The best new wheels to keep on your radar from the recent International Motor Show in Munich, from Polestar to Porsche
LIKE FASHION WEEK FOR GEAR HEADS, the automotive world would, once upon a time, flock to Frankfurt Motor Show for all the major car releases, reveals and concepts. Frankfurt was one of the most important motor shows for Europe (and arguably, the world), and at one point, boasted close to 2,000 exhibitors and a million visitors. In 2021, amid questions around the relevance of the auto show and rising city costs for brands and visitors to attend, the Frankfurt Motor Show moved to Munich and became what is now known as IAA (aka Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung).
Fast forward to today and the event has shifted beyond all things internal combustion into “mobility”. And, to be honest, it has become a lot more fun, fresh and dynamic as it breaks out of the stuffy conference centre (though there is that, still) and into the streets of Munich as a festival-like event (not too dissimilar to Milan Design Week), where anyone can attend the action.
This year may have just been the most important edition of IAA to date, as it seems Europe is finally waking up to the growing market share, innovation and accelerated growth of Chinese automakers, who too had a strong presence at the show. Most of the major brands were in attendance, at a scale not seen since the pandemic sucked up budgets and event confidence. Europe is back, baby. 
The show saw some of the most significant reveals in recent years, and lots of them. Naturlich, we were on the ground with our pals in the industry – who all asked to be kept anonymous, by the way—to get the tea, find out which cars everyone is talking about, most impressed by and which ones are worth remembering.   
Here are the top five cars everyone is talking about and all the talking points you need to know.
What is it: This is Polestar’s elegant new halo car, a high-performance electric grand tourer, and fairly true-to-concept of the Polestar Precept, which debuted in 2020, so it’s taken a while. It’s arguably one of the most sustainable high-performance vehicles (soon to be) on the road, due to Polestar’s commitment to circularity and sustainability. Inside, it’s full of clever sustainable touches: seat structures from Bcomp natural fibre composites (a really interesting looking alternative to carbon fibre), AmpliTex bio-based weave, carpets spun from recycled fishing nets, and headliners made from PET. Polestar is such a fascinating brand because it publishes a full cradle-to-gate CO₂ footprint of the car (23.8 tonnes CO₂e), breaking down things like aluminium, batteries and plastics, to a level of transparency few rivals match, but one that it hopes others will follow.
In numbers: the Dual Motor model makes around 550 kW/812 Nm, while the Performance bumps that up to 650 kW/1,015 Nm. That means 0–100 km/h in 3.2 seconds and an electronically-limited top speed of 250 km/h. Range is impressive too, especially for such a high-performance car, up to 670km (WLTP) for the Dual Motor and 565 km for the Performance, from a 112 kWh battery that can fast-charge at up to 350 kW (10–80% in ~22 minutes). Starting at $193,100 (plus on-roads), it’s not priced to sell mass numbers, but that’s also the nature of a flagship. And it is a real beauty in the (recycled) metal.  
Why is everyone talking about it: Polestar was founded as a design-centric car brand, so that’s a huge talking point for this car. It’s also a brand that garners a lot of respect from designers, futurists and those interested in sustainability. The Polestar 5 looks fantastic: sleek, low-slung, with a shark-like front, futuristic touches and a really beautiful, minimalistic-tech approach. It’s also a statement of intent, because until now, Polestar lacked a true flagship, something aspirational, high-performance, and technologically ambitious. Halo cars are important because they help to communicate technology and performance capabilities, so the 5 cuts a hard line around what the brand stands for.
In addition, Polestar is zigging when everyone else is zagging. Climate-centric goals are being shifted and questioned, and many sustainability practices within the industry are softening, so timing and Polestar’s wonderfully refreshing audacity and refusal to compromise on its values also play a factor here. Polestar 5 signals that the EV grand tourer is alive and well. The 5 might be the most future-focused, environmentally progressive way to travel long distances fast. 
Overheard on the ground:  “That is a beautiful people car, I’m not hot or smart, or good enough of a person to drive it, ” – unnamed television host and commentator.  
