New Revel : Secma F16 Roadster

This tiny Secma F16 Roadster may not be as mad or aggressive as a KTM X-Bow or a Ariel Atom , but that doesn't mean you won't be able to have some good, decent fun with it. The 1.6-liter Renault four-pot powering the French track car produces just 105 HP, but it's mounted in the back for 40/60 front/rear weight distribution for Porsche-like handling. What's more, the whole car weighs just 1200 pounds, meaning the sprint from 0-62 MPH takes 5.9 seconds. Of course, the top speed is only 112 MPH, but you won't care, with a price equivalent to just over $23,000. This is the perfect car for cheap thrills round mountain roads and tracks .

PICTURES :

2008 Paris Auto Show : Day # 4

Sorry i got abit late with the coverage , but no matter .

As usual , I'll start with the CONCEPTS :

- Citroen Hypnos Concept : Citroen doesn't have any ture SUV . Well , this new Hypnos Concept seems to do the job . First , it looks like the Citroen GT's bigger brother . So it's gorgeous . Then , comes it's size . with 22" rims and 4.90m of length , it's gigantic . And the new 2.0L clean diesel engine that puts out 420NM , This should have no problems cutting through forests . But will they ever make it ? No word yet , but don't get high hopes about it .

- Renault Ondelios Concept : Like Citroen , Renault needs a SUV . But unlike Citroen , This luxury crossover is only a look-at thing . No production here . So Renault went uber-futuristic . This car is more modern than the Jetson's car . Starting from the A-pillar , all the way to the tail-gate , the car is made of glass . And despite having 4-seats , you'll be getting in through 2 enormous gullwing doors . Inside , There isn't any screens . Every set of information is touchable . Too bad they won't even dream to make it .

- Renault Megane Trophy : Sticking with Renault , this is a car that will be making in 2009 . But sadly , it's only for the tracks . This racing cup car is set to follow the legendary Cilo V6 . Powered by a mid-engine , Nissan 3.5L V6 with 360HP , this will be a very hard rival for the competitors . But above all that , this is a beauty in person . Hope they make a limited production road-legal version .

- Lada Revolution 3 Concept : We don't know much about this Russian automaker . But now , they got us interested with their new supercar concept . Infact , this is the 3rd version of the "revolution" . At first , it was powered by a 1.6L engine . Now it's transformed into a 2.0L turbo with 245hp . If that wasn't enough , you can get a 3.7L Nissan V6 with 350HP . But because it weighs only 1 ton , 60MPH comes in less than 5 seconds . It competes with stuff like the Porsche Cayman and Audi TT-S . Production will start in early 2010 . So nothing revolutionary about it .

Moving on , to PRODUCTION cars :

* 2009 Opel Insignia ecoFLEX : We love the new Insignia . Simply because , it's a cheap mid-size sedan that is , A) German , B) looks great . But this is the one that people will buy . It's the ecoFLEX diesel . It's one of the greenest cars on the road , it gases well below 140 g/km . And with 160HP , it goes all the way to 138MPH , 60MPH is in 9.5 seconds . That average . But when you're doing it inside this amazing interior , it's fascinating . So you can have this bucket of beautiful engineering in early 2009 of expected price around 23,000$ .

* 2009 Renault Megane III : A couple of weeks ago , we saw some spy pictures of it . What we were interested in , are the looks and that it'll feature the same engine as the Renaultsport Megane R26.R . So , are they true ? Well for the looks , yes . We've been noticing lately of how great Renault's design department ( look at Renault Laguna Coupe ) . Unfortunately , no word has yet to come if there's be a sporty version of it . For now , you can enjoy a 1.4L or a 1.6L or 2.0L 4 cylinder engines in 5-door or coupe forums . And like all French cars , this is got a great interior . Unlike German interiors , which are straight and boring as a celery . This is curvy and interesting . It's a great car . Just waiting for the hotter version .

That's it for today . Keep tuned for tomorrow .

Magazine Revels : Aston Martin One-77

If you are a multi-billionaire , eagerly waiting for the official release of the ultra-exclusive Aston Martin One-77 at the Paris Auto show , you have to wait no more . You can head to your local book shop , and get November's issue of Top Gear Magazine . In the magazine , you can get an early look at Aston's 2,000,000$ hypercar . And high-quality pictures too . So is the Paris Auto Show worthy now ? Nah . I've ordered my copy of the magazine . And no more teaser pictures Aston !

2008 Paris Auto Show : Le Day 3

Third day of the Paris Auto Show , and new stuff are getting less . But that doesn't mean their isn't any new cars . There's still plenty .

