Paris car show

[Jabba]

All the (planned) premières :

Porsche Boxster :

The new Porsche Boxster will bow in Paris with its proven 2.7-liter flat-six engine, now with 12 hp more than before for a total of 240 hp. The 3.2-liter six-cylinder in the Boxster S version develops 20 hp more and has now 280 hp. Porsche says the mid-engine Boxster sprints from 0-60 mph in 6.2 seconds, while its top speed is 158 mph. The Boxster S needs 5.5 seconds to sprint to 60 mph and has a top speed of 167 mph. The five-speed gearbox has been revised and the S will get a new six-speed manual transmission.

The second-generation Boxster's chassis has been retuned on a wider track, larger wheels add to the stance of the new body, and the nose now clearly shows a family relation with the 911. There is also new lighting with separate main headlamps and front lamps with integrated fog lamps. There are also larger rear air vents, bolder door sills and a larger glass area. The new Boxster is the first roadster that offers head airbags in combination with thorax airbags.

Mercedes A-class :

Mercedes-Benz has already given us the details of the second-generation A-Class. In Europe, the small Benz (at just 151 inches long) will be available with a choice of three gas engines, ranging from 95 to 136 hp and three diesels with power output ranging from 82 to 140 hp. The 193-hp A200 Turbo will be available later in 2005. Mercedes will not (yet) bring the A-Class to the North American market. America will probably have to wait for the longer B-Class crossover that is expected next year.

Ferrari F430 :

The successor of the 360 Modena will be one of the eye-catchers of the Paris show. The Ferrari F430 has a V-8 with 490 hp and 343 lb-ft of torque, with which it will be able to sprint from zero to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds. New are the electronic differential and a system to adjust suspension settings from the steering wheel. It originates from Formula 1, where it is called marinetto. The transmission also originates from F1 racing and can shift gears in 150 milliseconds.

 

[Jabba]

Volkswagen GTI

Last year, Volkswagen showed the Golf GTI as a prototype, but later this month we will see the production version in Paris . It will be the fifth generation of the godfather of all sports compacts. Thanks to VW chief Bernd Pischetsrieder the new GTI will be a true sporty version. Earlier this year, Mr. Pischetsrieder said in an interview with an English car magazine that the GTI was nearly killed because of marketing strategies. The latest version is lowered by 0.6 inch and the suspension is sport-tuned. Under the hood is a brand-new 2.0-liter FSI turbo engine with 200 hp and 206 lb-ft of torque. The four-cylinder is teamed to a six-speed gearbox. With this driveline the new GTI reaches a top speed of 146 mph and should be able to sprint from 0-60 mph in 7 seconds. With the new DSG transmission this should even be 6.7 seconds.

Compared to the prototype, the exterior of the production version of the GTI has not been changed. With big bumpers front and aft, a black radiator grille with red rim, and black trim at the lower part of the body the GTI is easily recognizable, as are the rear wing, double exhaust tips, and 17-inch wheels.

The interior of the GTI is finished with sporty accents, such as sport seats with the GTI logo in the headrests, a three-spoke steering wheel, and aluminum pedals and shift knob. Also, the instrument panel has been redesigned. The fast Golf will have standard climate control, a tire-pressure monitoring system, fog lights, and a rain sensor.

Kia Sportage

Kia will unveil its new Sportage SUV in Paris , and it will be the first model from the South Korean automaker to carry the same name in every market where it is sold. The former Sportage was introduced on several markets in 1994, but led a rather anonymous life. The new Sportage is destined to be more prominent. It is built on the same platform as the Hyundai Tucson. The new Kia is 171 inches long, 71 inches wide, and 67 inches high. In Europe, there will be a choice of three engines: a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 140 hp, a 2.7-liter V-6 with 171 hp and a 2.0-liter CRDi common-rail diesel with a power output of 100 hp. The Sportage seats five and will be available with 2WD or 4WD and a five-speed stick shift or a four-speed automatic transmission.

Opel Astra GTC

In Europe the new Astra has been well received. And in Paris, the three-door version, dubbed GTC, will debut. GTC stands for Gran Turismo Compact, a new name for the old-fashioned two-door hatchback. The sporty Astra will be available with engines ranging from 90 hp (1.4-liter) to 200 hp (2.0-liter Turbo). Compared to the five-door Astra the GTC has been lowered a half-inch. The new Opel is equipped with a SportSwitch-button to change shock damping and to have a quicker-reacting throttle. Opel estimates that 15-20 percent of the Astra sales will be GTCs, of which 70,000 will be built yearly in Belgium.