What is it: Definitely the other most talked-about car at IAA, aside from the Polestar 5, is this Bauhaus-esque beauty, the Audi Concept C. As the name states, it is a concept, but Audi says there will be a production car that will emerge in 2027, which will stay relatively faithful to the C.
It’s the first car to come from Audi’s new head of design, Massimo Frascella, who arrived at Audi after a long stint at Jaguar Land Rover, and heralds a new era of design for the German marque, without erasing the past. 
Why everyone is talking about: Just look at it. The strong, monolithic vertical grille, the new brand ‘face’, the slim light signatures and that super cool retractable roof, before an elegant, rounded rear. I began calling it brutalist, but I was told that Audi’s design team doesn’t like that term. Perhaps a little too on the nose in times where fascism 2.0 knocks on our doors… 
But I digress. This is a true hark back to the moments in time that made Audi a design leader. It’s heavily inspired by the Audi TT, a car deeply rooted in Bauhaus principles – form follows function, reduction, clarity, etc. – and my personal favourite Audi of all time. The TT was a significant car for Audi, as it was the first real design-led project. Before its time, the German marque was all about engineering and not crafting emotion or identity through aesthetics.  
It also marks the return of the two-seater sportscar to Audi, a space left by the TT (and arguably the R8, though this is more a supercar), so it’s got enthusiasts excited that, like many of the cars here, a new breed of EV is emerging that is just as emotionally appealing as the ICE cars that they loved and adored, at least in form. 
However, there was a lot of discussion at the show, which I tend to agree with, about the Concept C’s bland interior. Surprising for a marque celebrated for its cabin design, but difficult to get right when you’re dealing with reductionist principles. So here’s hoping that the next era of Audi will keep things interesting on the inside, too.  
Overheard on the ground: “Anything is better than what Audi has been doing. Thank god.”— unnamed interior designer. 
What is it: Building on the major podium success the Deus Ex Machina x Bulldog Racing MINI achieved at the Nurburgring 24hr, MINI teamed up with the local moto-meets-surf house for two new one-off concept vehicles. The Deus team were granted full creative licence to come up with two JCW MINIs, one electric, The Skeg, and one petrol, The Machina. These cars were revealed ahead of IAA, alongside a heritage-meets-contemporary-cool fashion collection, which is available worldwide. If you haven’t seen any of this by now, you need to speak to your algorithm, because the hype around this collab is insane and incredibly well-deserved.  
Why everyone is talking about it: In these days of mass collaborations, those done extremely well, deeply considered, highly creative and totally unexpected are increasingly few and far. MINI is a brand that has dabbled in fashion and creative collabs, so there’s reason to it (and also a little sense of Aussie pride at play here in Munich), but the design of the vehicle is genuinely innovative.
The Skeg is directly inspired by surf culture, utilises lightweight fibreglass across the nose, body, interior dash and enormous wing on the rear, as well as neoprene panels as fabrics inside. The Machina is the more motorsport-inspired sibling, drawing reference from MINI’s history at the Monte Carlo Rally: wide fenders, quad lights, hydraulic handbrake and a more racy and raw interior. 
Overheard on the ground:  “Definitely the coolest car at the show. It totally saved the BMW stand too, because I was a bit disappointed by the other new BMW.”— unnamed automotive designer.
What is it: This is a bit of a crazy stat, but in the next two years, Mercedes-Benz plans to drop more than 40 new electric models. While we might not see all of those in Australia, we can certainly hope. Especially when it comes to this beauty of a short wagon, the sleek new CLA Shooting Brake. There are two variants: a rear-drive CLA 250+, which tops out at 200 kW, with up to 761km range (WLTP) and the all-wheel-drive CLA 350 4MATIC, which packs a bit more punch at 260 kW, with slightly less range at 730km, due to that performance.
It’s really lovely inside, super spacious, lots of headroom, lots of boot space, with minimalist details and a focus on tech and screens, including an optional passenger screen which even has some games like Angry Birds on it. WhichI didn’t even realise was still a thing, but the more you know! There’s an enormous panoramic glass roof that adds to the lightness of the cabin, which can be optioned to switch between transparent and opaque in milliseconds, and has a magical “starry sky” lighting feature of 158 stars integrated into the glass, linked to the ambient lighting system. Rolls-Royce, eat your heart out.  
