Must See Vehicles at the 2017 Frankfurt Auto Show

The Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (International Auto Show, or IAA) in Frankfurt, Germany, is the world's largest auto show, hosting nearly a million visitors every year. Though the focus is largely on European-market vehicles, many US-bound cars and SUVs make their debut at Frankfurt. We walked the miles of aisles to find what was new and notable at the 2017 Frankfurt Auto Show. Let's check out the cars!

It was almost as if someone at Audi said: “How can we make a car that will be the most appealing to car fanatics?” Answer: An RS variant of the European-market Avant wagon. This baby packs 450 horsepower and will pack away a month's worth of groceries. Audi doesn't plan to sell it in America, and we are that much worse off for it.

The Continental GT is way overdue for a replacement, and the new one was worth the wait. Beneath the gorgeous styling (showgoers seemed particularly fascinated by the unusually sharp creases in the bodywork) lies a Porsche platform, and within is an interior worthy of one of the world's great luxury brands. The new Continental GT is everything a Bentley ought to be.

Being in Germany, on BMW's home turf, there was plenty to see in the giant BMW pavilion. This stunning concept car gives us a glimpse of what a future flagship coupe might look like. In a show full of breathtaking concept cars, the Concept 8-Series was arguably one of the most exciting on display—especially because it's likely a preview of a future production model.

This concept vehicle gives us an outline of a full-size SUV, presumably to take on the Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class, Audi Q7, and Cadillac Escalade. It looks very close to production form, but we can't say we're in love with the styling; it's very big, but not very beautiful.

This concept car gives us a preview of the upcoming BMW Z4 roadster which, surprisingly, is a joint venture with Toyota. We assume there will be a Toyota version as well, perhaps the long-awaited successor to the Supra. The concept is gorgeous, and we can't wait to see the real thing.

Borgward is a former German automaker that has been resurrected in Switzerland and financed by China, where their SUVs are sold. Though their current products aren't much to get excited about, they revealed this stunning electric-powered four-door sports car at the show, and it was one of the highlights. Borgward is just now trying to establish a foothold in Europe, so it's unlikely we'll see their cars in the United States anytime soon.

Most people know Brabus for their hot-rod Mercedes and Smart models, but did you know that they also restore classic Benzes? We didn't either until we saw their stand at Frankfurt, full of old Benzes meticulously restored to museum quality. Best of all, their restorations are backed by a two-year unlimited-mileage warranty. We don't know what it would take to import one of these restorations to the U.S., but it'd be worth trying!

We love this French automaker for their quirky designs, although the C3 Aircross is, admittedly, a bit less quirky than some of their other cars (Google “Citroën C4 Cactus” to see what we mean). The C3 Aircross is a SUV-ized version of their C3 hatchback. There's no chance of it coming to America, but the Hyundai Kona (which we'll show you in a few slides) will bring a Citroën-like vibe to the US.

Good news! Romanian automaker Dacia (now a subsidiary of Renault, which also owns Nissan) introduced the latest version of their low-cost off-roader. The Duster will not be coming to the United States, but fans of the BBC series Top Gear will remember James May talking about it in several news segments. “Good news—there's a new Dacia Duster!”

This is Ferrari's replacement for the California, and it's named for a lovely city in Italy. And like its namesake, the Portofino is a lovely car, one that looks striking whether the retractable hardtop roof is in place or folded away. Pricing for the US has not been set, but the car will sell in Italy for €196,000, which is about $233,500.

Ford introduced an all-new Fiesta, a big seller in Europe. The exterior doesn't look much different from the current car, but the interior is completely new, and easily the best cabin we've seen from Ford in many years. Also on display: A two-door hot-hatch version. Once the Fiesta goes on sale in Europe, it should come to the US before too long. It'd be nice if they bring the two-door, but mostly we just hope they don't change that fantastic interior.

Honda showed this retro-styled electric-powered city car concept. The styling is supposed to recall the first-generation Honda Civic of the early 1970s, but it looks more like a Volkswagen Rabbit to us. The wheels are cool, though. Honda is planning on a production version for Europe, but it's unlikely to come to the US, where buyers have shown little interest in small electric city cars like the smart fortwo Electric and the Mitsubishi i-MiEV.

The i30 is one of the few European models that Hyundai sells in America; we get it as the Elantra GT hatchback, and it's one of the most entertaining (and underappreciated) models in Hyundai's lineup. Hyundai showed this nifty stretch version called the i30 Fastback, but it's unlikely we'll see it in the US, as it would probably be too close to the Elantra sedan for Hyundai's liking.

