The Best Paris Motor Show Live Reveals: What You Might Have Missed

The Paris Motor Show press days have wrapped up, but if you missed some of last week's live coverage, here are some of the most trafficked posts from the show along with a couple more we added earlier today. Be sure to visit the full posts where you'll find more pictures, press releases and analysis. More »

Best Mini Crossover Shots Yet From Paris Show Floor

Ben smuggled back a couple gigs of additional images from the Paris Motor Show last week, including these shots inside and out of the Mini Crossover Concept. We got a live look at the diminutive soft-roader last week during the show, but these images give you quite a bit more detail, particularly of the laser globe center stack thingamajig. The whole car has kind of a split personality: It's the biggest Mini yet actually appears, from certain angles, more true to the original Mini than the regular version of the car. We'll see what the results are should they make it into showrooms. Press release reproduced after the jump. More »

2009 Mitsubishi Colt Finds Family Resemblance On Paris Show Floor

The 2009 Mitsubishi Colt is being brought in line with the rest of the Mitsubishi lineup, style-wise. You’ve probably already spotted the biggest new feature: the Lancer-style gaping front grille. While it makes the four-door somewhat confused-looking, that grille really sharpens up the three-door, especially in Ralliart guise. Three engines are offered: a 1.1-liter with 75 HP, a 1.3–liter with 95 HP and a 1.5 with 109 HP. The Ralliart adds a turbocharger to that 1.5 for 150 HP, making it a seriously interesting proposition for lovers of small, quick cars like us. The previous generation 1.1 was a hoot to drive, delivering extreme practicality from its flexible interior and huge character from its three-cylinder engine. Let’s hope this new model delivers more of the same. More »

Tang Hua XY08 Chika, An Electric Car For The Ladies Of Paris

Tang Hua rocked our socks off with a trio of banana-yellow (and banana-shaped) concepts at the Detroit Auto Show, and they have followed up at the Paris Motor Show with this gorgeous sapphire blue semi-circular masterpiece dubbed the Tang Hua XY08 Chika. The Chika is yet another all-electric car featuring crushing performance from its massive four kilowatt electric motor (5.36 HP) and automatic transmission. Hold onto your hats: This baby does 31 MPH and will get you anywhere within 93 miles. Wait, that's actually not too bad for an e-car...well, if you discount the whole "fiery death in a crumpled heap of thermoformed polycarbonate" aspect. More »

Joule MPV Brings South African Engineering To Paris Show Floor

We brought you word of the Joule all-electric MPV yesterday, a South African entrant in the new electric car wars, and now we have live shots of the Joule on the Paris show floor. The little Afrikaaner is produced by a new tech company called Optimal Energy and was designed by a former Jag stylist — though we're going to have to take their word for it. According to Optimal, the Joule is all-electric with motor-driven front wheels and in-wheel magnetic propulsion at the rear, delivering a range of 125 miles on a single battery pack or 250 miles with two — impressive. We also like how Joule is a play on South Africa's notorious blood-diamond trade as well as a reference to energy — if you can't make fun of yourself, who can you make fun of? Presser after the jump. More »

Kia Soul Hybrid Rejects Parisian Subtelty During Live Show Reveal

Sometimes it can be hard to distinguish a clean, green Hybrid model from its dirty, polluting counterparts. Thankfully, Kia’s designers have seen fit to equip the Kia Soul Hybrid with subtle hybrid badges to alert consumers to the presence of its 1.6-liter gasoline engine mated to a 180 volt, 5.3Ah lithium polymer battery pack and the 48 MPG figure the combination is capable of. It looks like this is actually going to be a production model, just one that’s been gussied up for the show floor with a clear polycarbonate hood and underfloor, revealing both the powertrain and battery pack. The Hybrid also debuts the full-length retractable canvas roof that will be optional across the Soul range. We’ll let you digest the rest of the facts and figures, but we’re finding the Soul increasingly appealing, even with over-the-top badges. More »

Heuliez Raises Bar On Electric Car Weirdness In Paris With "Friendly" Threesome

Meet the Heuliez Friendly, the Heuliez Pondicherry and the Heuliez... uh, Electric Dump Truck Scooter? Okay, we don't know the name of the last one, we just made that up, but all three are cool as hell for pocket sized electric cars. The Friendly contains more standard weirdness than any run of the mill Citroen could ever dream of, note the McLaren F1-inspired center seating and dual sliding doors — take that McLaren. Check out the wooden load floor on the camino-like Pondicherry — reminds us of our '51 Chevy 3100. These things are so cool, we might slip one in each pocket and try to smuggle them past customs on the way home. More »

