The Frankfurt Motor Show was a battleground this week between the power and the glory: the power of high-performance, CO2-emitting cars and the glory of achieving environmental greenness or, depending on your point of view, the other way round. This dichotomy was not necessarily between different carmakers but often within individual company ranges. Their philosophical answer to the situation is that there is plenty of room for both – that being socially responsible and green is vital but that on the whole it makes for pretty boring vehicles and there is still a huge market for cars that can travel at 150mph or more.

A winning formula would be to have a car that does both convincingly and hybrids are starting to make that happen. So are low-CO2 diesel engines. Audi has triumphed at Le Mans with a diesel and Wolfgang Hatz, the head of engine development for the VW Group, said he could envisage the exotic, ultra-quick Audi R8 having a diesel engine. “Why not? It is my dream,” he said, while Volker Mornhinweg, the Mercedes-Benz AMG chief executive officer, said that a very high-performance hybrid, used mainly for high-speed, long distance trips, might also be powered by a small electric motor just in the environs of the owner’s local community.

Both VW and Mercedes had an extraordinary spread of vehicles at Frankfurt, with the VW up! concept being a show star. Rear-engined like the original Beetle, possibly selling for £5,000 – or less in emerging markets – its interior is light and roomy, with four air-filled seats. Just over 11ft long, with chirpy good looks, it uses advanced technology, including proximity sensors for navigation, computer and audio systems. The engine of the concept is a 1.2litre three-cylinder and safety is a top priority.

At the other extreme, the VW Group showed its new carbon-fibre bodied 211mph Lamborghini Reventón, selling at a €1 million (about £680,000), its styling apparently inspired by the Nighthawk Stealth Fighter aircraft. The 6.5litre engine puts out 640bhp at 8,000rpm.

Audi’s new take on the A4 was revealed at Frankfurt. It shares technology and some styling with the A5 coupé. Its lighter-weight bodyshell looks much crisper outside than its predecessor and it has interior design and quality that other manufacturers can only dream about. The A4 offers a wide choice of improved petrol and diesel engines. Handling and steering is claimed to have been enhanced, with the sort of sharpness that has been lacking on some Audis.

Leading the pack on Mercedes’ “Road to the Future” display was the long, luxurious, F700 research car equipped with lasers in its headlamps that scan the road ahead, sending images of any bumps or potholes for the on-board computer to assess, with the information used to change the hydraulic pressure in the car’s suspension to give a smooth, safe ride.

The hybrid F700 uses Mercedes’ highly advanced DiesOtto engine that combines turbocharged diesel and petrol technology. Only 1.8 litres, it produces 238bhp and low emissions.

Other significant Frankfurt revelations included Toyota’s tiny 3+1 seat iQ concept that was designed in France; Renault’s handsome Laguna Coupé concept; a sleek Accord Tourer concept from Honda; Ferrari’s lightweight 430 Scuderia unveiled by Michael Schumacher and Maserati’s Quattroporte Sport GT S, with lowered, stiffer suspension and powerful dual-cast disc brakes.

BMW said that its X6 ActiveHybrid concept had “unashamedly bold styling”. This means huge but with a redeeming coupé roofline. The technology is impressive, with two electric motors. BMW’s 1-Series coupé looked neat and the new MINI Clubman received a lot of attention. So did Jaguar’s handsome XF, which drew the crowds. The Citroën C-Cactus hybrid was interesting but not handsome.

Ford’s Verve coupé heralds a sporty new look for the next-generation Fiesta and the company’s Kuga practical cross-over should be a success. The Focus gets a makeover that gives it far more presence. Volvo has a plug-in hybrid C30 that “knows” if it is not being driven well and warns the driver with a rude noise. And Aston Martin’s new DBS is unashamedly about power – 510bhp. It should make a glorious sound, too.