By LAWRENCE TAN

Excitement is building up to the Frankfurt Auto Show next week, with a slew of new supercars and limousines already unveiled ahead of the show. We have already reported on Ferrari’s latest Prancing Horse, the 458 Italia, Maserati’s GranCabrio, the Rolls-Royce Ghost, Bentley’s flagship Mulsanne, and BMW Mini’s 50th birthday offering, the MINI Coupé Concept and Roadster.

In particular, German automakers have come out with all guns blazing, determined to make this year’s show on home turf. BMW offered a glimpse of the future of motoring with its state-of-the-art Vision EfficientDynamics Concept (top picture), and is set to parade its new models, including the X1 Crossover and 5 Series Gran Turismo, around a special track built around its booth in the exhibition hall.

Not to be outdone, German automakers Audi and Mercedes-Benz have also released images of their new builds ahead of the show, as they sought to take full advantage of this year’s show on home turf. Here, we preview the Audi R8 Spyder and Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, and round up some of the other new cars that have got people talking.

Audi R8 Spyder

Not much details are available about the R8’s dropped-top sibling, except for the fact that it will reportedly get its juice from a Lambo-sourced 5.2-liter V10. Design wise, the sideblades have been replaced by air scoops just in front of the rear wheels, and a brushed aluminium-framed windshield.

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG

All that’s worth reporting on the car has already been done (read our previous report here), due to the protracted coverage of leaks, spyshots, and interior teasers that Mercedes-Benz have revealed. Now all that’s left is for this gullwing supercar, modeled after the legendary 300SL from the 1950s, to show up ‘in person’.

McLaren MP4-12C

This is perhaps the most eagerly anticipated car of the show McLaren’s first supercar to be fully built in-house since their infamous McLaren F1 and an acrimonious split with Mercedes-Benz which dealt a death knell for the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. It’s all carbon fiber and composites wrapped around an equally lightweight monocoque carbon fiber chassis, which means it is also very expensive – an expected £160,000, to be precise.

HTT Plèthore LC 750

Canada and ‘supercar’ are two words that seem totally unrelated but HTT is determined to prove a few critics wrong with its Plèthore LC 750. It’s not exactly a new car per se, with HTT having previously shown a pervious version in 2007, which was then known as the Locus Plèthore. Its distinct features are its central driving position (like the McLaren F1), and scissors doors that swing beyond the vertical axes.

Abarth 695 "Tributo Ferrari"

If you think that exterior trim looks familiar, that’s because it’s taken from Ferrari’s outgoing 430 Scuderia. This special edition 500 from Ferrari’s parent company Fiat pays tribute to Maranello, with an Abarth-tuned 1.4-liter 16-valve turbo four thrashing out over 180 hp. Performance wheels sporting Ferrari-inspired designs, a sport-tuned suspension, Brembo brakes and race-inspired paddle gearshifts help channel as much of the Ferrari’s look and feel into this special ride. Think of it as a mini Scuderia.

Frankfurt Motor Show