Why everyone is talking about it: For one, it’s not an SUV, and it’s not a sedan. Shooting brakes hit that very sweet spot of sportiness, elegance and style, but still useful and efficient. This is a trend that’s been on my radar of late, since the Shanghai Motor Show, where a number of Chinese makers revealed shooting brake-style vehicles, which obviously spoke to that market’s preference for sedans, blended with the Europeans’ penchant for touring wagons. This prompted us to wonder if indeed, this beloved but rare style of vehicle was about to make a comeback. If anyone can do it, it’s Mercedes-Benz. 
Where most brands are pouring resources into SUVs, Mercedes-Benz is doubling down on a body style to create an EV with genuine enthusiast and design-lover appeal. Oh, and don’t let the superscreen, digital-focused interior and insanely competent MBUX system with an LLM-powered virtual assistant fool you completely, it’s not all about digitalisation. Buttons are back on the steering wheel by customer demand! There was much rejoicing about this little detail, too. Will it come to Australia? We’re not sure, but we’ll be signing every petition to make it happen. 
Overheard on the ground:  “Finally, a Mercedes EV for enthusiasts, bring back the wagons!”— unnamed automotive design commentator.  
What is it: In short, something major. This is Porsche’s new halo 911, the 2025/26 Turbo S, and it’s a very fierce piece of kit. It uses the evolved T-Hybrid architecture, the compact battery and electric-assist turbo idea that first appeared on the brilliant Carrera GTS, but for its beloved Turbo S, Stuttgart has stepped it up: a reworked 3.6-litre flat-six driven by two electric-assisted exhaust turbos, a compact 1.9 kWh battery, all-wheel-drive and an 8-speed PDK transmission. 
The figures are savage: 523 kW, 800 Nm, 0–100 km/h in 2.5 s, 0–200 km/h in 8.4 s, a top speed of  322 km/h, and a Nürburgring laptime of 7:03.92 that’s around 14 seconds quicker than the outgoing Turbo S. It’s also roughly 85 kg heavier than its predecessor, largely due to the new T-hybrid hardware, but Porsche says the handling and overall dynamics more than compensate.  
As mentioned, the T-Hybrid didn’t originate with the Turbo S. It first rolled out on the Carrera GTS, which is already a formidable, very characterful and fast car. But in the Turbo S, Porsche doubled the tech: the GTS uses a single e-turbo, the Turbo S uses two, which pretty much banishes the classic turbo lag, while delivering harder, repeatable acceleration. That means the Turbo S feels more instantaneous off the line, flatter through the revs and utterly ruthless when you ask for a mid-corner surge. 
Why everyone is talking about it: Unlike some of the other cars on this list and many seen at the show, this is the car that everyone was dying to get behind the wheel of. 
Why? Well, for one, it’s a new 911 Turbo S and we car people are so predictable. But also, this model upgrade is said to majorly improve the 911’s character, rather than softening it, which is a common critique, when it comes to this globally loved and timeless model, especially in this day and age. 
It raises the bar on what a “daily supercar” can do (massive power, sharper aero, wider tyres and ceramic brakes). And does all this while keeping the 911’s core DNA. Rear-engine balance, transmission immediacy and the emotional delivery that owners and Porschephiles care about. It’s been interesting to see how, at first, many purists grumbled at the suggestion of hybrid tech, but have since had their curiosity piqued. 
Overheard: “Today’s supercar brand, I’d be very worried by this car. It’s got the performance, Porsche has the resale value, and if it drives like Porsche says it does, it’s going to have the spirit too.”— unnamed automotive product manager.
Related:
The most iconic cars in film history
Inside Shanghai Auto, the world’s biggest car show
Operated by Switzer by Permission of Hearst Magazine Media, Inc., New York, New York, United States of America.
© Switzer Media. Level 4, 10 Spring St Sydney NSW 2000.

source