Starting with the CONCEPTS :

Venturi Volage Concept : This is the work between a French company and Michelin tire company . Now this car is for the future (2012) . And it's full of gadgetry . Most interesting feature is the 8 battery engines , so you get 2 engines for each wheel . 1 of the wheel , another of the suspension . Because it's made from futuristic materials , it weights just over 1 ton . So this EV can hit 60MPH in well under 5 seconds ! Excited ? So you have to wait till 2012 .

SsangYong C200 Concept : Ever heard of them ? Well , they're a very cheap Korean automaker , who never made a good or normal looking car . Their cars are hideously ugly ( Look at SsangYong Rodius ) . But now , they achieved a world first , A SsangYoung that's great to look at . Infact , it's one of Korea's best looking car . Outside , you can sense that this is a quality car . So even the cheapness is gone . If this goes to production , SY announced that it'll have a 2,0L 175hp diesel engine . Even so , if SY continues the C200 styling with their other cars , you might see they'll be having a bright future .

Pininfarina B0 Concept : You might know Pininfarina is the company that design Ferraris . And Ferraris are beauty of Italy . But no one knows what got into their heads , because they went out of Ferrari and then design this . It doesn't look Italian at all . It looks like an egg . But you're wondering , atleast it'll be fast , because Pininfarina surely learned from Ferrari . Um , no . It's one of these hybrid solutions for gas prices . But to be fair , this is their first shot for making a car . Because production starts at 2009 . They might surprise us for their next car .

Moving on to PRODUCTION cars :

* Fiat 500 Abarth esseesse : The Fiat 500 is a cuteish little city car with clever interior . But I always thought it needed a hard-core brother . Luckily , Fait thought that too . So they gave it to their tuning division , Abarth . First , Abrath replaced all the Fiat name badges and replaced it with the Abarth scorpion badges and called it "esseesse" , SS in simple English . Then , added hard-core racing body kit and racing wheels . Under the sleek body , they added 60 hp to the 100 hp 1.4L that was in the standard 500 . 160hp is alot for its size . So 60MPH comes in 7.4 seconds . And it could do over 130MPH . Sales will start soon .

* Seat Exeo : Seat is owned by Audi . And after Audi released the new A4 , they decided to keep the old A4 platform . So they throw it away to Seat . And released the Exeo . It looks an identical copy to the old A4 . It doesn't stop here . It has the same interior , same features and gadgets , same problems and even the same 2.0L TSI engine as the old A4 . So in final , it is an old Audi A4 . So if you like the older A4 than the new one , don't go to second-hand shops . Just go to Seat and get this .

* Chevrolet Cruze : GM realized that Americans are preferring European cars to their cars . So this is GM's answer to the European flood . It's the Cruze . At first glance , it looks thoroughly European , like any Saab or Peugeot . And the interior is share by the Volt , which is great . The dashboard looks great , and the buttons looks and feels substantial . So it's set up by European standards . Even the engine , it's 1.4L tubro turns 40MPG . So will this American-built European -like automobile compete with its rivals . That's what we'll be finding out in 2 years time .

That raps it up for today , keep tuned for tomorrow .

2008 Paris Auto Show : Day 2

It's a new day for the Paris Auto Show . And alot of new cars , so lets get cracking .

Starting with the CONCEPTS :

- Mercedes-Benz ConceptFASCINATION : Ever anyone wondered that a Merc E-Class estate would ever look beautiful ? Well wonder no more , this Mercedes-Benz ConceptFASCINATION is the next generation E-Class estate . And at glance , you have to say , it looks gorgeous . What stands for me most , are the low door-sills , so the upper car looks like its only made of glass . But if you think the outside looks great , wait until you see the interior . They've used real stained wood . And instead of using plastic for some parts , they went of for metal . Now if the production model if this car comes out like that , BMW and Audi should start working from now .

- Peugeot Prologue HYmotion4 diesel hybrid Concept : Peugeot is known for making small economical hatchbacks . A this new concept/pre-production model will surely be a success for 2 simple reasons . First , it looks great inside and out . Second , it's extremely economical . It's the first of kind , diesel-hybrid . So it manages 60 MPG . Production should start in 2009 .

- Audi A4 TDI Concept e : While the small Peugeot above does 60 MPG in diesel-hybrid forum . The Germans seem to be cleverer . With clean-diesel TDI technology , this mid-size luxury sedan does 59MPG . And 214 lb-ft , you'll be going fast . Although they're calling it a concept , but production will be starting end of 2008 .

