Auto News 5

The Audi e-Tron concept attempts to marry the ideas of battery power and high-performance sports cars. The sexy two-seater uses a lithium-ion battery pack, which is liquid-cooled and located behind the passenger compartment (earning it the descriptor "mid-battery sports car," which unfortunately has none of the excitement of "mid-engine sports car"). The power unit is able to generate a ho-hum 313 hp, but an eye-popping 3319 lb-ft of torque -- ten times the torque of the R8's 4.2-liter V-8.

Volkswagen continues to refine its plans for a hyper-efficient car capable of traveling 100 kilometers on one liter of fuel with the L1 concept prepared for 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show. The German automaker first announced its intentions to build a "1-liter car" in 2002, and with this latest iteration has said a production version should be ready by 2013. The European fuel efficiency measure of 1 liter/100 km is equivalent to 235 mpg.

The Volkswagen GTI is universally loved around the Automobile Magazine office and that love earned the FTI Automobile of the Year honors for 2007. With the Golf R, the GTI formula is cranked up to 11. Underhood is the familiar 2.0T engine, but it manages to crank out an incredible 270 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque thanks to a maximum boost of 17.4 psi. Sign us up.

At long last, the wait for a new four-door Aston Martin is over. The British automaker officially unveiled its new 2011 Rapide at the 2009 Frankfurt motor show, ending a three-year long tease.

Mini is looking to simplify and purify its offerings at the 2009 Frankfurt auto show. We've already seen the coupe concept and now the rumored Roadster Concept is on display at the show stand.