Here's another Hyundai model we can't get in America. The i40 is closely related to the US-market Elantra, but it's unlikely this wagon version would find much interest among American buyers. Shame, as it's a cool-looking car.

With all the conservative designs coming from Hyundai in the last couple of years, the Kona is a real surprise; in fact, it reminds us a lot of the whimsical cars designed by French automaker Citroën. We expected the Kona to be exclusive to Europe, but we were wrong—a production version is coming to the United States in the spring of 2018.

This is Jaguar's new small SUV, essentially a shortened version of the F-Pace. We're sure the driving experience will be great, but to our eyes it looks a bit stubby, lacking the long, low profile of the F-Pace (and most of Jag's other models). Perhaps we'll get used to it in time?

Eat your heart out, wagon lovers of America: If you lived in Europe, Kia would sell you this beautiful station wagon version of the Optima mid-size sedan.

Kia revealed a handsome subcompact crossover with the somewhat odd name of Stonic. We'd love to see this car come to the United States, but for the moment that isn't going to happen; best guess is that Kia doesn't want to steal sales from corporate sibling Hyundai, which is about to introduce the closely-related Kona. It's a shame—the Stonic would be a good alternative for those who think the Kona is a bit too radical.

This is Mercedes' new hypercar, and it's a doozy, with a hybrid drivetrain that produces over 1,000 horsepower and can accelerate the car to 200 km/h (about 125 MPH) in six seconds, faster than a Bugatti Chiron. The powertrain is based on a tiny 1.6 liter V6 that spins to a motorcycle-like 11,000 RPM. The catch: It has to be rebuilt every 30,000 miles or so. We're sure those few who can afford its $2.5 million price tag won't mind too much.

No, we haven't gone crazy with Photoshop: Mercedes actually did introduce a pickup truck, which they call the X-Class. The truck is based on Nissan mechanical bits (specifically the Navarra, a newer version of the Frontier that has yet to come to the States). Sadly, it's not US-bound, at least not yet; the X-Class will be sold in Europe, South America, and Australia.

This is what hot-rods look like in France. The newly-introduced Megane RS packs a 276 hp turbocharged engine and a four-wheel steering system. Dig those three-piece fog lights!

Imagine taking the smart fortwo and cranking its little three-cylinder engine up by about a third, to 125 horsepower. Oh wait, you don't have to because Brabus has already done it. 0-62 MPH acceleration is still a bit lackadaisical at 9.2 seconds, but it's better than the stock Smart, and those 18” wheels look kind of cool. Brabus will produce 125, and it's unlikely any will be sold in the States.

Ever wonder what happened to the Suzuki Samurai? Legal action related to its tendency to tip over caused it to be pulled from the market in the US, but the Samurai soldered on in the rest of the world, where it was known as the Jimny. Suzuki still makes it, although it hasn't changed much since its last redesign nearly twenty years ago, and sitting inside is like being in a time machine set for 1998.

While Suzuki breathed its last breath in the US with cars like the Kizashi and SX4 (both good, but largely unappreciated), Europe had the slick little Swift. New at the Frankfurt show is the latest version, the Swift Sport, with a sprightly 1.4-liter turbo that delivers 138 hp. The flyweight Swift Sport should be quite the pocket rocket, but we in America will never know.

Toyota fine-tunes their product lines to particular markets, and there are several Toyota models sold in Europe that can't be found in the United States. Most would not be to our tastes, but can you imagine if they offered the Auris Hybrid Touring shown here as a wagon variant of the Prius?

The Arteon is the replacement for Volkswagen's aging CC, and it's a beautiful car, artfully designed on the outside, upscale on the inside, and now featuring a useful hatchback-style lid that opens on a massive trunk. The Arteon is already on sale in Europe, and it will arrive in the US for the 2019 model year. We think it can't get here quickly enough.

Chinese automaker Wey showed this intriguing SUV concept, which features gull-wing doors and a plug-in hybrid drivetrain. It's eye-catching and unique, especially considering that most of Wey's SUVs are none-too-subtle rip-offs of European vehicles. We probably won't see anything like this in the U.S. soon, but Wey is one of the several automakers trying to make inroads in Europe. The XEV Concept should certainly get the Europeans to take notice.