- Peugeot RC HYmotion4 Concept : Automakers these days are going with the trend of 4-door coupes . Look at Aston Martin's Rapid , Porsche Panamera and Lambo's Estoque . And now Peugeot . But wheres the British , German and Italian aim their cars towards performance . The French are aiming it towards design , fuel economy and supercar performance . First , this Peugeot isn't like anything I ever saw . It looks fabulous . And because it's a hybrid , it gets 52MPG . And somehow it weighs only 3,100 pounds . So because it's so light , 60MPH in 4 seconds ! No word if this perfect car will be produced or not .

Now to PRODCUTION cars :

* Aston Martin One-77 : We saw this yesterday , but we only saw the front-end . Today we see the back-end . Lets see if this 2,000,000 $ hypercar will debut at the end of the Paris Auto Show .

* 2008 Jaguar XKR-S : Remember the legandry Jag XJ-220 ? That was the fastest Jag ever built . Well now , here comes the successor . It's a XKR with Spotier suspension . With 420 hp , and 175MPH top speed , this is the biggest competitor to its cousin , the Aston Martin V8 Vantage . Anyways , this car will only be sold in Europe . So no fun Jag here .

* 2009 Volvo XC60 : Volvo is know for very safe boring cars . But this is their most exciting car yet . When they showed it they said "It comes from Sweden with LUV" . Just by hearing that , you know that this car isn't like any Volvo . And with its low roof-line , it shows that this competes with the BMW X6 . That's very cool . And we'll be seeing if it can beat the X6 when it rolls the steets next March .

* 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart Sportback : The all-new Lance Ralliart is such a success here . It's cheap , practical and has the same engine as its bigger brother , the EVO X . But it seems the Europeans like it more roundred . That's why there's this new Sportback edition for Europe . It's the same as a normal Ralliart just turned in as a hatchback .

* 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 S Roadster : This SLR was revealed last week , but here on the show , people are seeing it live . And it looks superb . The long hood , holding 650hp . Then you'll notice that when this is a convertible , that the hatchback roof on the hardtop is gone . Honsetly , this is the great combination of beauty and aggresion . A soft roader when it's sunny , a godfather of violence when reaches 208MPH .

* 2009 Kia Soul : By reading the name , you'll know that Kia are trying too hard to give their cars passion . And although I think that's a stupid name , but looking at it is not so bad . It looks very funky and urban . Even the red color is great on it . Somehow , it's very likeable . Finally , a Korean car with flair and charecter , which is something getting very hard for most automakers .

* 2009 Ford Focus RS : 300 Hp and 325ft-lb of torque , all going to front-wheels ? That should be very wild torque-steer . But the Quaife Automatic Torque Biasing limited-slip differential is said to remove all traces of torque-steer . So will this be like the old RS , faster than EVO & STI around tracks . That's what we'll be finding out in 2009.

2008 Paris Auto Show : Day 1

As most of you know , today was the first day of the Paris Auto Show . And alot of reports and motoring journalist were their , but not me . Not to worry , I'll be covering the show daily . And feature all the cars .

Starting with the CONCEPTS :

- Lamborghini Estoque Concept : This car appeared earlier when Lambo unveiled it couple of hours before the show , and we see it again here . And on live stage , this thing is a real beauty every side you look at it . No sedan could beat this in looks , and many supercars can't beat with speed . Many thought that Lamborghini's reputation would be ruined if they made a sedan , but this hector still is a proper Lambo . It's still a concept now , but as told you before , expect it to hit production in 2009 .

- The GT by Citroen : We saw tons of teaser shots of this car , and now it's here without the "Gran Turismo" cover . This is the first french supercar in 15 years (the last one was 1991 Renault Alpine A 610) . And this funky looking thing , is set to be one of the Grand Turismo Playstation game sires . And they say it blends the game's fun with reality . It can hit 60MPH in 3.6 seconds , but it runs can run hydrogen . No word if this will turn to the streets , but expect it to keep it that way . It's just a concept Citroen , com'on and make real cars .

- Aston Martin One-77 : A couple of days ago , Aston got us teased with some pictures and little information . And nothing has changed yet . Today , it was fully covered , then someone at AM went and uncovered the front-right side of the body . It occurs to me that they'll be "uncovering" each side for a day until the last day , where it'll be revealed . So stay tuned .

- Chevrolet Orlando Concept : Chevy unveiled this concept just 2 hours before the launch of the show . But now , people where seeing it live . And a debate was along the reporters . Where people don't know Chevy very well , they were saying that this car is a success for GM . Others who know what Chevy is and how it used to be were worried that GM are thinking in the European mind , and this diesel MPV won't work in the US . Anyhow , this is still a concept . But this Chevy Cruze-based MPV will definitely hit factories in 2009 .

