Nissan CEO Says Company Will Always Build Sports Cars

Nissan didn’t particularly field a strong lineup of cars at the 2016 Paris Motor Show – it was really just the fifth-generation Nissan Micra – but the company’s CEO did leave an impression during the event when he remarked that sports cars is still a commitment for Nissan despite the recent trend in the industry to SUVs, electric cars, and autonomous driving vehicles. Carlos Ghosn made that pronouncement during a press conference in Paris, assuring...

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Hyundai i20 WRC

Introduced in 2008 as a replacement for the Getz, the Hyundai i20 was redesigned for 2014, when it received a brand-new exterior design with more angular features and a new, turbocharged three-cylinder in addition to revised version of the previous engines. Unlike its predecessor, the second-generation i20 also spawned a race car, marking the company’s return to the World Rally Championship. Updated for each new competition season since its introduction...

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Citroen Highlights Its Future With Cxperience Concept

Citroen has been making headlines with its wild-looking vehicles since the 1950s, and although most of its current production models aren’t very innovative when it comes to styling, its modern concept cars are as wild as they get. The Cxperience concept, which was just unveiled at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, falls in the same category. Inspired by the "high-tech world on the outside and the furnishings/travel on the inside," the Cxperience is Citroen’s...

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Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce Slots Nicely Between The Base And Quadrifoglio Variants

With so many models debuting at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, it’s easy for something like the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio to get lost in the shuffle. But as a fan of the hatchback, I’m not going to let this moment pass without at least acknowledging something that Alfa Romeo did right for a change. The truth is, the Giulia is probably Alfa’s best chance at making an impression in the market. The 4C, as awesome as I thought it was, has been a massive...

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Honda Civic Type R Concept

When you go to an event like the Paris Auto Show, you expect some crazy exotic or some new luxury car to steal the spotlight, but at the 2016 Paris Auto Show, it was a Honda that was in the limelight. Specifically, it was this Honda Civic Type R Concept, which serves as a preview of the upcoming production model. This concept is all about looks, but it’s widely believed that there’s an uprated 2.0-liter, turbocharged, VTEC hidden away under the...

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The SsangYong LIV-2 Proves That You Don't Have to Sacrifice Luxury to go Off Road

SsangYong Motor Company just publicly unveiled its LIV-2 (“Limitless Interface Vehicle 2”) concept at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, and according to the automaker, it offers substantial off-roading capability. At the same time, the exterior body panels carry the marque’s new “Dignified Motion” design language, which at first glance, might appear at odds with the crossover’s off-road worthiness, right? Because after all, how does one appear dignified...

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Peugeot Breaks New Ground With New 5008 SUV

French automaker Peugeot is in the middle of a comprehensive reorganization of its lineup. The strategy saw two important vehicles being overhauled, with both the 3008 and 5008 ditching their MPV roots to become full-fledged SUVs. The 5008 just made its public debut at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, where it displayed its new, imposing appearance with sculpted body lines integrated into the company’s latest design language. On the outside, the new 5008...

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GLM G4 Is The "Japanese Tesla" We Never Saw Coming

Raise your hand if you didn’t see this one coming. Yep, I count myself in this group. Who would’ve expected a startup Japanese auto brand founded by a former Sony CEO to make serious waves at the 2016 Paris Motor Show? Expecting the unexpected is one of the best things about auto shows and all of us were clearly thrown in for a loop when Green Lord Motors – who? – stopped by Paris to unveil its first creation, the G4 Electric Super Sedan. For those...

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New Kia Rio Arrives In Paris with Autonomous Emergency Braking

While concept cars and sports cars are usually the ones that steal the show at events like the Paris Motor Show, sometimes it’s the smaller and less powerful vehicles that deserve the extra attention. Such is the case with the fourth-generation Kia Rio, which broke cover at the French event with two first-in-class safety features. Specifically, Kia’s small hatchback will be the first car in its class to offer Autonomous Emergency Braking and Pedestrian...

