Concept cars at the Frankfurt auto show--photos

Mini is calling them the Oxford twins, two Mini concepts built on the same platform, one a coupe and the other a two-seat convertible. Oxford comes from the location of the Mini factory, where the concepts were designed and built.

Downsizing the already small Mini isn't an obvious idea, but that's just what Mini did with its new concepts. The Coupe emphasizes sporting performance by using the 1.6-liter turbocharged engine from the John Cooper Works model, giving the tiny car 211 horsepower.

Along with the typical gauges we're used to seeing in Minis, this Coupe concept also employs what look like a couple of watches, a crown sticking out of the top. These are chronometers, included for timing laps.

The Mini Roadster is virtually the same car as the Coupe, yet this one gets a soft top. Unlike the current Mini Cooper convertible, the Roadster's top is manual, but shouldn't require much effort to raise and lower.

The interior configuration of the Roadster is the same as current Mini Coopers, with the driver-focused tachometer and the oversize central speedometer.

Citroen shows off a small car concept, intended to be powered by a hybrid drivetrain. Past Citroen hybrid concepts have used a gas engine on one set of wheels and an electric motor on the other. This concept looks a little small for that type of architecture.

Echoing classic Citroen style, the sunroof is a piece of canvas that can be rolled back.

The interior shows the sorts of features that always appear in concepts, but never make it to production. Suicide doors and a couch-like rear seat are the kinds of appointments that only show up in Roll-Royces.

The ix-metro is another city car concept, this one intended to have a 1-liter gas engine coupled to a hybrid system.

The short wheelbase and high stance suggest a practical interior. The latch placement suggests that the doors open suicide-style.

Commemorating 20 years of the Miata/MX-5, the Superlight is a stripped-down version of the popular roadster. It's lack of top, windshield, and side mirrors should go a long way toward throwing off the image of being a chick car.

With no roof or windshield, the rearview mirror has to go somewhere, so Mazda mounted it on the dashboard, giving it a particularly stylish and retro look.