Lights seem brighter in Paris auto show
This year, the show will include an electric car test centre, an eco-driving experience and a hall dedicated to emerging technologies.
— FILE PHOTOS
TWOSOME: A model sits at the wheel of the Nissan NuVu electric concept car during the Paris Auto Show in 2008.
The Paris Motor Show, the world's first auto salon, is shaping up to be perhaps the most notable show this year.
Organisers are promising more than 100 world premieres when the doors open at the Paris Expo site on September 30 for two days of press previews. The public show dates are October 2-17.
All told, the number of product introductions at the Mondial de l'Automobile could exceed those at the auto shows in Detroit, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York combined during last year.
The growth of the biennial Paris show — at the last event, in 2008, the wraps came off 80 new cars — suggests that the world's automakers are increasingly comfortable with the prospect of parading their debutantes down a runway in front of the fashionable French.
But the Paris show also benefits, paradoxically, from the crisis mentality that has gripped much of the global car industry for a couple of years. In 2008-09, while the future of some automakers seemed precarious, companies hit the pause button, freezing the development of many planned models. This year, as business has picked up a bit, the new model pipeline has been reopened.
The Renault Laguna Coupe car is on display at the show.
Also, Paris seems to have avoided some of the bickering between automakers and independent show promoters that de-populated events in Detroit; Los Angeles; Frankfurt, Germany; and Tokyo.
Several Japanese manufacturers pulled out of the Frankfurt show last fall, choosing instead to prop up the fading Tokyo show with their new model introductions.
In turn, non-Japanese automakers cancelled their Tokyo reservations en masse, reducing that show — once a could not-miss for industry insiders — to only regional importance.
General Motors and Chrysler withdrew from the Los Angeles show in 2008, citing financial concerns, though their cars were back last year.
North America's powerhouse show, held each January in Detroit, has notably lost its lustre over the past two or three years. Nissan, Infiniti, Mitsubishi, Ferrari, Rolls-Royce and Porsche have skipped Detroit for various reasons aside from the dreary winter weather, including disputes over floor space, scheduling and the cost of participating.
Porsche said recently that it would return in January, but only because it is now part of the Volkswagen Group, which will have a comprehensive display of all its brands. But the Paris show, the organisers proudly say, “is an occasion for all fans of cars to get a comprehensive overview of the market under one roof, with the participation of all the global car manufacturers.”
This year, the show will include an electric car test centre, an eco-driving experience and a hall dedicated to emerging technologies.
Among the many significant new models to be introduced at Paris, here are some of particular interest: Audi S7: It has managed to craft, with the A7, a well-proportioned vehicle with a pleasing slope to the roof. What the A7 lacks, at least in the American market where powertrain choices are limited (no high mileage diesels, for instance), is a compelling way to propel it. The Paris-bound S7 is likely to have a powerful V-8 mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Bentley Continental GT: Bentley has chosen to “perfect” its Continental GT without changing its look. The new GT will also be lighter, more aerodynamic and more fuel-efficient.
BMW 6 Series: The 6 Series coupe concept indicates a significant shift in styling for BMW. The cleaner, sleeker look appears to repudiate the controversial direction the luxury coupe took in 2003 under the direction of Chris Bangle, then the company's design chief. In a departure from the usual pattern, a convertible version is likely to be introduced in the U.S. early next year, with the coupe to follow. Also, BMW will unveil a significantly restyled X3 utility vehicle, which will be in American dealerships by year-end.
Chevrolet Cruze hatchback: The compact high-volume Cruze is an important car for GM worldwide, a direct challenge to Ford's popular Focus.
Ford Focus: Ford will for the first time display a full range of body styles, including a sedan, wagon, five-door hatchback and high-performance ST.
Honda Jazz Hybrid: Honda will show the 2011 Jazz hybrid, intended for Europe only. But plans can change.
Mercedes-Benz CLS: The “four-door coupe” craze pretty much began in 2004 with the CLS' introduction. The field has become rather crowded, and a re-styled CLS is due.
In photos released in advance of the Paris show, the car looks more retro than the model it replaces.
Porsche 911 Speedster: The Speedster, limited to a production run of 356 in honour of the famed 1950s model of that name, will be slightly smaller than the standard 911.
Renault DeZir: No Paris show would be complete without a retinue of polarizing “outré” concepts from French manufacturers, aiming to wow the hometown crowd.
This year one of these will be the DeZir electric concept car, a two-seater with scissor doors that was designed by Laurens van den Acker, formerly of Mazda. — New York Times News Service
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