 

[Jabba]

Skoda Octavia Combi

In Europe, station wagons are still very popular and Skoda joins the pack with a wagon version of its compact Octavia. The new Octavia bowed this spring as a hatchback with a luggage compartment of 19.4 cubic feet. That of the Combi has 20.5 cubic feet and can even grow to 57.2 when the seats are folded. There will be a choice of three petrol engines and two diesels. The latter will be available with the new DSG transmission.

Peugeot 907 concept

Peugeot will unveil three concept cars, of which the 907 is the most spectacular. The 907 represents the vision of the French marque of the ultimate sports coupe. The designers put a lot of effort in the exterior and in the interior that is equipped with luxury leather and Alcantara, while wood is used for the steering wheel and the shift knob. More spectacular than its shape is the 500-hp, 6.0-liter V-12 engine, teamed to a sequential six-speed gearbox.

Peugeot Quark concept

Just like the Toyota Fine-S concept car, the sci-fi-styled Quark sports a combination of a fuel cell and electric motors. The Peugeot Quark has four of the latter to provide torque to each wheel. The Peugeot Quark has a range of 80 miles and measures only 93.7 inches and is 59 inches wide

 

[Jabba]

Mazda5

The new Mazda5 is based on the MX-Flexa concept that debuted in Geneva in March. European buyers of the Mazda5 will have a choice of two petrol and two diesel engines, of which the specs have not been released yet. The crossover MPV has two sliding doors and seats seven.

Ford Focus

Ford takes its new Focus to the French capital and will soon offer it on the European markets in three body styles: a three-door hatchback, a five-door hatchback, and a station wagon.

The Focus shares its platform with the Volvo S40/V50 and the Mazda3. Its wheelbase grew just short of an inch, but its overall length increased from 164 to 172 inches. Width and height increased 1.6 and 0.8 inches respectively, while the content of the luggage compartment has increased by 1.2 cubic feet to 13.6.

The new Focus will be equipped with six airbags, cornering lights, and keyless entry. The new 1.6-liter Duratec VVT engine that bowed in the C-Max will be available for the Focus together with a range of engines between 1.4 and 2.0 liters. It is expected that by the end of 2005 Ford will introduces the sportier ST and RS versions.

Audi A4

Audi will unveil the A4 with the new family look and its controversial grille. The facelift will not be applied to the Convertible, but only to the sedan, S4, and Avant. In Europe, Audi will also offer four new engines, so that the total will be nine. New is the 3.2-liter V-6 FSI with 255 hp and the 200-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged FSI (it's the same engine found in the new Audi A3). 2.0- and 3.0-liter diesel engines will also be offered. Audi has updated the suspension with parts from the A6 and S4.

Toyota Prius GT

Although Toyota unveiled its Prius GT last weekend at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England, the prototype will be in Paris as well. The GT is based on the production Prius and has been developed to show the versatility of hybrid technology. TheHybrid Synergy Drive system, a combination of the 1.5-petrol engine and an electric motor, has been tuned and delivers 147 hp. Acceleration from 0-60 mph should take 8.5 seconds. To match the increased power, the suspension has been tuned as well; the Prius GT has the same tires as the Celica.

Toyota Land Cruiser

Another new model at the Toyota stand will be the updated Land Cruiser. The 3.0-liter D-4D diesel engines in the 2005 version gets a new common-rail injection system, a revised turbocharger, and a completely new swirl control system. Torque increases to 303 lb-ft at 1800 rpm with 90 percent available from 1500 rpm. Maximum power has been increased to 164 hp. Also new is the standard six-speed manual transmission, a brake booster for improved brake feel, and a dual-stage seatbelt fastening reminder for the front-seat passenger.

 

[Jabba]

BMW 320 CD Convertible

BMW will show its fast M5 and a 2.0-liter common-rail diesel engine in the X3 in Paris - and it will also display its first topless car with a diesel engine, the 320 CD Convertible. The four-cylinder, 2.0-liter direct-injection diesel engine has proven itself in the 3-Series and is especially popular in France , where 80 per cent of all 3-Series are sold with this diesel powerplant. It has 150 hp and 243 lb-ft of torque. In the Convertible this engine is teamed to a six-speed manual gearbox with short, sporty gearing. BMW will bring the 320 CD Convertible to other European markets in the spring of 2005.

