Citroen GT 
Pure fantasy of a kind that’s rather out of fashion at this credit-crunched motor show, this concept deserves to be in the list for its sheer extravagance, as well as for its remarkable synergy of Japanese and French design flair. Full of flowing folds and air ducts, this low-slung supercar is a real flight of fancy, though its overblown, oversized tail leaves it rather unbalanced in our view. Conceived for the PlayStation video game 'Gran Turismo,' and brought from the virtual to the real world for the Paris Show, it’s (theoretically) powered by a zero-emission, hydrogen-fed fuel cell.
Citroen Hypnos 
The Hypnos’s standout feature is its dazzling multi-colored interior with seats that appear to grow out of the floor, head restraints that hang down from the roof, crystal-like 3D instrument panel, and a ribbed center console twisted in a helical shape. Larger and more luxurious than the small, simple cars Citroen is best known for, it’s also making a point about sustainability. In common with several other show cars from the Peugeot-Citroen, it has a hybrid powertrain based on electric motors driving the rear wheels, and a 2.0-liter diesel engine driving the front wheels with an integrated start/stop system. Fuel consumption is 4.5 liters/100km (52 mpg) overall, and will run for up to 3km (2 miles) on electrical power alone. This powertrain system is claimed to be virtually production-ready.
Nissan NUVU 
Nissan’s pretty EV concept combines wacky with practical; not every car has a ‘tree’ in the back, but Nuvu’s tree has petals covering the glass roof that generate solar energy providing the equivalent of one full charge a month. The 2+1 seating arrangement is clever, given that this vehicle is designed for urban transportation, which normally involves moving just one or two people. So an additional foldaway seat makes a great deal of sense. Beneath the recycled panels lies the technology that will be used to power a production electric vehicle being launched into the U.S. and Japanese markets in 2010 – making this a highly significant concept. While the details of the drivetrain technology remain under wraps, Nissan has revealed that Nuvu has a 75 mile range and a maximum
Lamborghini Estoque 
Exotic sports cars are great for the buyer looking for extreme performance in a sexy package, but most cars that fall into this category are far from practical. Lamborghini has solved this problem with its latest concept, the Estoque. As with other models born in Sant’Agata, the Estoque boasts impressive performance from a 560-horsepower V10 engine and full-time all-wheel drive, but the Estoque adds a feature never before found on a Lambo — rear doors. Designed to seat four comfortably, each of the individual four seats are trimmed in Nappa leather and feature multiple electronic adjustments. The trunk is also quite spacious — despite the low-profile rear end, there’s room for several golf bags or pieces of luggage. The perfect compromise between versatility and outrageous performance, the Estoque is still just a concept, but perhaps in the future a vehicle like it may join the Lamborghini lineup.
Mazda Kiyora 
Mazda’s lightweight compact Kiyora combines cool with concern by targeting young urban drivers who care about the environment. New technology includes a rigid, lightweight body shell, new 1.3-liter direct injection spark ignition engine and Smart Idle Stop System. Continuing Mazda’s Nagare design series, Kiyora is shaped like a water droplet and highly aerodynamic for fuel efficiency, with underbody details, a rear spoiler and sculpted body lines. Kiyora channels rainwater through an activated carbon filter and then in to a drink bottle between the front seats. Flow lines at the front of the car direct outside air into the cabin through the right side of the dash which is a large piece of activated carbon that filters the air. The transparent roof contains photovoltaic solar cells which provide electricity for interior systems. Rear hidden seats consist of a frame covered with a strong but flexible fabric that supports the passenger but springs back to its original shape after use.
Mercedes-Benz Concept FASCINATION 
According to one British magazine just before the show, the major German manufacturers have an unwritten understanding that if a show car is more than six months from production, they will label it a concept. And maybe the Concept Fascination as a complete car is way more than six months down the road, but some of the styling cues it rolls out are no further from the showroom than 2009’s next generation E Class and siblings. There’s a certain inevitability about the coupé-like roofline above a large car package, but incoming head of design Gordon Wagener describes it as ‘a fascinating study on the shooting brake’ - or an estate coupé if you like. He also admits that the long hood, low window line, powerful rear shoulders and sloping roof make it look ‘almost like a design sketch’, so you know any future production incarnation will be toned down some, but you do know it will happen in some form.
MINI Crossover 
A mix of whimsy and hardcore marketing, this MINI-on-steroids concept is all but certain to result in a production car next year. The Crossover Concept’s features range from the realistic (the fabric roof that can be opened folded forwards or backwards, or the accessory rail that allows modular storage boxes and entertainment devices to be relocated at will) through the wacky and futuristic (the 3-D laser globe that can display different navigation and entertainment functions to driver and passenger), to the silly (a heartbeat light that flashes faster when you drive harder). Then there are things that sound odd but which MINI has done before, like the asymmetrical door arrangement (three standard doors, plus a driver’s side rear door that swivels and slides). All we know about the powertrain is that it’s all-wheel-drive. The biggest MINI ever could well take this vibrant brand to new places.
Peugeot RC HYmotion4 
That’s ‘4’ as in four doors, four seats and four-wheel drive, ‘HY’ as in hybrid, and ‘RC’ as a reference to the concepts shown in 2002 and 2006 respectively. It’s a GT coupé, a good looking ‘laboratory for future ideas’ – in styling, technology and engineering. With a 1.6-liter gasoline engine transversely mounted behind the cockpit and a 70 kW electric motor under the hood, its hybrid drive promises a total of 313 horsepower in gasoline-plus-electric mode, and zero emissions in electric-only running, with a 109 g/km CO2 combined figure somewhere in between. Lightweight construction combines a carbon fiber composite skin over an aluminum spaceframe shell, and linked dampers eliminate the need for conventional anti-roll bars. Given all the new thinking, it’s odd that the introduction includes the phrase ‘we are at the dawn of a new day, but one which is not so different from any other. . .’ What happened to changing the world?
Pininfarina Bo 
Pininfarina has partnered with French industrial giant Bolloré to combine their considerable design and technology skills in a new electric vehicle to be launched in late 2009. The unfortunately named Bo has quite a few advantages to make it a success in the increasingly busy EV market. Bolloré has invested some of its vast resources into two subsidiaries specializing in battery research and development that have come up with a solid-state lithium metal polymer (LMP) battery offering a range of 153 miles, acceleration to 37 mph in 6.3 seconds and a top speed electronically limited to 80 mph when installed in Bo. The four-door, four-seat car is full of technical innovation such as solar panels and supercapacitors to generate additional energy. The Bo also has the name and design skills of Pininfarina behind it and the car shown in Paris is said to be a pre-production model, not a concept.
Saab 9-X Air
A breath of fresh air at a show dominated by talk of efficiency, cutbacks and downsizing, this pretty convertible has some genuinely innovative design. In front of the trunk lid, the car’s side panels swoop up to meet the roofline. In a shift from the now-standard folding hard top, the 9-X Air’s ‘Canopy Top’ roof is a traditional fabric one, lightweight and easy to stow, while the large rear window remains fixed in place. Benefits include reduced weight, increased strength, improved airflow and efficiency, less wind buffeting, lighter weight, better driver visibility and better all-year-round usability. Power comes from a hybrid powertrain with Lithium Ion batteries and an E85-capable 1.4-liter engine offering 200 horsepower, 0-62 mph in 8.1 seconds and 47 mpg.
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