spyder.

But a few minutes later, Dr. Paefgen presented the Bugatti Aveyron 16.4 Grand Sport "Sang Bleu".  

Elegant and pure Latin styling and form language was present at the presentation of the Seats, and timeless tradition and luxurious power were seen at the presentation of the Bentley Mulsanne.

La belle et la bête: hostesses flanked the Lamborghini Revènton... more on the car itself soon on this site!

Flamboyance was seen at the presentation of the new Lamborghini Revènton Roadster by Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A, as he was flanked by two elegant hostesses.

Stephan Winkelmann being interviewed by the international press, with the hostess looking on...

The E-future…

At the finale of the show, attention focused on the E-Up!, painted in bright yellow. The zero-emissions concept car has been designed under the leadership of Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Board of Management, Volkswagen Brand, and Head of the Development business area, and he presented the car personally in front of the razor-sharp rostrum television cameras and amidst a cloud of photoflashes.

Mr. Ferdinand K. Piëch (right in photo corner) and his wife (left photo corner) attentively watching as Dr. Hackenberg drives the E-Up! to the podium, here also seen on the big screen above them...  

The car is based on modules of the New Small Family anticipated for the year 2011, but it is even more compact with a length of 3.19 meters. The powerful and clean lines of the E-Up! body reflect par excellence styling based on the new Volkswagen “design DNA”, and, according to VW, shows cult potential.

Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Group, ended the show with some final remarks. “One of the basic milestones in the near automotive future is the mass produced electric car. Yet, to be a resounding success such an electric car must be affordable to a broad customer base as well as uncompromisingly practical in everyday driving.“

Dr. Martin Winterkorn presenting the E-future...  

He touched here some major points. Battery technologies must be further improved, amongst others. But the VW group is working on it, and is, also due to its presence in China, at the center of new developments when major Asian economies decide to shift to the E-future…

After the presentations of all these “premieres”, the cars remained on display for the lenses of many photographers, and I could not fail to be utterly charmed by the beautiful shapes of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport "Sang Bleu".

The engine of the beautiful Aveyron... 
 

And I was not alone, South Korean reporter miss Son Hyun Jin of the Asia Economy Daily was also frantically photographing away so her readers in Seoul can also admire the beautiful Bugatti styling.

and the cockpit of the Audi R8 Spyder...

We met on the show also Seat designer Luc Donkerwolke, standing proudly in front of the Seat IBZ Concept car. We had an interview with him, as you will see soon elsewhere on the site…  

We let you enjoy further my photo impressions of this truly fascinating evening…  

Hans Knol ten Bensel