Weird and Wondrous Cars of the 2016 Paris Auto Show

The 2016 Paris auto show has room to spread out in eight halls, so plenty of guys with a bright idea can afford space in the corners and odd spaces around the big manufacturer booths. Day two is for ferreting these things out, and we found some doozies.

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Formula Giol Sport Leisure Trike

Luciano Giol is an engineer and tinkerer with lots of experience in electric vehicles. He spent some time in California working on Sunrayce solar race cars and he even returned to France and built a solar race car. Now he’s built the vehicle of his dreams in prototype form, and is looking for partners to potentially build the vehicle at a price of about €25,000. A production model would get different bodywork crafted from carbon fiber instead of aluminum panels formed on a press break and riveted together—though this look does convey a radar-stealth fighter-jet look. Power comes from a pair of 50-hp AC electric motors drawing from a 28-kWh battery. Accelerating the 1,870-pound rig to 62 mph takes 10 seconds en route to a 100-mph top speed (at which point those aggressive wings start to really kick in the downforce). It has four wheels, but in Europe if the front two are closer than 18 inches together they count as one, so it conforms to motorcycle regulations and uses motorcycle controls, augmented by a brake pedal. We admire Giol’s passion a lot—his trike design’s aesthetics a tad less.

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Beach Cars!

The Paris show is THE place to go shopping for a little something to run around in at your weekend getaway place on the Cote d’Azur. There were four highly viable options to choose from in the various pavilions, all of which harked to the glory days of beach cars like Austin’s Mini-based Moke and Citroën’s 2CV-based Méhari.

Citroën E- Méhari

The automaker itself is just rolling out a modern electric version of the 1960s classic, produced in collaboration with French electric car producer Bolloré. The price starts at €25,000 but tax incentives drop that to €18,700. Power comes from a 67-hp/103-lb-ft electric motor drawing from battery pack that owners rent from a company called Bluecar for €79/month. Said battery will provide about 120 miles of range. Instead of the cloth tops of yore, this one gets rigid panels connecting the windshield and the two basket handles.

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Méhari Loisirs Technologie SAS E-Story

For those who demand the corrugated look of the original, a 2CV restoration company in Le Pouzin, France, now offers the E-Story (sounds like ‘history’ said with a French accent), a completely new, faithfully rendered take on the original vehicle powered by 20-hp/93-lb-ft electric motor drawing from a choice of 10- or 15-kWh LiFePo4 battery pack good for either 62 or 93 miles of range (a 1982 Citroen Mehari is shown here). Weatherproof with the top down, it can be yours for just €22,772.

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Nosmoke Flower Power (Moke)

Built in Cerizay, France, this beach car went on sale in China two years ago, and is just launching in France. Power comes from a simple 13-hp electric motor and a lead-acid battery good for a 42-mph top speed and 48-60 miles of range depending on driving style. A summer bimini top is included, but full weather protection with side curtains is optional. For beach-house owners on a budget, this one starts at just €15,990.

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Group BurBy’s E-Moke

Here again we have a  13-hp electric Moke with a lead-gel battery good for 48 miles of range, though a lithium-ion upgrade good for 72 miles is optional. Or for the truly range-anxious, the company will fit a 600cc Chery engine with a centrifugal clutch. Top speed is 48 mph. BurBy’s is based in China, with an importer in Villefranche sur Saȏne. And if all of these are too small for you, perhaps the 1.6L gas powered Jumboke is worth a look.

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Quadricycles

In 1992, the EU declared that small, light, motorcycle-engined cars could be considered in the same class as mopeds, and a 2002 redo of the law formed two classes, L6e and L7e based on weight. The licensing and taxation of these usually two-seat cars and delivery vans is less stringent than for “real” cars (14-year-olds can take the wheel!), and for some reason the French (and to some degree) the Italians really love their quadricycles. Here were two favorites:

Ligier Highland X

OK, I just love that Ligier’s Microcar truck sub-brand can’t help itself but to attempt to jump on the big SUV craze. This prototype Highland X, based on the Flex truck, is hiked up to the bejeebers and wearing ultra-knobby mud tires. We’re not sure the Flex’s 500cc 5-hp/13-Lombardini diesel engine has enough oomph to turn two of those tires, let alone spin mud with any of them.

