> All 2008 Paris Auto Show Articles
Paris Show Highlights
By the look of the latest crop of concept cars to be unveiled at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, automakers remain fixated on pursuing alternative fuels and smaller, lighter vehicles. We expect at least 17 new experimental vehicles will be shown to the world for the first time there...
2009 Ferrari California
Talk about dragging the launch of a car out! The first official photos of the Ferrari California were published months ago. But here at the Paris show is the California's true world premier. And it's worth the wait to see it in the flesh. From a fully retractable hardtop to a dual-clutch...
Mercedes-Benz ConceptFASCINATION
Okay, so the ConceptFASCINATION is purely a design exercise for Mercedes-Benz. That said, this wagon is especially handsome, and it hints at the future design direction of the next E-Class. We liked how the stepped lateral edges of the hood come to a point just above the large grille emblem...
2011 Chevrolet Cruze
Paris? Why Paris? Here's why: The 2010 Chevy Cruze is a global car, and will be launched in the European market before anywhere else — by March. We like the steeply sloping roofline and short rear deck, which Chevy says "brings coupelike proportions to a compact sedan." Says Chief Designer...
Audi A1 Sportback Concept
Do you think the world is ready for a premium subcompact car with excellent fuel efficiency? Audi certainly does. That's why the Ingolstadt company has developed the A1 Sportback, a concept plug-in hybrid model just unveiled at the Paris motor show. At 157 inches long, the 4-door 4-seat...
2009 Volkswagen Golf GTI
The new Volkswagen Golf GTI was unveiled to the public at a large company event the evening before the official start of the Paris Auto Show media days. The new sporty compact is quite similar in design to the recently introduced 6th-generation Golf, but stands about 0.9 in. lower...
2010 Audi S4
If you’re a fan of the Audi S4, then we know you’re familiar with both the previous bi -turbo V-6 as well as the most recent V-8 version of Audi’s compact sports sedan. So it might seem a bit odd that the new version, which rides on Audi’s all-new modular platform that features a longer wheelbase that reduces front...
2009 Bentley Arnage Final Series
Bentley is bidding adieu to its range-topping Arnage series in high style. To celebrate the 10-year long production run that began in 1998, the British purveyor of tailor-made luxury cars is preparing a final 150-unit run called the Arnage Final Series. The Arnage Final Series is an...
2010 Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia
To honor their victories in the last three Transsyberian Rallies—a grueling 4400-mile rally that takes place each spring in Russia, Siberia and Mongolia—Porsche has taken the wraps off a special new model called the Cayenne S Transsyberia. As you might expect, this new 2010 Porsche Cayenne Transsyberia...
2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon
Although Cadillac had previously unveiled its all-new CTS Sport Wagon back in August at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in Monterey, California, it was unveiled to a truly world audience at the Paris show. Power will come from a base 263-bhp 3.6-liter V-6 with variable valve-timing, with Cadillac's...
BMW 7 Series
We received our first taste of the all-new BMW 7 Series a few months ago, well before its world debut at the Paris Motor Show. Here's a brief take of what we'll be seeing at the BMW booth at the show. The new 7 Series still has the serious look of the current model, but it's been freshened...
2010 Lotus Evora
It's finally here — the Lotus Evora 2+2 sports car. Powered by Toyota's aluminum-block 3.5-liter V-6 (continuing Lotus's relationship with the Japanese automaker whose 2ZZ inline-4 powers Elise and Exige models) the Evora will be very quick. The V-6 produces 280 bhp, plenty of power to move...
2009 Volkswagen Golf VI
A quick glance might lead you to believe not much has changed between the current Golf hatchback (known as the Rabbit in the U.S.) and the new Mk. VI version. But Volkswagen says all of the car's key body elements were redesigned. Design chief Walter de'Silva says the new Golf is "more accentuated...
Honda Insight Concept
You probably remember the Insight name; the original (which bowed in 1999), was the first gas/electric hybrid sold in the U.S. The new Insight Concept is radically different, more mainstream 5-door 5-passenger hatchback scheduled to go on sale in the spring of 2009. It looks a lot like a Toyota Prius...
2009 Ford Ka
Based on the architecture of the new Fiat 500, the 2009 Ford Ka made its worldwide debut at Paris. Says Ford: "It retains all the qualities that made the Ka so popular — its compact size, great looks, lively dynamics and fun personality — but presents them in a fresh new package...
2008 Paris Motor Show Preview
Paris has been the epicenter for many new relationships over the centuries. But when it comes to the automobile, can true love really stand the test of time? Specifically when attending an auto show, passions often rise to a frantic boil and then quickly fade as our eyes pick out something...
10 Most Popular Cars of the Year
What’s the hottest car on the market? Depends on who you ask. But Yahoo! knows which car it is, thanks to an exhaustive tracking plan that factors in numerous criteria. Yes, user interest is high on that list, but so too is the intent and satisfaction of each Yahoo! visitor...
Sneak Peek: 2008 Paris Motor Show
A future full of hybrids, electric vehicles and small cars may be closer than you think, judging from a spate of new vehicles set to be unveiled at next week's Paris Motor Show. At least nine new models that will debut at the event, open to the public Oct. 4 through 19, are small or downright...
Lamborghini Estoque Concept
Lamborghini's all-new 4-door Estoque concept refers to the Spanish term for the final stroke a matador makes when he rams his sword between the shoulder blades of an exhausted bull. Could Lamborghini be hinting what this car will do to Porsche's upcoming Panamera? The cutting-edge graphics...