BMW Concept X1 Shows Paris Visitors BMW's Continued Crossover Obsession

BMW's latest — and smallest — new crossover concept is the BMW X1, seen here on the floor yesterday at the Paris Auto Show. It looks a little more robust in person than when we saw leaked press shots earlier in the week, but it's still hard to get excited about another crossover, particularly one that looks, and is bound to drive, like the underwhelming X3 we already have, only with less room. If BMW had managed to turn the potential of the 1-series into reality, we might be singing a different tune. They didn't, so we aren't. Press release after the jump. More »

Chevy Orlando Concept Unveiled In Paris, Shows What Pontiac Aztek Could Have Been

Yeah, we said it: The Chevy Orlando Concept shown here on the Paris Auto Show floor is the spiritual successor to the Pontiac Aztek. And in this case, we mean that as a complement: The Aztek had a ton of great interior features going for it, and the Chevy Orlando takes that post-minivan people-mover spirit and wraps it in sharp-looking sheet metal. The Orlando seats seven, has five doors and is based on the Cruze platform, meaning it has a shot at actually being really fuel-efficient, particularly with its Euro 2-liter diesel. We're not sure how much fun it would be hauling seven folks around with a 1.4-liter turbo motor here in the states, though, so it'll be interesting to see how — and if — it evolves for our market. More »

Lada Reveals A Supercar Concept! Wait, What?

Everyone's favorite communist-era carmaker and automotive laughing-stock on safety has just revealed a supercar concept here at the Paris Motor Show. Best part? It's called the Lada Revolution 3. Apparently the first two must have had something to do with forcing the Bolsheviks from power. Anyway, it's theoretically equipped with a Renault two-liter four cylinder able to make a 0-to-62 run in 5.9 seconds with a top end speed of 155 MPH. Stopping is done via two-piece 315 mm rotors and four-piston calipers. This would be the fastest Lada ever built, which begs a question. Would you really feel comfortable cruising Russia's roadways at 155 MPH in this Supercar? There's just something about a supercar with a Renault engine and the Lada name proudly emblazoned on the steering wheel that makes us shudder at the thought. Hold onto your buttskies, folks! Hit the jump to see how it would fit in with the rest of the Lada lineup. More »

Saab 9-X Air BioHybrid Concept Drops Top Live In Paris

Squint just right and you’ll be able to see what the Saab 9-1 will look like. The Saab 9-X Air seeks to interpret traditional design cues into a more modern, smaller package that will be both fun to drive, uniquely luxurious and economical. The most successful par of the vehicle isn’t its proposed 1.4-liter turbocharged bioethanol hybrid powertrain, but its seriously nice interior, which does a great drop of adapting strikingly contemporary design themes into a friendly, welcoming package. It’s light years ahead of the plasticy, cheap interiors offered in the current models. Please Saab, find a way to bring something like this to market. Full details follow in the remarkably straight-forward press release, just ignore that whole fake “born from jets” thing. More »

Mercedes-Benz ConceptFASCINATION Bows In Paris, Still Mildly Fascinating

The Mercedes ConceptFASCINATION, just revealed at the Paris Motor Show, must be a concept, because a Benz shootingbrake is just too freaking awesome to see production. Those who like the overall design need not worry, according to Mercedes officials, it's a preview of the 2010 Mercedes E-Class. In the meantime, enjoy the fanciful exterior and see how it matches up to the fanciful interior of this sleek concept. Full press release after the jump. More »

Jalopnik Paris Pissing Match: Honda Insight vs. Toyota Prius

OK folks, now that the new Prius-fighter from Honda has officially seen the sheet dropped at the Paris Motor Show early this morning, it's time to ask the important question — which one will win? In one corner, you've got the long-time champion of the hybrid arena. In the other, the pugnacious new Honda Insight, determined to beat the Prius in at least one chart — price. With that, here's the question: More »

Peugeot Debuts RC HYmotion4 Concept For Very Serious Eco-Minded French Businessmen

Rather than stress their mind grapes in an attempt to create a new design direction, Peugeot instead chose to merge two popular designs from previous auto shows into the Peugeot RC HYmotion4. This mid-sized sports sedan is essentially a hybrid of the Peugeot 308 RC Z coupe concept and the full-sized 908 RC concept, but this time powered by the HYmotion drivetrain that features a small gas engine in the trunk and an electric motor under the hood. Though we're not sure of production plans for this sedan, the designers managed to expertly capture the "four-door coupe" proportions. Let's hope that doesn't go to waste. Press release below the jump. More »

Lexus LF-Xh Concept Hits Paris Show Floor In Matte Black

The last time we saw the Lexus LF-Xh concept was back at the 2007 Tokyo Auto Show. That was a year ago. Now it's the Paris Auto Show and, it's... um... been painted matte black. Staggering progress. Though it's a bit hard to analyze it with that matte black paint, this looks to be virtually unchanged from the old version. Allegedly it's been designed as a preview of the eventual Lexus RX replacement, and as you may have guessed from the 'h' in the name, it's a hybrid. We're not huge fans of crossovers, but we've got to admit that this looks pretty slick. Chances are we'll be let down by whatever the design has been watered down to by the time it's reached production. Maybe manufacturers should start making matte black a factory paint option. More »

