1987 Frankfurt Motor Show
There was plenty to see at the
1987 Frankfurt Motor Show, but curiously little was really new. In terms of production cars
Alfa Romeo attracted plenty of interest with their then new, smooth, stylish 164s. Four different versions of the car were shown, from the top of the range 136 kW 3.0 V6 (which did come to Australia) and the 107 kW 2.0 Twin Spark, to the 129 kW 2.0 Turbo and the 84 kW 2.4 Turbo-diesel, aimed primarily for the European home market. The build quality on the show cars was first rate, the mechanical packaging clever and compact, and the interior styling avant-garde without looking like something from the Museum of Modern Art. The buzz among the press corps was positive, which should have pleased Alfa's new bosses at Fiat. Less pleasing, though, would have been the discovery that the 164 had an uncanny resemblance to Peugeot's then new 405, also styled by Pininfarina.
For sheer corporate presence, however, Frankfurt belonged to
BMW. The mood in Munich in the late 1980s was buoyant, upbeat - the new 7-series was outselling the S-class Benz on the home market, and there was an all-new 5-series and the V12 engined 8-series coupe in the pipeline even if they were not ready to be shown at the show. Centrepiece of the main BMW stand, and probably the star of the show, was the
Z1 Roadster. Just on 12 months ago the
Z1 was little more than a curiosity, the first product of BMW's high-tech, leading edge engineering 'think tank' operation, BMW Technik. Dr Bez, BMW Technik's director, always believed the car would go into production. The BMW board, however, wasn't so sure... Dr Bez obviously fought his boardroom battles well, as at Frankfurt BMW announced the Z1 would go into production, at the rate of just six cars a day, in mid-1988. The production Z1 looks little different to the prototype I saw 12 months ago, apart from some obvious cosmetic detailing, and the addition of striking, 16 inch spoked alloy wheels.
In truth the body was quite different, with smoother contours and a slight softening the roadster's wedgy lines. But key design elements of the original
prototype, such as the roll bar integrated into the windscreen, and the radical drop-side doors (by
1987 electronically controlled - with the aid of six microprocessors) remained. Powered by the 325i's silky 125 kW six, the Z1 weighed in at 1100 kg and would accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in about seven seconds, and generate almost 1g of lateral acceleration - more than any other production car built to that time. The Z1 was a brilliant drive, as has been every BMW Z model since.
Almost forgotten in the excitement of the
Z1 were the other goodies on BMW's stand, such as the awesome 750iL, the long wheelbase 735i, and the mildly face-lifted 3-series range, which included the very stylish wagon variant, called the Touring. And up in the Arab Quarter, among the grotesque hot rods from Koenig and Gemballa and Treser, the BMW Motorsport showed a tasty cabrio version of the M3. BMW clearly had Daimler-Benz on the defensive at Frankfurt in
1987. There was no new sheet metal on the Stuttgart company's sizeable stand, and only two new models - the turbo-diesel 300D and 190D 2.5. Distinguished by a typically functional vent on the right hand front guard, the 300D turbo boasted 105 kW and a top speed of 205 km/h. The five cylinder 190D turbo was good for 195 km/h, thanks to 90 kW and 225 Nm of torque at a stump-pulling 2400 rpm. Both went on sale in Germany before the
1988 model year.
To counter the hype over BMW's V12, Daimler-Benz went to great lengths to promote its range of V8 engines. Benz offered three V8s in 1987 - all with catalytic converters as standard - ranging from the 165 kW 4.2 litre, to the 185 kW 5.0 litre, to the 205 kW 5.6 litre. The engines could be ordered with what Mercedes called a reconversion option - that was without a catalyser, but with all the plumbing needed to fit one at a later date. The power output jumped to 170 kW, 195 kW and 220 kW respectively. Meanwhile, back in Stuttgart, work progressed on a six litre V12 for the S-class, due for release three years later, in 1990.
