2006 Paris Motor Show Gallery

Paris Auto Show – 2006: Home to art and architecture, food and wine, culture and creativity, Paris is also crammed with cars. Small cars, big cars, even a Cadillac or two prowl this city of love and lights. This is especially true when the opens, kicking off the international auto show season. Running from Sept. 30 to Oct. 15, the 2006 Paris Auto Show features some cars that will come to the U.S., some that might land on our shores, and many that won’t stray far from the Seine. We focus here on the first two kinds of vehicles debuting in Paris.

Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione

Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione: Like most Italians, Alfa Romeo is willing to make sacrifices to bring beauty to life. The production version of the 8C Competizione concept pictured here will be limited to a few hundred copies, potentially powered by a Maserati-sourced 4.7-liter V8 making about 450 horsepower and installed within a carbon fiber body attached to a space frame chassis. Alfa wants to return to America, and the 8C Competizione would help the company make a stunning entrance.

Audi R8

Audi R8: Taking its name from the most successful LeMans Prototype racing car of all time and based on Lamborghini Gallardo running gear, the new Audi R8 supercar will closely resemble the concept model pictured here. A 610-horsepower Lambo V10 was installed in the 2003 LeMans Quattro concept, but the production R8 is rumored to get the same 420-horsepower V8 as the Audi RS4 with the twin-turbo V10 a maximum performance – and prestige – option. Either engine is to be mounted amid-ship behind the front seats, driving all four wheels.

Bentley Arnage

Bentley Arnage: Bentley boosts power in the Arnage lineup for 2007, bumping the R model to 450 bhp and the sporty T to an even 500 bhp. A six-speed automatic replaces the old four-speed transmission for greater performance, refinement, and efficiency. Subtle styling updates help distinguish these new, more powerful Arnages from older models.

BMW X3 3.0si

BMW X3 3.0si: New engines, revised styling, greater interior refinement, and added safety features characterize BMW’s X3 for 2007. The inline six makes 260 horsepower, up 35 from last year, and is matched to a six-speed manual or automatic transmission driving all four wheels. Regardless of transmission, acceleration to 60 mph takes about 7 seconds. Subtle styling revisions give the BMW X3 a more cohesive look, and the interior is upgraded for a more luxurious ambience. Safety upgrades include enhanced stability and traction systems, as well as adaptive brake lights.

Chevrolet WTCC Ultra Concept

Chevrolet WTCC Ultra Concept: In Europe, Chevrolet races in the World Touring Car Championships (WTCC), and has actually beaten BMWs on the track. The WTCC Ultra Concept is a nod to the Chevy team’s success, and a shining example of GM’s global design and engineering potential. Developed in Europe, powered by a Korean common rail turbodiesel engine, and assembled in Japan, the 190-horsepower WTCC Ultra Concept is a real car with real performance. Whether that translates into real sales in the real world remains to be seen.

Dodge Avenger Concept

Dodge Avenger Concept: With the success of the Caliber in North America and Europe, Dodge’s move toward fun and functional hatchbacks has been validated. The Dodge Avenger Concept debuting in Paris replaces the dull old Stratus sedan and rides on the same platform as the all-new Chrysler Sebring. For America, the powertrain lineup will mirror the Chrysler with a standard 2.4-liter four-cylinder, a step-up 2.7-liter V6, or a 3.5-liter V6. Roomy and spacious, expect the chiseled Avenger to also feature the same tricked out MyGig infotainment system as the Chrysler when it goes on sale later this year.

Ford Focus C-Max Concept

Ford Focus CUV Concept: Efficiency and utility are of paramount importance to families residing in Europe’s urban centers, and Ford sells a slick little mini-van/wagon called the Focus C-Max to serve the need (shown here). At the 2006 Paris Auto Show, a potential replacement for the C-Max debuts in concept format. Don’t count on anything like the C-Max making it to the U.S., however, because Ford is still milking the previous-generation Focus wagon for what scant profits it can return.

Ford Mondeo Concept

Ford Mondeo Concept: Remember the Ford Contour? That was an Americanized version of a European sedan called the Mondeo which didn’t meet sales expectations in the U.S. and died. Today, we have the Fusion to serve our midsize needs, while Europe is set to get a production sedan close to what you see here, wearing what Ford calls its “kinetic” design vocabulary. Let’s hope some of that energy translates to the States, and soon.

Honda Civic Type R

Honda Civic Type R: Vroooom! Vroooooooooom! Rev that puppy, and leave it abroad, because the chance of seeing the Honda Civic Type R in the U.S. is slim. The last Civic Si Hatchback was virtually ignored by Americans, and since the new Type R is making virtually the same amount of power as the current Si Coupe and Sedan at 198 bhp and takes 6.4 seconds to reach 60 mph, it offers no real performance advantage. Plus, the design is a bit, umm, for some tastes.

Hyundai Tiburon

Hyundai Tiburon: Four years after the current generation Hyundai Tiburon debuted, it still looks good. Too bad it doesn’t drive that way when you pressure its standard four-cylinder or optional V6 engine. For 2007, the Tiburon gets a styling massage that retains its handsome silhouette, but soldiers on with the same mechanical package as before.