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Cosmetic, Technology Upgrades Highlight 2017 Infiniti Q50

The Infiniti QX Sport Concept may be the highlight of Infiniti’s participation at the 2016 Paris Motor Show and the introduction of the company’s new VC-Turbo variable compression engine may have the most long-term importance. But sitting in the corner of the automaker’s booth is the 2017 Infiniti Q50, arguably the most important car in the company’s entire lineup. See, the Q50 belongs in the premium compact sedan segment where it competes against...

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BMW i3 And i8 CrossFade Concepts Get Trippy Body Paints

BMW is no stranger to aftermarket partnerships, having established key tie-ups with some of the segments most known tuners. The 2016 Paris Motor Show played host to one such alliance as BMW and Garage Italia Customs unveiled the BMW i3 and i8 CrossFade concepts. The two i models don’t carry any engine upgrades, but they do have a rather peculiar exterior feature that allows for the color of the i3 and i8 bodies to evolve between two unique colors....

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Infiniti QX Sport Inspiration Concept Shows Off Restyled Design

Infiniti’s presence at the 2016 Paris Motor Show was highlighted by its new VC-Turbo, the first production-ready variable compression engine, but the luxury brand also brought the QX Sport Inspiration with it. Revealed for the first time at the 2016 Beijing Auto Show, the SUV made its European debut in Paris, but arrived in France with a mildly restyled exterior and extra features inside the cabin. In case you’re wondering what’s with the changes...

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Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Brings Its High-Tech Features to Paris

Unveiled earlier in September 2016, the brand-new Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid just made its official public debut at the Paris Motor Show. Based on the redesigned, second generation Panamera, Porsche’s new hybrid arrived in France with several new features, state-of-the-art technology, and a more powerful drivetrain. Having already seen the standard Panamera earlier in 2016, the hybrid’s exterior design wasn’t a mystery, but the sedan has plenty...

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Ferrari Launches 70 New Liveries To Celebrate 70th Anniversary

Although Enzo Ferrari founded the company in 1939 as Auto Avio Construzioni, Ferrari wasn’t recognized as a full-fledged automaker until 1947. Maranello is getting ready to celebrate its 70th anniversary next year and the celebration began at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, where the Italian brand announced the introduction of 70 special liveries that pay tribute to iconic Ferraris from the past. Five models were selected for the livery feast: the F12beriletta,...

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Audi RS3 LMS Comes Track Ready with 330 Horsepower on Tap

Audi is offering a fresh racing car for apex-oriented customers with the new track-ready RS3 LMS, transforming the updated four-door sedan into a bona fide competition vehicle. The RS3 LMS joins the Audi R8 LMS in the automaker’s lineup of out-of-the-box grid stars. The Audi R8 LMS was first introduced in 2009, offering privateers a chance to rocket around in genuine GT3 style at events like the 24 Hours of Nurburgring. However GT3 racing is expensive,...

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The Audi Q5 Drops Some Weight, Gains Some Power, and Gets an Updated Quattro AWD System

Quick! Which Audi model just got a reduced curb weight, bump in engine output, and a few updates to its legendary, motorsport-derived AWD system? Surprisingly, I just described some of the new stuff on the German brand’s compact SUV, a.k.a. the Q5. First up, thanks to the utilization of materials like high-tensile strength steel and aluminum in the body, the Q5 cuts upwards of 200 pounds from the curb weight, depending on the trim level. And that’s...

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Ram Appeals to Texans With Lone Star Silver Edition

Ram is adding a special edition to its Ram 1500 Lone Star trim level. It’s called the Lone Star Silver Edition and its new for 2017 and exclusive to the state of Texas. The special edition gets premium upgrades like a new wire-mesh chrome grille, bright belt moldings, chrome mirror caps, chrome wheel-to-wheel side steps, polished 20-inch wheels, and front tow hooks. Of course, special badging on the grille and tailgate help identify the truck. “The...

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Rumors Turned Fact: The 2017 Ford Raptor Makes 450 HP, 510 lb.-ft of Torque!

The early rumors are confirmed – the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor’s 3.5-liter high-output EcoBoost V-6 makes 450 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque. This comes as Ford makes the official announcement at the 2016 Texas State Fair. The new EcoBoost is the crown jewel of the all-new, second-generation Raptor, headlining other awesome mechanical, software, and design achievements. What’s more, Ford announced the EPA estimated fuel economy for the Raptor....

