Germany is leading the charge to create the world’s most innovative supercar
From hybrid supercars to hi-tech campervans, Germany is pushing auto innovation into top gear. Think AI dashboards, pure electric ideals and cult concept hits. Here’s all you need to know about the very best in German motor manufacturing and design in 2018...
BMW i8 Roadster
When the BMW i8 Coupé debuted in 2014, it was like nothing else on the road. The flag bearer for the Munich manufacturer’s drive to electric propulsion, the sporting four-seater was a grand tourer with bold style and a minimal environmental footprint. Now the line-up is joined by the i8 Roadster, which retains the Coupé’s dihedral doors and replaces the rear seats with a quick-folding electric soft-top, while new battery tech increases the all-electric range. BMW now has a total of nine electrified vehicles, with an all-electric Mini waiting in the wings for 2019. Next up is the BMW iNext, a concept SUV that points the way to a pure electric future; by 2025, the company hopes to over 25 electrified cars, 12 of which will be fully electric.
BMW i8 Roadster, from £124,000, bmw.com. Photography: Leon Chew
VW ID Buzz Concept
Many credit Volkswagen’s original Type 2 as the car that shaped the company’s image. From 1950 onwards, the various Type 2 vans, campers and buses projected an image of friendly functionalism, industrious but also countercultural, with a design that was compact and reassuringly durable. The ID Buzz is the concept version of the vehicle that VW hopes will recapture those glory days. Come 2022, the all-electric descendant of this pure concept car will be silently gliding along the boulevards of the future. With seating for eight, a projected 250-mile range and more clever design touches than you’d find in three regular-sized cars, the Buzz promises to replicate its forebears’ cleverest trick and become a cult hit that’s also a commercial success.
Volkswagen ID Buzz, concept only, volkswagen.com. Photography: Leon Chew
Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid
If there’s a more complete supercar on the market, we’ve yet to find it. Serving as our photographer’s trusty steed for the epic road trip behind this story, the new Turbo S E-Hybrid version of the Panamera combines space with pace, and pure dynamics with a veritable deluge of technology. Under its sleek bodywork is a turbocharged V8 mated to an electric motor and a hefty chunk of batteries. The result is a car that can glide silently and emission-free in EV mode, but still tear it up on the Autobahn, with a scarcely credible 3.4 second sprint time, thanks to instant electric torque. The finely detailed interior is perhaps the gold standard of what a tech-centric luxury sports car should look like inside. This is the ultimate hybrid machine and Porsche’s own all-electric saloon arrives next year.
Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, from £137,140, porsche.com. Photography: Leon Chew
Mercedes-Benz CLS
The CLS-Class has been led by design since the first swoopy saloon was launched back in 2005. Now on its third generation, it’s still the machine of choice for those who want a sober saloon with a subtle hint of class. Shown here as a 4MATIC four-wheel drive 400d in special Edition 1 trim, the CLS has the option of accommodating Mercedes-Benz’s cutting-edge driver assistance technology, widely seen as a stepping stone to the next level of autonomous driving. The top-of-the-line 450 model also incorporates EQ Boost, a new ‘mild’ hybrid system that throws in a few more electric horsepower to help with acceleration. Add in the optional Widescreen cockpit, which scatters the dashboard with panoramic display screens, and you have a classically elegant car that fuses traditional style with the building blocks for tomorrow.
Mercedes-Benz CLS, from £57,510, mercedes-benz.com. Photography: Leon Chew
As originally featured in the April 2018 issue of Wallpaper* (W*229)
Audi Elaine Concept
By the end of 2018, Audi will have had an image overhaul unlike any before. For decades the face of rock-solid German dependability and classically modern design, the brand is embracing an electric future with gusto. First up this autumn will be the E-tron SUV, a conventionally-styled pure electric challenger to Tesla et al. It’ll be followed by a more stylish Sportback sibling, previewed here in the shape of the Elaine Concept. That personable name is no mere placeholder; it shows the company trying to humanise its rather aloof image. The core technology is Audi AI, with autonomous functions ranging from self-driving highway mode to self-parking, charging and even washing. This is all still future thinking, but the recently launched Audi Smart Energy Network pilot project – a home charger system designed to integrate with the power grid – shows the electric road ahead.
Audi Elaine, concept only, audi.com. Photography: Leon Chew
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
Aarke has created the ultimate collection for caffeine lovers, the Aarke Coffee System
The new Aarke Coffee System consists of three elegant components, part of the Swedish company’s ongoing quest to reshape the world of appliances
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
The breathtaking runway sets of S/S 2025, from beanbag animals to a twisted living room
Wallpaper* picks the best runway sets and show spaces of fashion month, which featured Bottega Veneta’s beanbag menagerie, opulence at Saint Laurent, and artist collaborations at Acne Studios and Burberry
By Jack Moss Published
-
Apple’s Alan Dye and Molly Anderson discuss the design of Apple Watch Series 10
In addition to the Apple Watch Series 10, Apple has also introduced a new black titanium finish for the premium Apple Watch Ultra 2; here’s what’s new
By Nick Compton Published
-
Volkswagen celebrates 50 years of the Golf, its most famous modern model, with a flight of fancy
Wallpaper* travelled to eastern Turkey in search of the perfect backdrop to mark 50 years and eight generations of the evergreen VW Golf
By Adam Hay-Nicholls Published
-
In celebration of Bruno Sacco, the man who brought order and elegance to Mercedes design
The car designer Bruno Sacco has died. Sacco shaped Mercedes-Benz design for nearly a quarter of a century. We look back on his impressive legacy
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Does the Mercedes-Maybach SL 680 Monogram Series epitomise Pebble Beach culture?
Mercedes-Maybach launched its new SL 680 Monogram Series at Monterey Car Week 2024. How does Maybach's 21st-century take on upper-class motoring square with America's most upscale auto show?
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
We take Audi’s new Q6 e-tron quattro around and across the fjords of Norway
The new Audi Q6 e-tron quattro is a pure EV that marks a new design direction for the German brand, setting new tech standards along the way. Transportation Editor, Jonathan Bell, takes it for a drive
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
We sample the latest sports car from bespoke British manufacturer Theon Design
With the GBR002, Theon Design have transformed a classic Porsche into a low-key bespoke supercar, uprating and enhancing the iconic 964 model to exacting customer specifications
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
New-generation car camping and roof tents for luxury-loving adventurers
Car camping is having a moment. While Hyundai and Porsche can get you kitted up, we explore other options
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
The Marsien is an all-terrain supercar that takes the Porsche aesthetic into new territories
The Marsien by Marc Philipp Gemballa is a limited edition off-roading supercar inspired by the golden era of rallying Porsches
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
The 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed hosted a wealth of auto innovation, from hypercars to hot hatches
The best new SUVs, EVs, hatchbacks and supercars to emerge from the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed
By Jonathan Bell Published