German Chancellor Angela Merkel inspects a new BMW at the 64th International Motor Show in Frankfurt. Merkel officially opened the show on Thursday, though around 10,000 journalists from over 90 countries attended the two press days earlier in the week. She announced that the car industry is a "central pillar of our economy". When asked about the many new hybrid and electric cars on display, Merkel said that she finds the idea attractive. (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL: "The amored cars that I have to be driven in for safety are not the first in line when it comes to E-mobility. But I am convinced that some day they will use hybrids or other cars for that. I like the idea very much, I am sold on the new development." Over 1,000 exhibitors from 32 countries are at the show. The slogan of the 2011 event is "Future comes as standard", and of the 89 world premieres being revealed by automotive manufacturers, 45 of them are from German group brands. Nick Rowlands, Reuters.
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