Suzuki Swift

Two years ago, Suzuki unveiled its Concept-S in Paris and will now show the production version as the new Swift. Although the bold lines of the concept car have gone, the new Swift has kept the good looks. The small Suzuki measures only 146 inches and offers a choice of two gas engines (a 1.3-liter with 91 hp and a 1.5-liter with 102 hp) and a 1.3-liter diesel engine with 70 hp. The new Swift has been developed mainly in Europe and is aimed at the European consumers. The car will be assembled in Hungary.

Honda FR-V

Honda will unveil a completely new model in Paris, the FR-V. This is a compact minivan with a unique 3+3 seating arrangement. The FR-V for Flexible (or Fun, or Family) Recreation Vehicle will replace the Stream, although that model will be available until the end of 2005.

The FR-V is built on the stretched platform (105.5 inches) of the Civic, which is suitable for a flat floor and can accommodate two rows of three seats. In the FR-V the middle seats on both the first and the second row are positioned slightly rearward from the seats that flank them. They can be moved rearward respectively 10.6 and 6.7 inches. The luggage compartment of 5.5 cu ft can be extended to 37 cu ft, or with the second row completely flat to 56.5 cu ft.

This fall, the FR-V will arrive in Europe with a choice of the 125-hp 1.7-liter SOHC VTEC of the Civic and the 156-hp 2.0-liter DOHC i-VTEC of the Accord. A diesel engine will follow in the spring of 2005.

BMW 1-series

The BMW 1-Series will have its world premiere in Paris , although we European journalists have driven the first test vehicles recently. The new 'small' BMW is not so small after all and should be a good match for competitors such as the new Audi A3 Sportback. BMW announced that it hopes to sell 100,000 1-Series in 2005, but that there are no plans to bring the car to North America before 2007. As was the case with the new 7- and 5-Series BMW has had criticism of the styling of its new car, as it shares some familiarity with the more radical BMWs such as the Z4. But during our first miles on the public roads, a lot of people showed their approval for the new BMW. The 1-Series shares components with the 3-Series and starts with the base 116i model with a 115-hp engine. BMW offers both gas and diesel engines in its new compact model.

 

[Jabba]

Nissan Pathfinder

The Pathfinder will succeed the Terrano in the beginning of 2005. The new SUV has three rows of seats, of which the two in the rear can be folded down completely to create a large flat floor. Nissan says that there are more than sixty different possibilities to position the seats.

For the time being the Pathfinder will be offered in Europe with only the 2.5-liter turbodiesel engine. The All Mode 4x4 system is the same as in the X-Trail.

Nissan will also bring the 350Z Roadster and the Murano on the European markets. The European versions will debut in Paris . Nissan claims that the Murano will differ on 1600 points from the U.S. model, but pictures have not been released yet.

Citroën C2 VTS

Citroën kept the world premiere of the sportiest version of the small C2 for its home town show. The 1.6-liter engine has 125 hp and the fast version also has a five-speed stick shift and 105 lb-ft of torque. The suspension has a sportier set and the power steering works more directly than in the C2 VTR, the fastest version so far. The C2 VTS is equipped with 16-inch aluminium wheels with 195/45 tyres. ESP is standard.

 

[Jabba]

This show starts sept. 25 th, with press days on sept. 23 & 24.

For more info on the show & the location : http://www.mondialauto.tm.fr/index2.htm?movie=home.swf&nom=

Elvis & me will be present there for 2 days, so lots of pics will follow

 

[Danny]

Good coverage there Jabba.👍

Thanks. I'm looking forward to seeing a Suzuki Swift in my town soon...

 

[The359]

Nicely copied word for word, picture for picture from TheCarConnection.com...

 

[Danny]

Huh. Parade-rainer-onner>

 

[The359]

No, just making sure no one thinks he actually did any actual hard work here by bringing us this.

 

[Danny]

He might have done.

 

[The359]

Hmmm....N O

 

[Dave A]

He took the time to post it here and to hotlink all the pictures, theres no need in being nasty about it for that.

 

[The359]

The point is he's passing it off as his own work and not the word of TheCarConnection.com. That's why the invented copyrights.

