The 63rd IAA Cars got off to a flying start. Countless innovations were registered in only the last two weeks before the show. For example, the number of world premiere launches by the vehicle manufacturers alone climbed by another 22 percent, to exactly 100, between the beginning of September and the start of the show. Of these 100 world premieres, 55 were from German OEMs. This means the 63rd IAA in 2009 had 14 percent more world premieres of automobiles than at the record-breaking IAA in 2007.
This remarkable drive for innovation was also evident on the suppliers side, which presented 87 world premieres at the IAA, 53 of them from German supply firms.
During September the number of exhibitors also went up by another four percent, to 781 exhibitors from 30 countries. This included 62 car makers. New last-minute additions included a number of service-providers. Compared to the situation in the early summer, the amount of exhibition space at the IAA grew by 12 percent to 190,000 sq.m. The number of visitors to the IAA reached approximately 850,000.
Before the German Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel officially opened the 63rd IAA Cars on 17 September, the Press Days took place on 15 and 16 September. Around 10,000 journalists from 90 countries were accredited.
The slogan of this year´s IAA was: ‘A Moving Experience’. For the first time visitors were able to see a study for a 1-litre car bound for the volume market. A three-litre model also on show, pitched at the luxury segment, represents another milestone on the road to sustainable mobility – without sacrificing safety, comfort or performance.
The new developments visitors looked forward to seeing at the IAA included the Audi A3 1.2 TFSI with a completely new, very economical 4-cylinder engine, the Audi A4 3.0 TDI clean diesel Quattro, the BMW X1, the BMW 320d Efficient Dynamics Edition (which emits only 109 g CO2/km), the BMW 5-Series GT Gran Turismo, the BMW X6 Hybrid, the BMW Active Hybrid 7 (with lithium-ion batteries), the Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-Cell (with a fuel cell and an electric engine) in a small series, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class T Model (featuring many new safety and driver-assistance systems), and the Mercedes SLS AMG, which revives the myth of the 'gullwing' car.
Ford was celebrating the world premiere of its new C-MAX. The new Opel Astra, a compact car with the technical innovations of the Insignia, was also on display, along with the Opel Astra Eco-Flex with 109 g CO2/km and the Opel Ampera. Porsche presented the 911 GT3 RS, the 911 Turbo, the 911 Sport Classic in a special limited series of 250 and the Panamera, which is available on the market from 12 September 2009. The series version of the electric Smart had its world premiere, as did the VW Polo (three-door) and the VW Polo BlueMotion 1.2 TDI with a three-cylinder engine. The latter, which at 87 g CO2/km is regarded as the cleanest four-seater in the world, goes into production at the beginning of 2010.