What Sizzled, What Fizzled in Frankfurt

Opel Flexstreme Concept - Sizzling

SEE ALSO: 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show Coverage-Includes Video

Washington DC September 17, 2007; The AIADA newsletter reported that at the Frankfurt Auto Show, Europe's automakers are trying to show that you can go green and still paint the town red.

This is a European show, but there are huge implications for the United States: If Congress passes tough fuel-economy standards, the brands that can put some glee into their mpg will have a leg up in the U.S. market.

General Motors' Flextreme concept, wearing an Opel badge, was one example of a green car with a spunky attitude.

Other examples of fun green cars included the slew of Mercedes-Benz power trains to reach production by 2010.

Also hot: city cars, like the Toyota IQ, Suzuki Splash and Opel Agila - all three solid executions of the space-maximizing small box-on-wheels concept.

Not hot, according to Automotive News? Martin Motors CEO, a cut rate Chinese clone of the BMW X5, and the disappointingly bland Renault Laguna.