Editors' Picks -- 5 days ago
Words: Rory FH Smith
For the majority of the year Paris is a city offering food, fun, romance and a healthy dose of culture, but from Thursday 2 October this year, the City of Light becomes the place European automakers come to debut their latest offerings. Here’s a list of the top ten cars to see at the Paris motor show.
Audi TT Roaster
Forever trying to shake off the hairdresser image, this TT Roadster is the third and most aggressive looking incarnation of Audi’s topless two-seater. Sporting sharper edges, an impressive digital dash and three 182+bhp engine options, the 2015 TT Roaster looks set to go down a treat with those in the market for a premium-feel sports car.
Bentley Mulsanne Speed
Close to 200mph in armchair comfort, gentlemen? Yes, Bentley’s latest luxo-barge is very appealing indeed. With almost every aspect of the car’s V8 engine having been overhauled, the Mulsanne Speed will crack 0-62mph in 4.9sec and even boasts scatterings of carbonfibre in the cabin as a reminder of the Speed’s sporting credentials.
Ferrari 458 Speciale A
Just 499 of these sense-assaulting convertible Speciales will be made ensuring they will almost be as sort after as the LaFerrari. Most impressive of all however, is the Speciale A’s ability to reach 124mph from standing in 9.5sec. A serious statistic considering most family cars will still be on their way to the national speed limit in that time.
Jaguar XE
To the untrained eye it’s a slightly spruced-up and sharper looking XF, but to those in the know, it’s an axe-wielding competitor to BMW’s 3-series, Audi A4 and Mercedes C-Class. Jaguar’s latest foray into the repmobile market, the XE, will certainly be one to watch with its largely aluminium body and rear-wheel drive set-up.
Lamborghini Concept car
The Italians are playing this one extremely close to their chest. Having only released the cryptic sketch shown above, we’re speculating that Lamborghini could either bring a development of the four-door Estoque concept, first shown in 2008 or a radical hybrid supercar, possibly called the Asterion to the show this week. The latter would certainly be in line with Ferrari’s hybrid LaFerrari and Porsches charged up 918. Watch this space.
Land Rover Discovery Sport
Paris will certainly not be the first time anyone’s had a good gander at Land Rover’s Freelander replacement, the Discovery Sport. Despite being on display for all to see at Goodwood Revival’s Earls Court Motor Show earlier in September, the Discovery Sport will nonetheless draw the attention of motoring press as it wades into battle against a growing number of compact SUVs.
Mercedes C63 AMG
Sporting the 4.0-litre V8 engine borrowed from the new AMG GT, the C63 AMG is a wolf in sheep’s clothing – well, almost. The clothing is far from deceptive with AMG badges encrusted on the front, back, sides and anywhere else Mercedes could fit one. In addition, wide arches, deeper air intakes and a redesigned grille complement the 503bhp figure that comes with the uprated ‘S’ version.
Marco Polo Camper van
As out of place as this may seem among high-end super-saloons and a special edition Ferrari, Mercedes’ Marco Polo camper promises to be well worth a look as a luxurious alternative to canvas based camping. Sporting electro-pneumatic bolsters in the chairs, which enable them to morph into a variety of positions including a flat double bed, the Marco Polo also features piano black work surfaces and an LED lit kitchen area.
Mercedes-Benz AMG GT
Mercedes’ long awaited rival to Porche’s 911 will be revealed to the masses in the metal after a series of extremely appetising press shots. The long bonnet, rounded rump, £110,000 price tag and 456bhp output mean the purposeful looking GT poses a significant threat to not just Porsche, but also the Aston Martin V8 Vantage and Audi R8.
VW Polo GTI
As the least costly car on the list, the VW Polo has been a first car favorite among barely legal drivers for decades, particularly in its hot hatch GTI guise. Priced from just under £20,000, the Polo GTI will reach 0-62mph in 6.7sec and go on to a 147mph. Offering tartan cloth interior much like its older sibling, the Golf GTI, VW’s baby hot-shot will hit showrooms in December 2014.
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