Mondial de l’automobile – Paris, or the Paris motor show (to those of us not fluent in French), is a highlight of the motoring calendar, and this year’s show has been no exception. With a swathe of exciting new releases, concepts & future ideas, it was hard to choose, but we’ve put together our top 5 highlights from the Paris motor show 2016.
Civic’s are like buses…you wait ages for one to come along, and then you get 2 announced within 24 hours of each other. Although the “Type R” on display in Paris is technically marked as a prototype, it looks pretty road ready to us. Honda recently developed a 306bhp 2.0-litre turbo VTEC power plant and it will be in the new Type R, albeit an up-rated version (around 345bhp), in order to challenge both the Ford Focus RS & Volkswagen Golf. Aggressively styled and the first Type R to be officially sold worldwide. It’s safe to say we’re excited for the release!
LaFerrari Aperta is an identical twin brother of the coupe. Producing a jaw dropping 950bhp from a 120kW electric motor and 6.3-litre V12. The 0-62 is impressive at less than 3 seconds, but even more so is 0-124mph in only 7.1 seconds. What makes this even more impressive is that it’s a convertible, and the chassis is as rigid as the coupe. All the tweaking and tinkering Ferrari have don, enables the Aperta to achieve the same 217mph plus top speed. If you’re looking to get your hands on one, then unfortunately we’re the bearers of bad news. An unspecified amount will be built for an undisclosed fee, and all have already been sold. Sorry!
One of the most popular, and versatile 4×4’s ever, the Discovery has a lot to live up to. The new model is 141mm longer than before (at 4970mm), with a longer wheelbase for greater cabin volume. However, it’s lower and narrower. The exterior design is rather controversial. Let’s not beat around the bush, it’s an Evoque. Land Rover have ditched the charismatic boxy look of yesteryear to pursue this sportier styling. There are still 7 seats which can accommodate passengers very comfortably, whilst being surrounded in an interior which is hard to turn your nose up to.
Another concept car, but we had to include the Renault Trezor. Just look at the thing, it’s pure futuristic eye-candy! Renault have no intention of EVER putting the all-electric Trezor into production, and some believe it’s a response to Mercedes-Benz Vision Maybach 6, which is a little out there to say the least. However, the Trezor is a fully functioning car and has some serious future tech we hope to see. An example of this is the honeycomb-hexagonal pattern across the entire body of the car. The front acts as an air intake to allow cool air to pass across the batteries. Whilst the rear acts dynamically, to create more down-force.
2017 marks AMG’s 50th birthday, and what a present to the world this car will be! The picture above is the only image officially released as of yet. As the name suggests the AMG hypercar will take advantage of the company’s Formula One pedigree, in particularly the hybrid powertrain. The V6 F1 engine is only 1.6-liters. However, it’s possible to conceive that they will supersize the engine, to increase displacement of the road car for improved reliability. Whatever the case, over 1,000 hp is inevitable. It’s fair to say this is a response to the AM-RB 001, a collaboration between Aston Martin & Red Bull F1 Racing
