Spotlight on the IAA 2015

It should already be on the market, but with turnover in the development team, it took a bit longer with the new A4, the middle-class star from Audi. The Ingolstadt-based auto company has incorporated cutting-edge technologies, including a digital cockpit.

The Golf is to Volkswagen what the Astra is to Opel. The Rüsselsheim-based automaker has high hopes for its fifth-generation Astra, which is not only lighter than its predecessor, but also a Wi-Fi hotspot on wheels. Networking is everything.

In Frankfurt, Volkswagen will unveil the second generation of its Tiguan, an SUV version of the Golf. That's pretty much all we know, since everything is top secret. There aren't any photos - only computer animations, meaning we have to wait for the premiere. Until then, we're happy to gaze longingly at the new convertible version of the Golf 7.

There's more than a generation separating these two cars. In the back is a Mercedes-Benz W111 convertible. In front is an S-Class - the first luxury topless model in 44 years. The vehicle comes with a fabric roof and sees Bentley and Rolls-Royce as its competitors.

Speaking of Rolls-Royce, the Brits are going topless too. Every now and then, RR convertible models have popped up, starting with the legendary Silver Shadow, then the Corniche and the Phantom Drophead. The newest one is called Dawn. It comes with a fabric hood and a 630-horsepower engine.

BMW will premiere its new 7 Series in Frankfurt. The luxury sedan is brimming with high-tech gadgets, like a gesture-based operating system control. A remake of the BMW SUV X1 is sure to attract a lot of ogley eyes too.

Like it or not, SUV sales are booming, and every carmaker wants a piece of the pie. That includes Jaguar, which is expected to show off its new SUV in Frankfurt. Those who want one will have to wait until next summer.

Bentley is among the contenders. Almost more unimaginable than an all-terrain Jaguar is an SUV from Bentley. Its CEO says his customers have an average of eight cars in the garage, with two being SUVs - and those might as well come from his company. No sooner said than done. The two-ton vehicle brings 600 horsepower to the corniche. We suppose all that power is helpful for towing fat yachts.

It's somehow already a legend just thanks to its ruby redness! Alfa Romeo's Giulia wants to compete with the BMW 3 series and is taking up the contest with gusto: Rear-wheel drive, 510 horsepower under the hood, 0 to 100 in 3.9 seconds. In the version above, the hood, roof and drive shaft are made of carbon fibre.

Who actually remembers the German brand Borgward anymore? Me neiter. But cars were built under this brand-name in Bremen until 1963 - the most famous being the Isabella. Now the brand is being revived. In Frankfurt, the automaker will present a close-to-production prototype of an SUV called BX7, which will be built in China.