Paris Motor Show 2010: Highlights

Paris 2010 was an amazing motor show but it will likely go down in history as an interim year.

There weren't as many wild and crazy concept cars as before -- but nor were we exactly tripping over boring, production-ready electric vehicles; just scroll to the bottom of the page for links to all the new car reports from the Paris motor show.

That's because the car makers turned the volume down on their concept cars so the designs will come as a surprise again when we finally get to see the production models.

And we are still another year or so away from the beginning of the electric car wave.

So what we had at 2010 Paris, then, was an industry putting on a brave face while, back at headquarters and at test tracks around the world, engineers were putting the finishing touches on their new-age, new-generation cars.

Of course, there was still plenty to see -- and much we could read -- from the 2010 Mondial De L'Automobile.

In case you hadn't noticed, cars are getting smaller. Or to be more accurate, smaller cars are becoming more sophisticated and luxurious.

And their engines are getting smaller -- yet not losing any power. Volvo has a 1.6-litre engine that feels like a 2.0 engine and Volkswagen has a 1.2 that feels like a 1.6.

And the makers of small cars were going even smaller! Both MINI and Smart unveiled electric scooters. And we only thought they made four-wheeled scooters...

The tide is even turning when it comes to European tastes in hybrids.

After a slow start in a market still dominated by diesel, almost half a million petrol-electric hybrids have been sold in Europe -- sales in the past 12 months are up 65 per cent thanks to the Prius and Corolla hybrids.

Volkswagen, one of the world's biggest maker of diesel engines, is still bullish about the future of diesel but concedes that when Euro 6 emissions laws come into effect, they may be as expensive -- or more expensive -- than a hybrid drivetrain to produce because of all the extra particulate filters. Watch this space.

So, the highlights. The jet-powered Jaguar hybrid electric sportscar was a doozy. What a great idea to use a pair of gas turbines to power your battery charger for your electric supercar?

As seems to be the norm for electric supercars, the Jag uses four 145kW electric motors (one in each wheel).

But the batteries are mounted amidships behind the seats. As one colleague described it, the Jag concept could be the world's first mid-battery sportscar.

The carbon fibre Lamborghini looked stunning; with so many creases and folds in its bodywork it looked like automotive origami. Done brilliantly well.

Interestingly the focus of Lamborghini's fun machine was not power, but weight.

Lamborghini boasted it tipped the scales at less than 1000kg. Clearly the supercar makers are in a weight loss war, not a power war. Who will be the biggest loser?

For shock value, however, the Range Rover Evoque production car must take top honours. While Range Rover deserves credit for sticking to the original concept, I still can't believe they kept to it so rigidly.

It looks like someone has sat on the roof before the clay had time to set. The windows are so sleek I don't know how you can see out of them. And we thought people bought 4WDs for better visibility...

But you know what? I reckon Range Rover will sell them by the thousands. It's Range Rover's Mini -- and at a likely price of $65,000, a fraction of the cost of a real one.

Biggest disappointment? The Bentley Continental GT is an easy target (it's a reskin not an all new model, in much the same way the Golf and Passat have just been reskinned).

No, my biggest disappointment for Paris 2010 comes from another stand.

It genuinely pains me to say this but ... the Lexus hybrid hatchback. That was one car I was hoping would stick to the exciting concept theme unveiled at the same show two years ago.

The Lexus LF-A supercar looks amazing -- and this hybrid hatch came after it was designed. So surely this was a sign of things to come and we were finally going to see some taut, sharp lines?

Sadly not. We got what already looks like quite an old car.

In the metal, it looks from the side and rear views like a less than well executed version of the Mazda3 or Hyundai i30 hatchbacks. There's even a hint of Subaru Impreza (the regular version) in the front fenders. The bonnet has more ripples in it than the underside of a tinny.

But what would I know? Clearly I have no taste. I'm the only person in the world who hasn't fallen in love with the city of Paris. Seriously, what is all the fuss about? Where are the postcards showing the other highlights of Paris, such as the dog crap, the beggars and the claustrophobic traffic?

Paris may just be the least car-friendly place on the planet for a car show. But at least it's worth the effort once you get inside.

Read all the news and reveals from Paris via the below links: 

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