2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/10/01/paris-2...-to-be-flogged/When we look at the 2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS, it's hard not to slip away to daydreams of blasting around the Nürburgring channeling Walter Röhrl the whole time. After all, this is Porsche's most powerful 911 yet (that's still street legal!), boasting 620 horsepower from its twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter flat-six. Getting to 60 miles per hour takes just 3.4 seconds and you'll be doing 205 mph flat out.
All of this goodness plus some matte carbon fiber bodywork and a red Alcantara interior can be yours for $245,000. The line forms to the right.
Check out our live gallery of high-res photos direct from the Paris Motor Show, below.
Chevrolet Aveo
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/10/01/chevrol...veo-paris-2010/My, what big eyes you have.
The Chevy Aveo might look a little awkward from certain angles, but it's sure to be a wholly better machine than its predecessor. Still, the new design is a big step forward for General Motors, and we like certain cues like the rear door handles being integrated into the C-pillar and the mean, Spark-inspired taillamps. This Aveo you see here is actually a "show car" for the time being, as the production car will receive minor tweaks and changes depending on the market in which it's sold.
When it goes on sale in America next year, the new Aveo will more than likely be powered by The General's 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder engine good for 115 horsepower, though Europeans will have up to four engines from which to choose including a 1.3-liter diesel. Along with a huge interior refresh, the Aveo should now be better poised to compete with offerings like the Ford Fiesta and Honda Fit. Have a look for yourself in our high-res gallery of live shots direct from the Paris Motor Show.
Mastretta MXT
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/10/01/mastret...is-2010-mexico/Mexico may be known as a hub for automotive production in the Americas, but it isn't typically identified as a hotbed of design or engineering. The folks at Mastretta are out to change that with their new MXT sports car.
Powered by a Ford-sourced 2.0-liter Duratec I4 engine mounted amidships and plumbed with a turbo for 250 horsepower and 257 pound-feet of torque, the MXT is a simple, lightweight proposition designed to resonate with the Colin Chapmans and Gordon Murrays of this world.
Mastretta MKT at 2010 Paris Motor Show, rear viewThe overall shape of the car is perhaps derivative but quite appealing in person, with better-than-expected fit and finish for a small-volume prototype, though the interior still needs some modest refining (even for an elemental track day car). The aluminum semi-monocoque construction features a carbon fiber belly pan and a steel subframe, and suspension is via double wishbones front and rear. The body is comprised of fiberglass reinforced plastic, which should help with both ease of manufacturing and updating.
Thanks to Mexico's low labor costs, the folks at Mastretta (a company that cut its teeth building kit cars and commercial buses) are optimistic that they can sell the 2,050-pound MT for just $50,000-$60,000 for European audiences, with the goal of eventually bringing the car north to the States. That strikes us as an ambitious target for a car with over 1,800 unique pieces and a handful of major carbon fiber components, but with virtually no costly electronics to develop (there's no stability control, ABS, or what have you) and no airbags (at least in this prototype stage), it's possible that they could be on to something.
Mastretta officials we spoke with are going for UK certification shortly in order to sell the MXT across Europe. Plans for any U.S. sales will require passing a more stringent homologation process, however, so the company will likely need to build sales momentum before it attempts to set a foot in the North American market. Volume targets are modest at present, with initial production plans calling for one car a week, ramping quickly to about 150 units per year, with a longer-term goal being 500 units.
Check out our high-res gallery from the show floor below, and then hop the jump for the official press release.
Chevrolet Cruze hatchback
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/10/01/chevrol...ack-paris-2010/You know, the Chevrolet Cruze hatchback is a pretty good-looking little C-car. Sure, many of the show car bits will be removed when this five-door Cruze goes into production, but on the whole, General Motors has impressed us with this attractive hatchback version of its new compact car.
Unfortunately, the five-door Cruze is not slated for North American consumption – we'll have to make do with the still-good but less-functional (and less-attractive) sedan. GM may think that Americans don't buy hatchbacks, but according to recent sales data of hatches versus their sedan counterparts, The General would be very, very wrong. Regardless, Europeans will get to sample the Cruze Hatchback when it goes on sale in the old country in mid-2011.
Thus, we are left to sit and stare at the Cruze hatchback as it shines under the lights of the Paris Motor Show. Get a look at the five-door Chevy for yourself in the high-res image gallery below and check out Chevy Europe's official press release after the jump.
Kia Pop Concept
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/10/01/kia-pop...ept-paris-2010/The Kia Pop Concept is a slick little wedge of silver that the company calls "a striking vision of future urban electric transport" meant "to act as a loose nucleus, a wild atom." In case you're wondering about the styling, you can't compare it to anything you might see today. Kia design chief Peter Schreyer says it "looks even further into the future" than even the next generation of vehicles, which means we can look forward to guppy faces and oblong windows.
The face is actually referred to as "Kia's trademark 'tiger nose,'" and the sweeping, uninterrupted glass above it is a tidy feature. The three-person, "non-automotive" seating is meant to provide perfect vision for the driver and passengers, with a swoopy front bench curved to allow a third seat set at an oblique angle in the rear corner.
The future theme goes minimalist with just one button in the cabin and everything else controlled by the touch screens on the Transparent Organic LED displays. LIthium polymer gel batteries keep the juice flowing throughout, pumping atoms to a 50-kW electric motor good for a 100-mile range and a healthy top speed of 87 miles per hour. You'll find more details on it after the jump, and a look at its futuristic bits in the gallery of high-res photos below.
Seat Ibe concept
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/10/01/seat-ib...ept-paris-2010/By unveiling the Ibe all-electric sports coupe concept at the Paris Motor Show, automaker Seat showed that it's about ready to go toe-to-toe with some of the big dogs in the world of dreamy battery-powered machines. The low-slung four-seater oozes with style befitting a proper sports coupe and, in red, it's oh so delicious to look at. In concept form, the Ibe lacks the necessary go power that's needed to convince the performance-oriented buyer that it's a real contender in the sports coupe category, but what the Ibe gives up in grunt, it more than makes up for in style.
On to the goods we go. At less than 13 feet in length, the Ibe's smallish size significantly contributes to its low, 2,425-pound curb weight. With a max of 102 horsepower and around 148 pound-feet of torque provided by its electric motor, the Ibe's performance capabilities are very much determined by the vehicle's mass. The battery-powered 2+2 sports coupe runs 0-60 a few ticks shy of 10 seconds and tops out at 100 miles per hour. The lithium-ion battery, with a rated capacity of 18 kWh, should provide an honest 81 miles of range.
Seat describes the Ibe as the "super-compact sports coupe for urban mobility in the near future," and we find no reason to argue with that. Hit the jump for more on Seat's battery-powered Ibe sports coupe concept and your day just wouldn't be complete without browsing the high-res image gallery of live shots that just came in from Paris.
![]()
Bookmarks