Paris 2010: Seat Ibe concept, the zero-emissions sports coupe of the future

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.

Read More

Paris 2010: Renault Dezir concept is wild, twisted beauty

Don't let anyone tell you that Renault can't do a concept car. The French manufacturer pulled the sheets back on its all-electric Dezir at this year's Paris Motor Show, and the concept is as sexy as it is absurd. Designers took a stab in an all-new direction with a pair of reverse-hinged butterfly doors that are the epitome of awesome. Likewise, the ultra-wide stance and aluminum sideblades are our kind of flashy. As you might expect, this concept makes use of a fittingly-futuristic powertrain. Renault says that under all of that curvy sheet metal there's a full EV drivetrain on hand.

Surprisingly enough, there isn't supercar-rivaling power on hand, though. The company puts the Dezir final horsepower figure at around 150 ponies and 166 pound-feet of torque – not exactly e-tron rivaling numbers. Even so, the concept is said to be able to dart to around 60 mph in just shy of five seconds.

Read More

Paris 2010: 2011 Volkswagen Passat says hello in person

Volkswagen was so eager to unveil its new Passat that it revealed the car a day before the Paris Motor Show actually begins. It's received the Jetta treatment to some degree, but the softer looks may actually work better on the Passat than for its smaller brother.

The all-new Passat is intended for an older demographic and the styling seems to reflect that. We look forward to seeing it on our shores. Speaking of which, the 2011 goes on sale in the United Kingdom this October and then will roll out to other European and global markets, not including North America. Us Yanks will wave bye-bye to the Passat next year and welcome the New Midsize Sedan, or NMS, that Volkswagen's developing just for us.

Read More

Paris 2010: 2011 Bentley Continental GT, live and in the flesh

Here is your first glimpse at the redesigned 2011 Bentley Continental GT as it makes its world debut at the Paris Motor Show. Earlier, we mentioned that it will receive a nearly four percent price hike over the previous model, which is nothing compared to the overall improvements the new car has received.

Like any car, it has good and bad angles (obviously, the exception to this rule is the Maserati GranTurisumo which looks beautiful from every angle...) – we'll hold off final judgment until we can see it outside in natural light, not surrounded by a mob of flash bulbs and clamoring journalists.

Read More

Paris 2010: Porsche 911 Speedster is the Hunchback of Paris

You can tell pretty much everything you need to know about the Porsche 911 Speedster just by looking at it. It's a 911, which means it's got a flat-six engine in the ass-end and it's got... ahem, classical styling, for better or for worse. We'll just go ahead on record right now and say that it's not nearly as pretty as the original 356 Speedster it's meant to evoke, but what is?

Moving on, there are 408 horsepower from the 3.8-liter engine driving the rear wheels through a seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK, of course, we just like typing the full name) dual-clutch transmission. The run to 60 is dispatched in 4.6 seconds and the top speed is just shy of 190.

Read More

Paris 2010: 2012 Ford Focus ST hatches early

To say that American enthusiasts have been anxiously awaiting a properly hotted up version of Ford's European hatchback would be a gross understatement. And while we're still waiting for a proper Focus RS to hit our shores, we're certainly happy to see its little brother, the Focus ST, hit the showroom floor with promises of coming Stateside in 2012 ringing in our ears.

Here's why our interest is piqued: a turbocharged 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine with 247 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque; a six-speed manual transmission and Ford's new torque-vectoring power control system. Throw in a Tangerine Scream paint job and some 19-inch alloys in the Blue Oval's signature Y-spoke ST pattern and we're tickled pink.

Read More

Paris 2010: Opel Astra Sports Tourer

Opel is keeping busy, and aside from moving into a handful of new markets and pulling the sheets off of a hot concept, the German manufacturer has been whittling away on its wagon interpretation of the company's Astra. The 2011 Astra Sports Tourer wears the brand's trademark nose and sculpted sheet metal, but throws in an arching roofline for good measure. Inside, buyers can look forward to a set of snappy folding seats in the rear Opel claims should help make the car appealing to both families and small businesses looking to haul goods.

Power comes from either an uber-thrifty 95-horsepower engine or a more robust 180-pony lump, and a total of three transmissions are available – a five-speed manual, six-speed manual and six-speed automatic. The company says that European buyers can expect to see a start/stop system land on its 1.3-liter turbo-diesel engine in the Astra Sports Tourer as well

Read More