New Volvo Sheet Metal - But You Had To Look Hard
Volvo had a new car at Frankfurt, although you really had to look twice to notice it. The external changes to the 760 were subtle, even though all the panels forward of the windscreen were completely new. The "new" 760 looked lower and sleeker, thanks to a slimmer, sloping grille and new bumpers with integrated valance panels front and rear. Inside was a new dash, too - again, smoother and more integrated looking than in the previous model. The most significant change has occurred under the skin, however. Volvo's "Constant Track" live axle was replaced by an all-new independent layout dubbed 'Multi-link'. Multi-link featured large, shallow angle trailing arms working in conjunction with upper and lower transverse links and transverse track rods mounted to a substantial sub frame assembly.
Volvo claimed Multi-link offered the consistent performance and durability of a live axle with the ride comfort of an independent layout. The then new IRS rear end, which included an automatic ride levelling system, was fitted to the 780 coupe and 760 sedans - wagons missed out because the entire assembly was somewhat heavier than the live axle arrangement. With these mods Volvo had clearly moved the 760 further upmarket, and differentiated it more from the cheaper 740 range, which retained the old sheet metal and
suspension layout. Volvo's rationale for doing so was simple enough - BMWs all-new five series (not shown at Frankfurt, according to company sources, simply because its impact would have been lessened by the Z1 and the V12s and the 3-series) was just around the corner.
Porsche's stand looked like something from Miami Vice, with each car finished in pearlescent pink, gold or blue. Apart from questionable taste Porsche also displayed its 911 Speedster, which was planned to go into production in mid-1988, and its single seater Indy car, which was bound for the US CART circuit. The topless Speedster took the 911 back to its roots, being lighter and less comprehensively equipped than the soft-top Cabriolet. The folding top, for example, was unlined, and the aluminium-framed windscreen was raked back at a racier angle and could be removed in a matter of minutes with simple tools. A low-slung hardtop was also available for the car, as was a 'Club Sport' solid tonneau with inbuilt racing windscreen - the idea being that well-heeled club racers could make their Speedsters track worthy with a few turns of a spanner.
The Indy car was an altogether more serious project - with this car Porsche officially entered single seater racing for the first time since
1962. Placing the company's reputation on the line in such a direct manner was not as risky as it might have seemed - the CART scene was a long way removed from Formula One, both physically and philosophically, and Porsche did not have to be as successful first up as it would have needed to be in Europe to capitalise on the venture in the US market place. Although a quarter of a century had passed since its last single seater, the CART Porsche, known as the Type 2708, certainly looked the part. The monocoque was constructed from an aluminium/plastic sandwich material, and the all-new 2.8 litre quad cam V6 turbo engine produced around 560 kW on methanol.
The Ferrari Stand
The 1987 Frankfurt Motor Show was notable in that not one, but two Ferrari F40s were displayed - on separate stands. The 324 km/h twin turbo V8 super coupe, built to celebrate Enzo's forty years as a carmaker, had pride of place on the Ferrari stand - a sole splash of Italian racing red behind a phalanx of black 328, Testarossa, Mondial and 412 models. The second F40 graced Pininfarina's stand, alongside Alfa's evergreen Spyder, Peugeot's 205 GTi, Lancia's Thema Estate, and GM's bulky Cadillac Allante. Opel's display was interesting as it offered the chance to show off the then new Senator - and this was before the launch of the
VN Commodore. A stylish variant on the Senator theme was the one-off convertible by Keinath. More than just a chop-job, the cabrio conversion featured a new, more rakish windscreen, extensive bracing throughout and only two doors.
Also of interest at Opel was the 110 kW (with catalytic converter) twin cam 16 valve engine developed from the two litre Family Two power-plant. There was more than just a twin cam head to the engine, though - design features included a Motronic engine management system, two stage throttle body fuel injection, polished inlet and exhaust passages, a stainless steel exhaust manifold, forged pistons, sodium filled exhaust valves, enlarged sump and clutch, and a new, beefier
transmission. The first production installation for the engine was in the slippery Kadett GSi, which could do the 0 to 100 km/h in 7.8 seconds and boasted a 215 km/h top end.
