Saturday, 9 October 2010

Paris 2010: Mini Countryman WRC looks the part

Mini Countryman WRC

When Mini first announced it was taking the Countryman to tango with the rest of the brawlers in the World Rally Championship, we had our doubts about the crossover's ability to keep the pace. But judging by the look of the Prodrive-prepped machine, the Countryman WRC should have no problem locking horns with the big boys on the world stage. Mini gave the rally racer an official unveil at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, but the company is keeping the drivetrain details to itself for now.

Not too long ago, the internets enjoyed a rash of videos showing a Countryman WRC prototype busting through the hills of Portugal, so we have some notion of the car's capabilities off tarmac. Will Prodrive's expertise be enough to help Mini keep its head above water in the WRC? Something tells us that all depends on who they stick in the cockpit.

Paris 2010: Ford Fiesta RS WRC ready to hit the dirt running

2011 Ford Fiesta RS WRC

The FIA World Rally Championship is shaping up to be particularly interesting in 2011, and the new-for-2011 Ford Fiesta RS is a big reason why. The Blue Oval's latest dirt-spitting racer will contest its first race at Rally Sweden in mid-February, but the Fiesta S2000-based rally car made its debut this morning at the Paris Motor Show.

In typical WRC fashion, the blue and gray Fiesta RS is all gaping intakes, massive flares and skyscraping wings, and needless to say, it looks The Business. Motivated by an EcoBoost-branded 1.6-liter turbocharged four of undisclosed output, the four-wheel-drive RS will get a shakedown run on Spain's gravel roads next week, though Ford says it's already conducted about 3,000 kilometers worth of testing with various engines.

The new car, which supplants the Blue Oval's prior Focus-based WRC car, will be driven by Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen, along with Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila.

Paris 2010: Opel GTC Paris Concept

Opel GTC Paris Concept

If there's one thing we can count on from the Paris Motor Show, it's a slew of sexy hatches. Opel was first out of the gate with the GTC Paris Concept, which the automaker is pitching as an obtainable sports car that can still haul five people if the need arises. Under that creased hood sits a turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline engine good for 290 horsepower, though as small as the GTC Paris is, we can't imagine it would take much to get the hatch to hustle.

We're digging the GTC's hunkered stance, especially in the rear, where a set of flared hips dominate the vehicle's design. If you live in the old country and your mouth is watering at the thought of this slinky German, we've got bad news for you. As of right now, Opel has no plans to bring the GTC Paris Concept to life, but we'd put money on a production version within the next year.

Paris 2010: BMW Concept 6 Series Coupé looks low, flat and mean

2011 BMW 6 Series Coupe Concept

BMW's press conference at the Paris Motor Show won't take place until later today, but the boys from Bavaria left their Concept 6 Series Coupé hanging around on the display's massive curved plinth.

While we couldn't finagle our way inside to take a gander at the interior (at least not yet), the crisply styled GT clearly foreshadows the nearly-here 6 Series production model. The attractive and surprisingly large coupe borrows bits from Beijing's Grand Coupe concept as well as the new 5 Series, particularly in the nose.

When it arrives next year, the serial 6'er will likely be powered by BMW's range of turbocharged and naturally aspirated six-cylinder engines, with eight-cylinder motivation reserved for the next M6.

Paris 2010: Audi e-tron Spyder is what topless hybrid dreams are made of

Audi e-tron Spyder

Audi keeps on growing its e-tron family. The automaker pulled a fast one by unveiling yet another electrified monster at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, only this time, the low-slung hybrid came sans-top. The concept is powered by two electric motors and a 300-horsepower twin-turbo TDI V6 that comes to the fight with 479 pound-feet of torque. Audi says that despite the hefty 9.1 kilowatt-hour battery mounted up front, it managed to keep the weight low and distribute the pounds evenly across the chassis. As a result, this e-tron should be plenty flingable if it ever makes it off of the stage and onto a public road.

Audi says the e-tron Spyder hits the scales at 3,196 pounds and that the drivetrain can be driver-controlled to operate on electric power only at speeds up to 37 mph for a total of 31 miles. The manufacturer says that in city driving, the capability is more than enough to hang with traffic. If not, there's always that juicy diesel V6 to play with.

Paris 2010: Audi Quattro Concept celebrates 30 years of performance

Audi Quattro Concept live debut

Here they are folks, the first live images we've managed to snap of the Audi Quattro Concept that's currently being debuted at the Paris Motor Show. We expect to get much more closely acquainted with the machine over the next couple of days, but until then, take a gander at the machine that Audi crafted to celebrate 30 years of Quattro performance.

Keep in mind that this sucker is packing 408 horsepower from its turbocharged five-cylinder engine and routing all those ponies through a six-speed manual gearbox to all four wheels, making for a power-to-weight ratio on par with that of the Audi R8 5.2 FSI.

Paris 2010: Jaguar C-X75 Concept

Jaguar C-X75 Concept

Yesterday's big surprise at the Paris Motor Show was the range-extended electric supercar from Jaguar, the C-X75 Concept. Built to celebrate the marque's 75th anniversary, the concept looks forward to the future while honoring Jaguar's heritage and design. Featuring four electric motors producing 195 horsepower at each wheel, along with two micro-gas turbines that – in theory – charge the batteries, the C-X75 can top 205 mph and has a projected combined range of 560 miles. Jaguar says it has no plans to produce the car, although it would be more than a worthy successor to the notorious XJ220.

From our vantage point, we're split on the looks. While most of us think it's stunning – especially in person – there's a vocal minority that doesn't think it looks "Jaguar" enough. Truth be told, it doesn't necessarily look like any Jaguar road car ever built, but it's easy to see that inspiration was taken from the 1966 Jaguar XJ13 race car.