Now that the Frankfurt Motor Show has closed its doors to the public, it gives us a chance to look back at what we saw from what is considered the world’s largest motor show. 

There were plenty of reveals from production vehicles to concepts, but we wanted to narrow it down for our readers. So after much deliberation, here are The Driver’s top-five most exciting reveals from the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. 

1) Ferrari 458 Speciale

Historically, Ferrari has used the Frankfurt Motor Show as the grounds in which it decides to unveil its new mid-engine V-8 supercar. This year was no exception and Ferrari has left everyone more than satisfied. 

The long-awaited successor to the 430 Scuderia, the 458 Speciale is, without a string of doubt, a monster on four wheels. Powered by a tuned-up version of the 458 Italia’s V-8, the Speciale charges to 100 km/h in less than three seconds and continues to sprint to 200 km/h in an incredible 9.1 seconds. This prancing horse’s beating heart produces 597 horsepower with 398 lb.-ft. of torque and officially produces the most amount of power for any naturally aspirated V-8. 

2) BMW i8 (Production version)

After what seemed like an eternity of concepts, spy shots, and even a movie cameo (I’m looking at you, Mission Impossible), BMW has finally unveiled it’s much anticipated i8 supercar. As the halo car for the newly inaugurated “i” brand, the i8 has some hefty shoes to fill. Luckily, it appears to be doing a fantastic job as BMW’s first plug-in hybrid.

The futuristic exterior compliments the technology that is housed underneath. The i8 is powered by a combination of a 1.5-liter, turbocharged, three-cylinder engine and an electric motor producing 131 hp for a combined 362 horsepower and 320 lb.-ft. of torque. This combo allows it to sprint to 100 km/h in only 4.4 seconds. The i8 will place BMW on the map when it comes to hybrid performance ushering in a new era for the German brand.

3) Porsche 918 Spyder

The Porsche 918 Spyder is a plug-in hybrid that draws its power from a 4.6-litre V-8 engine that produces a whopping 608 hp. When you add in the two electric motors from a 6.8 kWh lithium-ion battery – its power can total 887 hp and 590 lb.-ft. of torque.

Those numbers are exciting enough, but Porsche took the 918 to the Nürburgring and set the fastest lap time for any street legal car (apart from the Radical which can hardly be considered street legal). It ran a blistering 6:57 around the “Green Hell” obliterating all doubt of the 918 being an underperforming car compared to its main rivals (LaFerrari. P1). 

This gives Porsche fans some needed ammunition in the ongoing mud-slinging war between McLaren, Porsche and Ferrari. While Porsche might be ahead for now, they will have to keep an eye over its shoulder as the others will no doubt be working on something to run the ring and continue the hybrid supercar battle.

4) Mercedes-Benz S Class Coupe

Jeremy Clarkson once described the Jaguar XJ as a rolling sculpture. This moment in Top Gear history is what immediately played in my mind when Mercedes-Benz took the cover off the Mercedes S Class Coupe. Its obnoxiously huge and vulgar but the shape and streaming lines of the body made it just about the most beautiful concept car to have made an appearance this year.  Borrowing the front end of the CLA, the S Class Coupe is sure to be a big vista cruiser with style, luxury and performance in mind (if it ever makes it to production, of course).

If you’re a specs junkie, you will be happy to know that under the hood is a 4.7-litre twin-turbo V-8 that generates 449 hp and 516 lb.-ft. of torque. However, the combination of power, style and technology make the S Class Coupe a standout. The biggest highlights are its panel and seats that are made from the finest calfskin and silk carpet made by hand. You don’t see that in every reveal!

5) Spark-Renault's SRT_01E electric race car

Formula E is one of the most interesting racing series to have sprouted up in recent memory. As it draws closer to its inaugural race, it’s time to take a look at the vehicle that will be providing the levels of excitement that’s being promised. Officially, the first car to be homologated for the series is the adequately named Spark-Renault SRT_01E. 

The 01E is powered by 441 pounds worth of lithium-ion batteries being housed by a combination of aluminum and carbon fiber. All this together allows the car to weigh a total of 1,793 pounds not including the added weight of the driver. In total, the car has a top speed of 220 km/h with a total horsepower output of 268 hp. 

Oh, and one last thing. The series is unique because it requires the driver to change cars at one point in the race.