Part 2 of the Paris Motor Show.

The boring part.

Well, when I say "boring" I just mean they're not super cars with 200+ mph capabilities. These are cars you might actually see on the road.

First off is the Mini Cooper Crossover. I don't even know where to begin with this one. The pure contradiction of terms of "Mini" and "SUV" makes me want to harm someone. But on the other hand, I think they did an alright job of it. Here's a photo:


It doesn't much look like a mini, but more of a BMW X3 with Mini parts bolted on. I really want to hate this car, because I pretty much hate all "Soft-Roaders." In my mind, those small SUV's or Crossovers are completely pointless; they can't do the off road bit, and a station wagon (like the BMW M5 touring that's on my top 10 garage) do just as good a job at the rest of the stuff. There are a few off roaders that I like though. The one that comes to mind is the Toyota FJ Cruiser. It has a funky design that just pets me in the right way. And y'know, this Mini Crossover does the same thing. I'd never dream of thinking about considering buying one, but it looks pretty good. Soon enough however, the roads with filled with these things and perhaps then I'll start to hate them like I want to.
____________________________________________________________

The next car is quite probably the next car I buy, and the first one I'll buy new. It's the Mark VI VW Golf GTi. Another obligatory photo.

If you can tell the difference between this Mark VI and the previous Mark V, then you've got a keen eye and an unhealthy love of cars on par with mine. The front grill has been slightly altered so it looks a bit more "squinty" and angry. The wheels have been move slightly closer to the corners of the car, and the intake has been widened to improve aerodynamics. At the back, the tail pipes have been moved further to the outside to give it a wider and lower appearance, and as for aesthetics, that's about it. So why on earth would I buy a Mark VI instead of a Mark V. I think you all know that I don't necessarily need the newest thing to get my jollies. Well, it's because of the engine and suspension. That's where the most changes have happened. The suspension has been redesigned from the ground up and is now electronically controlled. This is not new technology (hit a button get stiffer suspension, hit it again get a more supple ride), Mercedes has been doing that for some fifty years, but this is the first time in a small hatchback like this Golf. And then there's the re-mapping of the engine. 35%. That's how much more powerful the Mark VI is than it's predecessor. A staggering 270 bHp from a 2.oL inline 4 cylinder engine. I cannot wait to get in one of these for a test drive. The craziest thing is that it's only going to cost 2% more money. It's absolutely fantastic and I've fallen in love with the Golf for the 3rd time now.
______________________________________________

Anyway, this was my last post about the Paris Motor Show. I know it has been simply thrilling, but alas, I have run out of things to say. I could ramble, or blather, but I would actually say anything about the other cars. Perhaps, if the next motor show (which I believe is the Geneva Motor Show) has some really cool cars I'll write about them.

So until my next post,

"Eddie, if I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet, I wouldn't be more surprised than I am right now."

Paris Motor Show.

There was some really neat cars to be shown at the recent Paris Motor Show.

The first car that I mention completely stole the show. It's the most anticipated and I think the most controversial car there. It's the new Lamborghini Estoque. Well, it's a front engined, four door sedan, and a Lamborghini. Go figure! I guess it's for the super rich who want a Lambo, but also have kids or something. Anyway, here's a picture.

I dunno. Lambo's have always supposed to be super over the top and "Woweeie!" more than anything else, but this one seems a little sedate don't you think? Power train details for now include their 5.2L V10 that produces a little over 550 bHp. But, there are rumors that their 6.2L V12 can fit in the engine bay and that produces a little over 630 bHp. Those both would go great in this car. There is however, one more rumor about the power train, and this is the controversial part: a 4L V8 with an electric motor. That's right, Lamborghini is thinking about going Hybrid with this car. This is stunning to me because if it's one thing that Lambo isn't, it's "green." They've always been about turning heads and going fast no matter the cost. Proof of this point is the Gas Consumption of their Murcielago LP640; it get 8 mpg in the city and 13 on the highway. These are worse consumption numbers than even the Bugatti Veyron when has a larger engine, more cylinders, and 4 turbos... oh, and 1,001 horse power. That's freaking nuts. So, I think that if Lamborghini of all manufactures is thinking that the environment is more important than going fast, then I think we've hit the peak of automotive design. In a very short amount of time, I think the car that can drive in excess of 200 mph will be extinct. Well, that's me on a soap box, and I truly hope I'm wrong.
_______________________________________________________

The next car that I'll write about is a new Citroen: the Citroen GT Concept. Here's a picture (well, a couple of them so you can get a sense of the insanity.)
So this car will never be made. Everyone understands that and truth be told I'm glad of that, I think it's uglier than sin. This car cannot even move under it's own power for it has none. They haven't specified what kind of engine it could possibly have... or even where the engine would go. It could fit up front, but it does look like it would be a mid engined car. Hell, it might have 2 engines who knows? But the reason for building it is what intrigues me the most. The badge on the car looks like this:

Mark might know what this is, but for those of you who aren't a fan of video games, that's the logo for the "Gran Turismo" video game/driving simulator that's available on the Playstation 3. This car was designed specifically to be in this game. I find that very interesting. Car manufactures know that the people who play video games are now growing up and they're the people who are buying cars now. Now instead of Polyphony (the developer of the Gran Turismo) having to spend millions of dollars to licence all of the cars for their video games like they had to got GT1, now some car manufactures are paying Polyphony to get their cars into their game. Frankly, I think that's awesome. Even though the Citroen GT Concept will never be made, millions of Americans will now know the Citroen name which could possibly conjure up enough demand for the French company to sell cars here in America, and it could certainly sell more cars in Europe.
_______________________________________________________

Well, tune in next week when I look at another two cars from the Paris Motor Show. Those cars won't be as exciting as these, but you are certainly more likely to see these cars on the road in the near future.