Citroen Hypnos: Yet Another Hybrid Crossover Concept Live From Paris

We saw the Citroen Hypnos Hybrid in a sneak reveal a few weeks back and were frankly concerned about the mental health of the designers. In person, the Hypnos is a little less groundbreaking and a lot more crossover. The outside is like a Francofied Chrysler Pacifica, while the interior is...you know, different. It's still trippy as hell, but the flowing neon seating motifs of the concept renderings become a little less exotic when they're displayed in an actual vehicle. As for the 200 HP hybrid powertrain said to deliver 60+ MPG, that's still pretty damn impressive. More »

Live Look Inside The GTbyCITROËN In Paris

Citroën has, thus far, come up with arguably the most radical and intriguing vehicle at the Paris Auto Show with the GTbyCITROËN, a joint venture with the makers of the Gran Turismo video game series. The aggressive and futuristic design language is continued inside with a generous use of metallic surfaces and an F1-inspired steering wheel that appears set up to display information. There doesn't appear to be a typical gauge cluster, making us wonder if the GT uses some sort of heads-up display integrated into the wraparound windshield. The entire setup, in keeping with the Gran Turismo theme, is driver-focused. More »

Renault Megane Trophy: French Mid-Engined Hot-Hatch Madness For The Track

Meet the latest in a long line of terrifying mid-engined French hot-hatches, the Renault Megane Trophy. The Trophy, revealed today at the Paris Motor Show, is just like the new 2009 Renault Megane, but completely different. The French unquestionably know how to make a great hot hatch, but if there's one thing they do even better it's taking those little cars and sticking a big engine where the back seat is supposed to go. Inside, you'll find a 3.5-liter Nissan-sourced V6 tuned to churn out 360 HP. That power is sent to the rear wheels via a paddle-shift sequential gearbox, resulting in performance that Renault claims is on par with the Porsche 911 GT3. The only problem is that it's not road car, and is destined only to compete in a spec-series for the car. Press release after the jump. More »

Renault ZE Concept Produces Zero Emissions, Lots Of Neon Glass

Built on a shortened Renault Kangoo MPV platform, the Renault ZE Concept is a peek at Nissan/Renault's electric future. The brand plans to bring electric cars to market by 2011, which means we will start seeing more pre-production electric vehicles in the next two years. In the meantime, crazy futuristic models with neon glass are a lot of fun. The acid-green windows help provide insulation, saving energy that might be used for adjusting the climate. The rest of the car's exterior works like a Thermos, using a pocket of air to maintain a constant temperature. Press release below the jump. More »

2009 Volkswagen GTI Drops In On Paris, Brings Two Extra Doors

We finally have live shots of the pre-revealed 2009 Volkswagen GTI and, not surprisingly, it looks like a 2009 Golf VI with a bit more edge. This time we get to see the two extra doors for the five-door GTI, which looks rather fetching in hot red. The lower, wider air dam and the red trim are clear indicators that this hatch means business. Combined with the wide-spoke wheels this is clearly a GTI. And under the hood? More »

Pininfarina B0 Electric Car: 153 Mile Range, 80 MPH Top Speed!

Design house Pininfarina, still mourning the loss of CEO Andrea Pininfarina, showed a stiff upper lip and brought their Pininfarina B0 to the Paris Auto Show. In the process, they created quite the stir — and almost eclipsing the buzz surrounding the Honda Insight Hybrid. The B0, pronounced B Zero, is four-seat, four-door electric hatchback created in partnership with Bolloré and is not, repeat, not, a concept car. According to Pininfarina, the B0will be a mass production model, with the first units coming off the production line at the end of 2009, after which production will be ramped up gradually based on the availability of the batteries. What about the range and power? Well, we're told the car has a range of 153 miles and a top speed of 80 MPH. How's that sound? Pretty good, right? You know what doesn't sound good? The double digit 0-to-60 time. Hit the jump for the full press release.
More »

Nissan NuVu Concept, Live And In The Bubbly, Micra-Like Metallic Skin

We just caught the Nissan NuVu, a concept that, as we said earlier, is meant to reveal the next generation styling of the next Nissan Micra. Frankly, the concept's as cute as its name (a play on words meaning "New View" as in "a new view on the Micra"). The interior is just as bubbly as the exterior, with the "2+1 seating arrangement" apparently designed with midget strippers in mind — it comes complete with a mini-stripper pole and a "double-dong" steerng wheel. We're sure hoping the Micra ends up with both in the final production version. OK, maybe not. Also, we're told this little bubble-topped concept's got an electric drivetrain. Does this mean the next Micra will see the Nissan electric engine slide under the bonnet? Only time will tell. Check out the full press release (again) in all its enormity, below the jump. More »