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Aixam GTI

“The GTI is a city car with a fiery temperament, whose sportiness will surprise you. Compact, strong and athletic, GTI has a unique personality. Give in to temptation!” That’s the web site hyperbole describing an appearance package that gives the Coupé model a black roof and wheels, aggressive fascias, and a sporty interior, but leaves the new 8-hp diesel engine and automatic transmission unchanged. Color us dubious of its “fieriness.”

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Ssangyong LIV-2

This one was front and center in Korean SUV-specialist Ssangyong’s display. The un-badged model is billed as the production version of a LIV-1 prototype that was unveiled at the Seoul Motor Show in 2013 (the taillights still bear LIV-1 nomenclature). The letters stand for Limitless Interface Vehicle, so naturally all your electronics will communicate via Bluetooth, USB, Apple CarPlay, etc. It’s a big luxurious SUV, but the engine choices seem kinda small: a 2.2-liter turbodiesel or a 2.0-liter gas direct-injected turbo. We’re rather shocked that Ssangyong has yet to attempt selling its utes in ute-crazy America, but we’re glad they’ve waited to get their styling house in order. This thing looks pretty good. Google the first-gen Ssangyong Rodius for some real eye pain.

Read about our 2016 Paris auto show favorites HERE!

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Refreshing or Revolting: 2018 Audi Q5

The second-generation Audi Q5 debuted at the Paris auto show this week, sporting a lighter body and more powerful engines. It also features a new design that more closely matches the look of the Q3 and Q7 crossovers. The question is: are the design changes too conservative, or just enough to keep the Q5 looking fresh against its competitors?

Although the new Q5 has grown in size, its proportions don’t look much different from those of its predecessor. Up front, the first thing you’re likely to notice is the slimmer headlights that replace the square modules on the old crossover. Like other new Audi models, the headlights are now attached to the grille. On the previous generation, Q5 models had vertical slats inside the grille and SQ5 models had horizontal ones. The new Q5 also features the horizontal slats and this pattern is repeated near the foglight units. A bolder chrome piece frames the edge of the grille, and subtle creases provide added definition to the hood.

From the side, the new Q5 looks similar to the old model. Chrome accents surround the windows and accentuate the vehicle’s raked roofline. But the new model receives more well-defined hips, highlighted by the character line that runs the entire way from the hood, through the side doors, to the rear of the vehicle.

The back end of the Q5 adopts a squarer shape for 2018. New taillights give the Q5 a more menacing look. A sharp crease runs a straight line across the bottom of both taillights, and other deep creases frame the bumper area.

Fortunately, Audi gave the interior just as much attention, if not even more. The cabin of the 2018 Audi Q5 is a major upgrade from the outdated interior of the previous version. Much like the Q7, it receives a standalone display screen that sits on top of the dashboard. The gear shift has also been redesigned, and the vents and knobs have been repositioned. Overall, it’s a cleaner, more refined look.

Do you think the 2018 Audi Q5 is refreshing or revolting? Let us know in the comments below.

Last week, we asked for your thoughts on the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox, and the responses were mixed.

“Definitely refreshing. Well styled without being over the top,” said NE Guy.

“I’d love to comment on the amazing interior that’s light years ahead of the old one, but then again it took GM 7 years to get it here,” Katie Pennington van Dijk lamented.