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Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Debuts with New Engine and Aerodynamic Enhancements

In its never-ending search for quicker and quicker lap times, Porsche has updated the highly popular 911 GT3 Cup racing car with a new, more powerful engine, enhanced reliability, and extra aerodynamic tricks along the body panels. The update coincides with the release of the second-generation 991, a.k.a. the 991.2. Porsche unveiled the 991.2 last year, but the GT3 Cup stands apart from its road-going brethren as the track-only, race-ready variant...

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The Most Powerful Kia Soul Ever Built Rolled into the Paris Motor Show

Kia put a lot of work into the Soul for the 2017 model year. Highlights include restyled front and rear fascias to go with a new metallic skid plate, HID headlights, LED running lights, and an all new finish to the Tiger Nose grille. A few new exterior paint finishes are available to go with a new pair of optional 10-spoke 16- or 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels. Inside, new upholstery can be hand in a single or two-tone color scheme to go with the...

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Hyundai RN30 Concept Features a Powerful Engine, AWD, and Lots of Lightweight Materials

The slick little speed hatch you see here is called the RN30 Concept, and it just broke cover at the 2016 Paris Motor Show. Using the latest-generation i30 as a foundation, Hyundai built the RN30 as a track-only specialty that showcases the company’s performance chops. Making it go is a modified 2.0-liter engine, the same powerplant slated for use in a forthcoming high-performance production model. Extra grunt is added courtesy of a larger turbocharger,...

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Infiniti Debuts the VC-Turbo: The World's First Production-Ready Variable Compression Engine

The Paris Motor Show opened its doors to the press today, and over at the Infiniti booth we got to lay eyes on a new evolution of design for the 2016 QX Sport Concept, along with the 2017 Infiniti Q50. But, more importantly, Infiniti also broke cover on its brand new VC-Turbo variable compression engine. We’ve talked about this engine back in August when Infiniti first announced this new technology, but at the time we didn’t know very much about...

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Ram Just Debuted A Hellcat-Powered Raptor Killer!

The Paris Motor Show might be happening, but half a world away, the 2016 Texas State Fair is the epicenter for truck debuts today. Impressive stuff is debuting from the Big Three, but nothing competes with Ram’s new concept truck – the Ram Rebel TRX. It’s a Hellcat-powered Ram 1500 with 37-inch tires, a fully custom suspension with 13 inches of wheel travel, a six-inch wider track, and a one-off interior that showcases just what Ram engineers and...

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GM Officially Debuts Next-Gen 6.6-liter Duramax Turbodiesel

The wait is over and the anticipation is now satisfied – GM has officially debuted its heavily revised 6.6-liter Duramax V-8 turbodiesel. Actually, “heavily revised” might be an understatement. GM says only the stoke and bore remain unchanged over the outgoing LML Duramax, letting the new engine retain the familiar 6.6-liter displacement. Nearly every other component is updated or completely new for the 2017 model year. The benefit? An increase...

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Mercedes-AMG's Growth Proves That Pure Performance Cars Are Still Thriving

The announcement of a Mercedes-AMG hybrid hypercar may have grabbed the headlines during Mercedes-AMG’s Media Night presentation of the AMG GT and GTC Roadsters, but lost in the hoopla surrounding the hypercar’s announcement is the other new model that AMG is preparing to add to its growing AMG GT family: the AMG GT C Coupe. AMG boss Tobias Moers confirmed the arrival of the GT C Coupe moments before unveiling the GT C Roadster. He didn’t dive into...

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Lexus UX Concept Showcases Vision for an "Inside-Out" Future

Lexus joined this year’s Paris Motor Show with no fewer than four vehicles, but none is as intriguing as the UX Concept. Essentially a preview for the company’s upcoming compact crossover, which will slot under the NX and compete against the newly-launched Audi Q2, the UX Concept also showcases some of Lexus’ future styling language. The Japanese brand calls it "inside-out" and describes it as a "synergy between exterior and interior styling" represented...

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