Peugeot RC Concept
French automaker Peugeot says the RC concept at this year's Paris auto show is the missing link between the RC Spades/RC Diamonds mid-engine concepts from the 2002 Geneva show and the 908 RC from the 2006 Paris show. The latest Peugeot RC concept is "a working laboratory of many future ideas...
Chevrolet Orlando Concept
While General Motors' troubles in its home market are in the news on nearly a daily basis, the company is going like gangbusters in virtually every place else around the globe. For example, while auto sales as a whole have been on the decline for most of the year in the U. K., Chevrolet sales...
Nissan Nuvu Concept
Nissan's Nuvu concept (think "New View") is Nissan's vision for the type of car we'll be driving in cities by the middle of next decade. Although it is an electric car, Nissan says the Nuvu is not the electric car the company recently announced it will sell in the U.S. and Japan in 2010...
Mazda Kiyora Concept
The Mazda Kiyora concept is a much more real-world version of the Nagare concept, which was first seen at the 2006 Los Angeles auto show. In Japanese, Kiyora means "clean and pure," Mazda choosing this name because it says the car "represents the harmony between driving pleasure and environmental...
Mini Crossover Concept
The Mini Crossover Concept hints at what a fourth body variant of the Mini family might look like. The Mini Crossover Concept is notable for several reasons, such as that it's the first Mini over 4 meters (that's more than 158 in., for the metric-impaired) in length, while the other dimensions...
Saab 9-X Air Concept
This intriguing Saab 9-X Air concept reinvents the way convertible tops operate while providing a tantalizing glimpse of what a future convertible from Saab might look like. The 9-X Air concept (which was created by a team under Anthony Lo, the director of Advanced Design at General Motors Europe...
Renault Ondelios Concept
The Ondelios concept is Renault's vision of a long-distance premium crossover. A diesel/electric hybrid, combines 200-bhp diesel with a pair of 20-kW electric motors that automatically switch on to provide all-wheel drive when traction is needed. The Ondelios seats six on aircraft-inspired...
BMW Concept X1
The veils were pulled off the BMW Concept X1 today to warm applause. However, not much was revealed about the compact concept vehicle, which was always kept behind ropes on the BMW stand. We do know that BMW considers it the first "sports activity vehicle" in the compact segment. The only hints we received...
GTbyCitroën
Citroën revealed the GTbyCitroën at the Paris Motor Show. Many feel it's the most exciting car here. This sleek sports car is the brainchild of Kazunori Yamauchi, the founder of the Gran Turismo driving games. Designed by his staff and built by Citroën, the GTbyCitroën is a real car. It's low, wide and very long...
2009 BMW Concept 7 Series ActiveHybrid
BMW has decided to get into the hybrid game in a big way with its Concept 7 Series ActiveHybrid. Most of the car's punch is provided by the twin-turbo V-8 that's currently in the BMW 750i (which is rated at 407 bhp and 442 lb.-ft. of torque), but the electric motor does kick in an extra 20 bhp and an impressive...
2009 Toyota iQ
The Toyota iQ will radically change the way people look at city cars, or so says Toyota. Measuring less than 3 meters (that's less than 118 in. to we Americans), the Japanese giant is calling the iQ "the world's smallest premium 4-seater ever built." Truth be told, the iQ is not really a 4-seater...
2009 Lexus IS 250C
In a slick piece of engineering, Lexus has taken its 4-door IS and transformed it into a 2-door coupe with a retractable hardtop. Making its debut at the Paris show, the IS will go on sale in Europe and America next summer. The IS 250C features a three-part aluminum rectractable hardtop that opens or...
2010 Mercedes- Benz S400 BlueHybrid
Mercedes-Benz is already well-known for its BlueTec turbodiesels. But hybrids, not diesels, are all the rage in the U.S. Now, Mercedes is joining the frenzy, introducing its first passenger car equipped with a hybrid drive system, hitting European dealers next summer and arriving in the...
2009 Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer
Take a good look at this handsome 5-door wagon — it's wearing Vauxhall and Opel badges in Europe, but the rumor mill contends it will appear in Saturn dealerships in 2010. The Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer is based on the Epsilon platform and comes with either front- or all-wheel drive and a...
2010 Kia Soul and Kia Soul Hybrid Concept
When people first set eyes on the Kia Soul, comparisons to U.S.-only brand Scion are only natural. And that's precisely the demographic Kia is trying to hit with this departure from traditional Kia styling and design. Planned for arrival into the U.S. in mid 2009 as an early 2010 model...
2008 Paris Motor Show-Day One
The 2008 Paris Motor Show holds court every second fall season on the automotive show circuit. This year, it also happened to be Fashion Week and the bevy of beautiful people and automobiles at Port de Versailles (Paris Expo) were truly something special to see. Here are several of the highlights from...
5 Cars You Can’t Get Here
The Paris Motor Show is a global affair and many of the cars on display here are not destined for our shores. Walking up and down the rows of show stands, a student of the American market would be struck by the number of brands - many of which at one time were sold in the U.S., - that...
Paris Hybrids: From Mild to Wild
It's a little known fact that one of the first cars built by Ferdinand Porsche was a hybrid. In fact, it was shown at the Paris show way back in 1902. And now, 106 years later, the major players in the auto industry are showing a dazzling array of hybrid vehicles that range from ready-to-go...
2008 Paris Motor Show-Day Two
The weather outside Port de Versailles was cool and rainy as we began a new day at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. Inside, lights were bright and new automobiles glistened with freshly brushed and wiped paint, chrome and glass. Here are some of the highlights from the show floor...