The Japanese presence at Frankfurt was disappointingly ordinary - probably because they were waiting for their own Tokyo Motor Show which occurred only a month after. With typical non-conformism, however, Honda decided Frankfurt was the place to launch its updated Civic range. Although lower, wider, sleeker than before, the 1987 Civics looked remarkably like the old. The big changes were under the hood - a range of new single cam engines featured 16 valves, and a choice of single or twin carburettors, or Honda's PGM-FI fuel injection, depending on whether you wanted the 1.3, 1.4 or 1.6 litre variants. Power outputs ranged from 55 kW for the 1.3, to 66 kW for the 1.4, and 80 kW for the 1.6. Honda's decision to release the Civics at Frankfurt indicated it wanted to be the first Japanese carmaker to attempt to tackle the Europeans on their home turf.
Chrysler Portofino and Ford HFX Ghia Aerostar
Showcars were also noticeably thin on the ground at Frankfurt. Chrysler Corporation, lumped in among the Japanese, made a big noise about its Lamborghini-powered Portofino concept car. The most interesting aspects of the Portofino - apart from the fact that Chrysler designed it - were its four upward swinging doors and the fact that it lacked a B-pillar. It looked spectacular, but the practicality of it all was open to question. In fact, the whole exercise smacked of Chrysler attempting to re-invent the wheel. Ford showed its HFX Ghia Aerostar as a showcase for Ford design and technology from around the world. Under that Ghia-styled skin, which bears only a passing resemblance to Ford's production Aerostar van, are no less than 26 on-board microprocessors, which controlled everything from instrumentation to
steering and braking, to
transmission shift points, to the 400 watt sound system.
Japan's best show car belonged to Toyota. The FXV-II followed on from the original FXV first seen at the 1985 Tokyo Show. Unlike the original FXV, however, this version was a two door coupe. The FXV-II featured similar technological gadgets to its predecessor, such as four wheel steering,
four wheel drive, and four valves per cylinder. But a number of new features pointed to the way of the future for
Toyota. Prime among these were active
suspension, and Toyota's new quad cam 32 valve 3.8 litre V8 engine - the latter featuring all alloy in construction, and developing 173 kW at 5600 rpm, and 325 Nm of torque at 4000 rpm, with twin variable intake systems, oil-cooled pistons, and composite construction cam covers.
German Aftermarket Performance
There was plenty to tempt the horsepower freaks at the 1987 Frankfurt Motor Show, from Willy Keonig's outrageous 530 kW twin turbo Testarossa, to Gemballa's chopped-top, twin turbo 300 km/h Mirage, which once was a Porsche 911 and could be yours for a mere A$483,000. AMG unveiled its stylish new kit for the W124 coupe - and a second coupe sans Benz badges which featured a six litre, 32 valve 296 kW V8 under the bonnet. Top speed was more than 300 km/h, and the 0 to 100 km/h took 5.6 seconds - staggering figures for a 1987
automatic-transmission vehicle. Nearly as awesome was the Benz G-wagen off-roader powered by a 5.6 litre V8. With 220 kW on tap and a 200 km/h top end it was definately a match for a
Range Rover.
AMG weren't the only purveyors of Benz-based exotica - Willy Keonig showed turbo 560s with wide, wide
tyres, while Brabus featured an awesome range of body and engine kits for almost any Benz then going, including the Type 207 van. Alpina and Schnitzer both offered suspension, engine and body kits for improved performance and handling for the BMW 7 Series. There's no doubt both versions are faster than the standard car � Alpina's Bll engine kit offers 187 kW at 6000 rpm, for example � but neither looks better than the original. Spoilers and sideskirts do not sit well with the big Bee Emm's clean lines, Oh, and in case you wondered, a twin turbo version of the VI2 750i is already under development...
At the ultimate end of the tuners' spectrum were two complete cars by Zender and former Audi engineer Walter Treser. Of the two the stubby Zender Vision 3, powered by a mid-mounted Benz 5.6 litre V8, was judged by most to be the better looking. Unlike the Vision 3, Treser's two seater roadster - with a cleverly integrated folding solid roof - was destined for production. It was beautifully built. But it was also very ugly. Perhaps the real symbol of the technological expertise of Germany's tuners for 1987 was, however, the VW Beetle soft top on the Oettinger stand. The car itself was unremarkable. But the engine was developed and manufactured by Oettinger, and was a water cooled, fuel injected, catalysed 3.2 litre flat six with a five speed gearbox. Power output was 129 kW. That made the Beetle good enough for 200 km/h, if you were game.
