The Essen motor show in northern Germany is Europe's number-one tuning show. Anybody who is anybody in the European tuning scene has a stand, and you can buy everything from a VW fender to a million-dollar Brabus-tuned Mercedes-Benz. Here are some of the highlights of the 2003 event.
Notes From Europe
*Perfect Parking
If you've ever been to Italy, you'll be aware that the Italian approach to parking is...well...unstructured (Si, that'sa what fenders are afora!). The German approach, however, is ordered, highly bureaucratic and involves unspoken rules that are etched deep into the social psyche-and it drives you batty.
In recognition of this, BMW has come up with a raft of programs to tackle the thorny issue that can only be described as...well...German.
Firstly, the Teutonic motorist can now order front and rear cameras for his BMW. The front one is tucked under the license plate, and its 90-degree field of vision left and right is designed to help the hapless see round corners. The rear camera, meanwhile, offers 131 degrees of vision and complements the park assist program when the driver tries to parallel park his 7 Series into a space recently vacated by a smart (I've seen it happen). The cameras are available as aftermarket additions for the current 3, 7, X3 and X5, as well as the previous generation 5 and 7. A model for the current 5 is still under development. The rear camera costs German motorists between EUR 482 and EUR 754, while the front camera will set you back EUR 667.
As if that weren't enough, the company is also working on an automatic parking assistant that takes over the steering during a parallel parking maneuver. First of all, a sensor advises you if the parking space is large enough for the vehicle. The driver then slots in reverse and the assistant takes over control of the wheel. All the driver has to do is hit the gas and, more importantly, the brakes at the right moment. Still won't stop 7 Series drivers trying to squeeze into smart-sized spaces. Haven't met a BMW driver yet who is prepared to believe the judgment of a machine over his own.
*Polo Pep
Having spent a whole lot of time lately concentrating on the new Golf and its derivatives, VW has now turned its attention to pepping up its little Polo compact model with some new variants. The Frankfurt Show saw the launch of the Polo FUN, which raises the suspension and adds a bunch of SUV-esque body panels to create a mini off-road look. The end of 2003 also saw the launch of the Polo sedan, known in Germany as the Polo Limousine. But, before you jump to the conclusion that German teenagers will be showing up at school proms in a stretched version of the Wolfsburg baby, limousine is German for sedan, and the external dimensions of the car have gained only 28cm front to back.
The top end has also seen a boost, with the introduction of a sporty diesel boasting 130 bhp and 350Nm (258 lb-ft) of torque. The engine is currently fitted to the Jetta, Passat and Sharan. But, in the lightweight Polo GT package, the new power pack offers a 0-to-62-mph time of only 9.3 sec. and a top speed of 129 mph. Something of a pocket rocket by Polo standards.