One new vehicle at Frankfurt that should at least get a mention is the new Subaru Justy, not because it's a great vehicle, but because it's the first Subaru in over a decade to be sold outside Japan that is not AWD, or at least even offers AWD as an option.

This is surprising because the the Daihatsu Boon, of which the Justy is just a rebadged version of, offers as AWD as well as FWD models. So might this be a hint of things to come? Meaning do you think Subaru may offer FWD on some of their other vehicles sold outside Japan? God, I hope that never happens...

Here's a link that shows images from the German Justy brochure.

There's an interesting article over at China Car Times (here) about the stumbling blocks that the Chinese auto industry is facing as they try to become a world player. China Car Times took a story that ran in the Shanghai Daily on this subject.

Straightline, other auto blog sites, and other auto and general interest news sites have commented on many of the problems—but as perceived by Western eyes. Now we have a Chinese perspective.

The Independent (here), which is from the UK, has summed up the outrage being felt in Europe by European carmakers and politicians alike.

"If a car suddenly appears that looks like a Smart, yet is not one but a copy which was produced not quite legally, then that is not great," observed German Chancellor Angela Merkel, noting that Chinese product piracy "is a relatively big issue".

Mark Binder, a Smart spokesman, said: "We saw the Shuanghuan vehicle at Auto Shanghai ... It is a blatant attempt to copy the design of the Smart Fortwo. We reserve the right to pursue legal action – also with regard to a possible exhibition of the car at the Frankfurt motor show."

In another related story over at Autoblog, China Auto, a European importer of Chinese vehicles almost got booted from the Frankfurt auto show as they were displaying a couple of their Chinese clones of European and Japanese vehicles. The Shuanghuan UFO (Toyota RAV4 copy) and CEO (mostly a copy of the BMW X5) SUVs are the vehicles in question at the show.

Even though the vehicles were allowed to remain on display, BMW is pursuing a lawsuit (here) against the Chinese automaker. It's going to be interesting to see how China and the rest of the world responds here on this intellectual property issue. Oh, and let's not forget all the other problems such the faulty auto parts and crash safety. Yep, there are some pretty big bumps in the road ahead for China.

I thought this looked interesting - like a GTI or Civic Si but with a little more character and spunk. The Seat Leon 2.0T FSI Cupra has a name that says it all. That 2.0T FSI engine is VW/Audi sourced and is good for 240 hp. 0-100km is listed at 6.4 seconds - more than quick enough for U.S. enthusiasts. -- Brian Moody, Road Test Editor

Look familiar? Both the Peugeot 4007 and Citroen C Crosser are essentially the Mitsubishi Outlander. Each version has a slightly different nose but inside it looks just like the Mitsu, chevron or lion logo on the steering wheel notwithstanding.

My favorite part is how garish and un-European the large subwoofer and Rockford Fosgate logo look when you open the rear tailgate. -- Brian Moody, Road Test Editor

You see Renault Kangoos everywhere in Europe. Mostly they're driven by small-business owners, but the Kangoo's low price and highly space-efficient design make it a draw for small families as well. The original Kangoo had been on sale since 1997, and Renault has just redesigned and enlarged it to help fend off the competitors it spawned (Citroen Berlingo, Peugeot Partner).

What you see here, though, is not a standard Kangoo, but the Kangoo Compact Concept. Renault has taken a page from the profitable Scion-Daihatsu playbook and attempted to tart up a delivery van to levels that will thrill 18-year-olds. Young people in continental Europe are evidently very much into inline skating, as this concept was codeveloped with Rollerblade -- and says Renault, "inspired by the shared values of mobility, togetherness and lust for life."

Naturally, there's ample interior room for exercising all those values, and a removable rear roof section enables spillage into the outdoors. The tailgate is comfortably scooped to provide secure seating whilst lacing up inline skates. The rear seat can swivel 180 degrees just like in some larger minivans.

Although Renault says the Kangoo Compact targets "city-dwellers," the company also claims to have raised the standard Kangoo's ride height 200mm (nearly 8 inches!) to enable off-road travel. Yet the car wears 19-inch wheels.

It's this bundle of contradictions that keep the Kangoo Compact concept from being just another active lifestyle vehicle. It's exactly that, of course, but left of center. "It is ideal for people with fast lifestyles who like having fun with friends and are always keen to try out new experiences."

With a 1.5-liter turbodiesel four, the Kangoo concept would ostensibly never be for American consumption. But if it were, say, rebadged as a Nissan, who among us wouldn't take one over a Versa? -- Erin Riches, Senior Content Editor

 

Excess pudge and average performance credentials relegate the production Suzuki SX4 to blah status in the economy car class, despite the fact that it's an attractive car. Recently, a Suzuki product planner told us that younger owners of the car were asking for a turbocharger option -- a fair request, we think, given that the hatchback version already has all-wheel drive.

The existence of the Suzuki SX4 WRC offers reason for hope. Suzuki had the 2007 version on display in Frankfurt, and the '08 iteration of this car will enter rally competition in the 2008 calendar year. --Erin Riches, Senior Content Editor

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It's very easy to see where Honda is going with the Accord Tourer concept. This is pretty much the exact shape the new European-market Accord will take when it debuts in production form next year in Geneva. This is a good-looking wagon that we'll never see in the U.S.

However, there will also be a sedan version, and given that our Acura TSX is based on the previous generation of that sedan, this concept likely offers a good idea of how the TSX successor might be proportioned. And given the Tourer's MDX-like front fascia, the general styling direction is probably not far off, either. And conveniently, a new TSX is expected for the 2009 model year. -- Erin Riches, Senior Content Editor

If VW continued to sell the Westfalia Camper in the U.S., this is what it would look like. This is a camper or caravan conversion of a VW Multivan plus it's a limited-edition California No Limit -- love Euro names.

Part of the special edition includes suede seating and painted appliances which consist of a two-burner stove, sink and fridge. Of course there's the pop-up sleeping compartment and hidden storage spaces throughout. Power comes from a 2.5-liter TDi that's good for 174 hp. Front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive is offered. This limited version will set you back about 69,000 euros -- base price is about 39,000 euros. Wealthy Europeans who just love vans can opt for a luxury model that does not have a camper but features Bentley seats and tons of hand-applied leather with many custom color choices. Price: 150,000 euros. -- Brian Moody, Road Test Editor

Please enjoy these pictures of the Porsche 911 GT2. We don't have much to add to our First Look story (link below) other than that seeing it in person, in red, brought us a great deal of joy. --Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit, Inside Line

 

 

Here's another French concept car that had us scratching our heads. The Peugeot 308 RC Z is an obvious Audi TT knockoff, but there's some Mitsubishi Eclipse in there along with bits and pieces of Nissan 350Z. If someone told us they were designing a car that mixed that many design elements, we would not be looking forward to the results.

Remarkably enough, this Peugeot looks quite striking, if not a little odd from the back. Although the roof looks as though it's made entirely of glass, the center section is actually carbon fiber to keep weight down. It's only packing a 1.6-liter engine, but Peugeot says it can do 0-to-60 in less than 7.0 seconds and hit 146 mph. There are plans for production at this time, but given that it's based on the same platform as the new 308 sedan, this coupe has a good chance of showing up in Geneva as a production car. -- Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor, Inside Line