Open-top concepts and AI automation at Paris Motor Show 2018
This year’s Paris Motor Show (which runs from 4 - 14 October 2018 in the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre) is a low-key affair with a few big surprises...
BMW 3-Series
Slow and steady evolution is the name of the game for BMW as it rolled out the seventh iteration of the venerable 3-Series. The company’s vitally important medium-sized car is still beloved by business drivers all over the world, guaranteeing steady sales and vital income. Even the 3 isn’t immune to change, however, and while the metal only shows subtle tweaks from the previous generation, the tech below includes hybrid models and BMW’s new AI-driven personal assistant. The range goes on sale next Spring. From £33,610.
BMW 3-Series
Ferrari 488 Pista Spider
The open-topped variant of Ferrari’s most hardcore 488 broke cover in Paris – the company’s 50th ever convertible model and, naturally, also its fastest. The ‘Pista’ designation denotes a stripped down aesthetic, seen here with a simplified, race-focused interior and refined aerodynamics. The company hopes the combination of open-topped cabin and the raucous sound of its celebrated V8 engine will seduce owners seeking a very visceral driving experience.
Ferrari 488 Pista Spider
Mercedes B Class
The latest and most luxurious compact car on the market, Mercedes’ new B-Class takes design cues, inside and out, from the company’s high-end saloons. Sleeker and less boxy than before, Mercedes hope the flexible interior layout and smart, fully connected dashboard will give the B-Class an edge in a hard-fought market sector. The first cars should appear early next year.
Mercedes B Class
Porsche 911 Speedster
The 911 Speedster showed up in concept form but with the promise of production in the very near future. Just 1,948 will be made, starting early next year, a nod to the debut year of the company’s very first car, the Porsche 356 ‘Number 1’ of 1948. The Speedster pares the iconic 911 back to first principles, with two-seater bodywork, a large faired-in rear deck with ‘double-bubble’ cover and deliberately retro details like the conical wing mirrors.
Porsche 911 Speedster
Renault Ez Ultimo
Renault has mooted many electric and autonomous concepts over the past few years, creating an eco-system of proposed vehicles from trucks to shared city cars. The latest is the Ez-Ultimo, which bills itself as a ‘shared mobility service solution offering a premium travel experience’. Reasoning that the demand for short, upscale travel pods can only increase, the company has created a self-driving, technology filled passenger pod. Serving up airport transfers, mobile meeting rooms, or guided city tours, the Ex-Ultimo has a spacious passenger cell and refined materials and surfaces.
Renault Ez Ultimo
Smart Concept
Smart is 20, and the upstart car brand is celebrating with a new open-topped concept, the smart forease. The electric two-seater is a big nod to two of the company’s earlier creations, the 2001 Crossblade and the 2011 forspeed. Intended to show that electric urban motoring can be fun and uncompromising, we wouldn’t rule out a limited edition production if enough interest is shown.
Smart Concept