 

[Rossell]

Well I knew that in the beginning but I wasn't complaining

 

[Dave A]

The point is he's passing it off as his own work and not the word of TheCarConnection.com. That's why the invented copyrights.

I don't know if I missed something but I didn't see him claim that as his own work once.

 

[Solid Lifters]

Excellent work, Jabba! Your writing skills are superb! 👍

 

[donbenni]

Nice one Jabba, looking forward to seeing the photos

359 - You could've phrased your point better. Maybe saying "yeah that info's good, i saw it over on thecarconnection.com yesterday, thanks for taking the time and effort and bringing it over here" or something like that. And in future, no matter what your post is, that roll-eyes smiley is just the icing on the 'pissing-off' cake and will guarantee that people will flame your ass hairs right off.

 

[The359]

359 - You could've phrased your point better. Maybe saying "yeah that info's good, i saw it over on thecarconnection.com yesterday, thanks for taking the time and effort and bringing it over here" or something like that. And in future, no matter what your post is, that roll-eyes smiley is just the icing on the 'pissing-off' cake and will guarantee that people will flame your ass hairs right off.

How better can I phrase "You copied someone else's work and didn't credit them"? He didn't take any time and effort.

Oh, and I'd love to see you flame me for catching him.

👎

 

[Rossell]

For the record, Jabba copied the info from thecarconnection.com - but to be honest he put effort into bringing it over. I can't be arsed to complain about it.

Just be aware he didn't write it.

 

[Dave A]

It doesn't really matter, I wouldn't have read any of that if he hadn't posted it here so 👍. The359, I can see where your coming from but it's no big deal, it really doesn't matter.

 

[Elvis6969]

I just got back from a 3 day trip to Paris, it's really a great show : many new cars, prototypes (especially the Peugeot 907 was cool), nice babes around the cars,.....

I'll give you guys a list of the cars that I've taken pics of :

Opel Astra HPC
BMW M3
BMW M5
the BMW Hydrogen car
about 4 BMW 1 Series
Mini Cooper Cabrio (with aero kit, looks really good !)
Mini Cooper S race car
Mini Cooper S Works
Mercedes Vision B (looks a lot better than the new A-class)
Mercedes Vision R (very luxurious !)
Mercedes CLS 55 AMG
Mercedes C55 AMG break
Renault Mégane Sport
Renault Clio V6
Fiat Punto Abarth
Fiat Uproad (sort of an all-road break)
Fiat Stilo Michael Shumacher edition
Ferrari F430 (I want one !!!)
Maserati MC 12 Stradale
Porsche 997 Carrera
Porsche Boxster (really nice car, better than the previous model)
Citroën C4
Ford Vignale (Focus CC-prototype)
Ford Focus (berline & break)
Ford Fiësta RS WRC
Alfa GT
Peugeot 1007 (really tiny car, a real box on wheels )
Peugeot Quark
Peugeot 907
Peugeot 307 WRC
Honda FR-V
MG X-Power SV-R
Pagani Zonda S Roadster
Pagani Zonda 7.3
Pagani Zonda Race car
Subaru Legacy
Subaru Impreza WRC
Chevrolet S3X
Kia Sport
Lada race car
Hyundai Sonata
Mitsubishi Evo 8 WRC
Mitsubishi Colt C2T
5 PGO Speedsters !
Lamborghini Murciélago Roadster
Laraki Fulgura
Skoda Octavia Combi
Skoda Fabia RS WRC
VW Touareg Sport (with a W12-engine)
VW Touareg Dakar
VW Golf V GTI
Audi S4 Cabrio
Audi A4 (berline & break)
Audi A3 Sportsback
Audi RSQ (from "I,Robot")
Audi A8 6.0 Quattro
Seat Toledo (the large version of the Altea)
Lexus LF-C


The tuning section :
Brabus K8 (SL with a V12)
Gemballa GT 750 (Porsche Cayenne Biturbo)
Alpine demo-cars (with nice ICE-kits !)

I may be forgetting some cars, but that's the most of it....

 

[Danny]

Wow...

 

[Rossell]

So when we gonna see the piccies Elvis buddy?

 

[Dave A]

Ahhh, no TVR's, I've lost interest already .

 

[Elvis6969]

Finally some time to post the pics

2 BMW M5

 

[Elvis6969]

Mercedes Vision B

 

[Elvis6969]

Mercedes Vision R

 

[Elvis6969]