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Autoweek in review: Everything you missed Sept. 26-30

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New Renault Zoe Paves the Way for Longer-Range Nissan Leaf

Chevy’s Bolt has Nissan playing catch-up in the affordable-EV range races, and alliance-partner Renault’s cheerful Zoe electric city car redesign just unveiled in Paris indicates Nissan’s likely response. The redesign upgrades the battery while remaining within the same exact packaging volume, but boosts range from 149 to 250 miles—that’s on the admittedly wildly optimistic European NEDC cycle. Nissan claims just 186 miles of real-world range for the Zoe city car. The battery chemistry and electrodes are revised (still using lithium-ion technology), and they incorporate more nickel now which has added some mass (48.5 pounds, up to a new total of 661). Total capacity is 43 kilowatt-hours, of which 41 are usable.

Renault worked with LG Chem to develop the current battery, whereas the Leaf was developed with the Automotive Energy Supply Corporation. What will this do for the Leaf? If the 107-mile EPA range of the 30-kWh Leaf gets the same range boost, that would be about 180 miles within the same identical packaging volume. But the Leaf is overdue for a redesign, so expanding the envelope to reach the magic Bolt-trumping 250 miles should be doable.

Another cool trick up Zoe’s sleeve: It can accommodate high-speed AC charging without an auxiliary power inverter. This is accomplished by using the same inverter that conditions DC battery power for use in the AC electric motor by essentially running it backwards. In the Zoe, it can handle up to 43 kW. That’s a faster rate than a lot of AC chargers can deliver, mid-20s is more normal, but at least in Europe much of the metering is by connection time, so if the Renault Zoe is sucking up electrons at double the rate of “normal” EVs, it’s getting those electrons for half-price. To be clear, this feature is only compatible with public charging stations, not charging at home.

Can we expect any of this to propagate throughout the Renault-Nissan Alliance? This question was put to CEO Carlos Ghosn during a Q&A session after the Zoe’s introduction, to which he replied: “This technology will be available in due time for all Nissan Products.” All righty then.

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350 One-Off Ferraris Coming in 2017

Ferrari marks its 70th anniversary next year, and to celebrate, Maranello is releasing a slew of special one-off cars that pay homage to famous Ferraris of the past. The company has selected 70 different color and trim schemes from the past 70 years, from those used on racing cars to those chosen by famous owners like Steve McQueen, and reworked them for its current lineup. One of each color and trim scheme will be applied to one of each of Ferrari’s five cars. That’s a total of 350 unique cars. And, says Ferrari, they’re all sold.

Five cars in five of the 70 different color and trim schemes, or liveries, as Ferrari is calling them, were on display in Paris.

• The Stirling. Shown on an F12, this is a dark blue with white nose stripe model that pays homage to the 250 GT Berlinetta SWB driven by Stirling Moss to victory in the 1961 Tourist Trophy race.
• The Schumacher. Displayed on a 488GTB, this red and white livery was inspired by the F2003-GA F1 car Michael Schumacher drove to his seventh World Driver’s Championship.
• The Steve McQueen. A California T was used to show the metallic brown paint and beige leather interior combination inspired by the Lusso painted a factory color called Marrone and acquired by McQueen in 1964.
• The Green Jewel. Shown on a 488 Spider, this striking combination of metallic green, gold wheels, and one red, one black seat pays homage to the 365 P2 racer driven by British Ferrari driver David Piper in 1965 and ’66.
• The White Spider. Also shown on a 488 Spider, this white car with black stripes and dark blue leather interior was inspired by the 1953 375MM bodied by Pinin Farina.

Some other manufacturers of sports and racing cars now sought after by classic car collectors are contemplating continuation models. Jaguar, for example, has produced continuation lightweight E-Types, and is planning to build nine continuation XK-SS models to replace the cars lost in the disastrous 1957 fire at the factory. But Ferrari, which will host a gathering of all remaining 250GTOs next year as part of its 70th anniversary celebration, does not plan to recreate or remanufacture any of its classic cars.

“Taking inspiration from the past, as with these livery models, is the only acceptable way of recalling the past,” says Ferrari design chief Flavio Manzoni.

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