Gallery>> The Faces Of Essen

While
walking through the Essen Auto Show the other week, Rod and I
started talking about the recent Art of the Badge articles from fellow Speedhunter, Jonathan Moore. The genius of these posts is how they refresh normal event coverage as they look at details
that are sometimes overlooked. This then allows you to compare car features, side by side. Mike Garrett’s wheel and paint posts from the California Hot Rod Reunion and Rod’s Engines of SEMA post follow on from this new story template.

So with this in mind, we decided to shoot the Essen show from a new point of view. But rather than look at wheels, badges or paint jobs, we though to show just the fronts of a range of machines. So I’m happy to present, the Faces of the Essen Motor Show 2011.

AC
Schnitzer added a very nice carbon splitter to the frontbumper of this BMW 1M. Personally, I would order it without the grille in the center of the bumper.

It’s all
function on this Audi TT RS. I really like the integrated lights for the night
driving at the 24 hour events.

A 800bhp
V12 engine needs a lot of air, as demonstrated by this Brabus Rocket based on
the CLS.

I’m just amazed
by the fact that this SLR has a license plate!

Although I’m a BMW man at heart, I thought the new DTM Mercedes had
more presence. I don’t think that Rod agreed with me though.

Unlike the new breed of touring car racers, there aren’t any canards
in sight on this 1978 Mercedes 450SLC race car. There is a front splitter though.

What about
this front end on an immaculate BMW 3.0 CSL. You like?

We found Patrick Ritzmann’s 1JZ powered BMW E46 drift machine in one of the downstairs halls.

You can
never go wrong with a clean front end on a MKI. I especially liked the
Oettinger logo on the grille.

Looking at this little Mini Cooper rally car is a stark reminder on how much times have changed since the 1960s.

We liked the matte white finish on this Brabus “Zero Emission” EV concept.

Here’s the famous
front end of the Opel Ascona 400, that took Walter Röhrl to the WRC title in
1982.

This
front end belongs to the Porsche 962C that came second at Le Mans ’87.

At the end
of the spectrum, we have Schumacher’s Formula 1 Mercedes.

Which front end do you think is the most dramatic?

-Jeroen Willemsen

Essen Motor Show coverage

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1

I like very much this new point of view !!! The Mini is funny, but that orange SLR are very very agressive. I would like every day an article like this! ;)

2

1st!



Gonna have to say the E92

4

My answer would be the F1. Wouldn't wanna be there when it is moving.

5

That TT RS looks like it could do some real damage to a track, definitely the meanest face in my opinion.

6

I'd have to say the 962C. Look at the width of those wheelarches....

7

the orange 722!!! Any chance of a spotlight on that?!

8

OMG i love Audis, that TT RS makes my heart skip a beat

9

Very cool feature! It seems so simple really but sometimes nothing beats a head on shot, rear shot or a basic side profile of a car. Its so simple but these angles tell do the talking for any other angle on the car and it would be great to see more features like this. Maybe a which car has the nicest a$$ feature or something. So most dramatic huh? Im going to have to say the Mini.... Its such an unassumingcar with a simple design but look at the extra rally lights on it. Theres also all the little straps and tethers. The license plates and the little black things on the side that to be honest, i have no idea if they are for debris or if there some form of canard. This is the little car that could in the Monte Carlo Rallye. Its clearly the warrior of the Mini family and you dont find a much more dramatic story than that!

10

All of the Mercs are nice here, but the orange SLR totally dominates the scene. And of course, the Mini is so-o-o-o cute. Thank for giving everyone a chance to look all these cars in the eye - a great idea!

11

the slr... the orange makes it scream, look at me.

12

Brabus 800 looks mean

13

Man! Good to see you guys are still covering Essen! What a show, wish I could've gone!

14

You shouldn´t use wide-angle shots for these kind of photos. I know somtimes there isn´t enough space to use 35-50mm on an Cropcamera like the 60D, but it would look much better.



Especially the orange Mercedes doesn´t look advantageous taken with 18mm.

15

The license plate on the SLR is a fake!

I`m from Germany and this car isn`t alowed to drive on open Streets! the Stamps an the license plate are missing! ;-)

16

BMW 3.0 CSL - Its just Art

MkI - the Smileys haha

17

S1 face desktop please :)

18

The Porsche 962C has a fantastic "face"

19

BRABUS Rocket 600. Second BMW 3.0 CSL. But you could do better than this, search through your pictures better please. Any 935? Or some 250GTO?

20

The Audi S1 !!!

21

are u guys kidding!?!? its obviosly the MK1 Golf, but the M3 DTM comes close

22

Very, vety cool! I want to see more pics of the '78 Mercedes 450SLC and the Opel Ascona 400 :)

23

Deffinately love the mini! the new one is so big comparitivly, this is a fabulus article!

24

The mercedes MGP W02 seems so simple compared to this lot even though we know that is very very very very far form the truth. But my vote goes to the bmw E46 drifter

25

The Porsche 962C is just beautiful. Clean lines, no fuss. The rally cars really stand out too. Love to see them lit and night!

26

Best looking front end: Audi TTRS (I nearly drooled when I saw that)

Most menacing: BMW DTM (I actually did say "Woah" and jumped a little bit when I saw it)

Most dramatic: Brabus Zero Emission EV concept (Well, I actually just thought "wtf")

27

Patrick Ritzmann's 1JZ powered BMW E46 looks like modern orangutans

28

Schumacher's Mercedes wins hands down. Nuff Said...

29

liking the Audi TT RS, thats a face that would have me 'reaching' if i spotted it in my rear view. also liking that the look of the old Mercedes 450 SLC, you just got to respect the original Mini Rally.. love the fact that so many diverse cars/manufacturers are all together in one place.. - awesome

30

TT RS is arguably the most dramatic, but the Mercedes-Benz GP car just amazes me with the utter lack of material on the front end.

31

I hafta admit.. that Audi TT RS is MEAN!

32

@MikMik86



you get the stamps from the insurance. if it doesn't have the stamps it's not insured, also we don't have the exhaust emission stamps on the front of the car anymore as you might now... so MAYBE it is street legal in our country, but at this point it wasn't due to it's missing insurance (might not be the only reason). but you would still be able to drive it with the red plates ;)

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