- Mini Crossover Concept : Mini are trying to be big . And this is their first hit at it , with a "small" crossover vehicle ! What were they thinking ? What this is , is a Mini Club-man and then raised it up from the ground . And their isn't anything special about it . It's just a normal car with normal engine and normal dynamics . It isn't a show car , it's just a pre-production mule .

- Audi A1 Sportback Concept : This is the smallest Audi yet . And it's Audi's first hybrid . And Audi's real competitor to the BMW 1-sires . So it's and Audi first . That should be good . Powered by a 1.4L TFSI engine and an electric motor , this hybrid can manages 60MPG . And while it save alot of money at the gas station , you'll never be late . 0-60 MPH in 7.9 seconds ! And the best bit , it looks like a proper Audi with the new LED day-time headlights . Audi announced that this will go to German factories in 2009 . A good car from the Germans .

- BMW X1 Concept : Our eyes got hurt when they saw the X1 couple of days ago . And now they're hurt again when it was seen live at the show . As it turns out , it looks even worse on stage . But if you forgot about the looks , this is a fine car . Based on the 3-sires platform (we thought it was based on 1-sires) , and powered by 3.0L twin turbocharged I-6 , this is a good machine . But even here there's a problem , why would you pay more for a car has less power and as big as the X1 , which is the X3 ? That means BMW killed the X3 until they do something about it . Production will start end of 2008 .

- Mazda Kiyora Concept : Mazda have been going with the trend of designing alot of concepts for the far future so when they want to make a production car , they simply use what they designed before . And this example is here , it's the Kiyora . It looks like it came from the 22nd century , but Mazda says that this will be some day be the Mazda 2 . And that they designed it so it could be a small city car . And if it hit production some day , it'll have a 1,3L engine . Someday .

- Nissan Nuvu Concept : Nissan got jealous from Mazda about the designing business , and they too have a designed what they claim is the perfect city car for future cities . And you have to say , it doesn't look at funky or futuristic as the Kiyora . But while the Mazda may have a gasoline engine , this Nissan got a zero-emission battery engine . Yet better , this supposedly will roll the streets in 2010 .

Now to the PRODUCTION cars :

* 2009 Lexus IS250C : This was the surprise of the day . It's a Lexus IS turned into a coupe/convertible , and a replace to the dreadful SC430 . But while the SC had a thumbing V8 , this has a 2.5L V6 . So it won't overtake the SC , but this is alot better . Lexus claims they got "the world's fastest metal folding roof" . With a flick of a button and 20 seconds , your coupe transforms into a convertible . And while the roof is down , you can hold a golf bag . So this is what a Lexus should be like . Pure luxury and extreme practicality . Sales start , summer 2009 .

* 2009 Volkswagen GTI : It's the MK VI Golf GTI . And as seen earlier , it looks very good . The new 210 hp engine also has 207 lb-ft of torque with the torque starting from 1,800RPM . The electronically controlled limited-slip XDS differential will help guide that torque to the wheel with the most grip and hopefully manage torque steer as well . And with the adaptive chassis control system (ACC) , this hatchback will get to 60MPH in just 7.2 seconds . Despite that it's more powerful than the MK V GTI , but the new one gets better fuel economy . With 32MPG , you could have real fun in this car while using little spills of fuel . No word on prices , but it will likely be the same . Sales starts in summer 2009 .

* 2009 Audi S4 : Alot of changes since the old S4 . the growling 4.2L V8 is gone . Today , it's a 3.0L TFSI supercharged V6 with 333HP and 325 lb-ft of torque . That's less hp than the old S4 but more torque . So , 0-60 MPH (0-100 KPH) comes in just 5 seconds ! But what's more impressive is the overtaking acceleration . Because 325 lb-ft of torque runs all over the rev range , going from 50 - 75 MPH (80-120KPH) in 4th gear just takes 4.4 seconds ! What also helps , the Quatto all-wheel drive & 7 speed gearbox . In final , it looks better than the old S4 . It's faster than the old S4 . But don't know , I miss the beloved V8 .

* 2009 Ferrari California : It was a big day for Ferrari today . They needed to prove to the world that they haven't gone soft , that this new roadster is hard enough to be a real Ferrari . When the pictures were on the net , it didn't look good . But on live stage , it was fabulous . And now this rapido dual-clutch 7 speed gearbox , and screaming 4.3 V8 , it really can hit 60MPH in under 4 seconds . So welcome California to the Ferrari supercar world . And sales already started .

* 2009 Honda Insight : It was revealed a couple of weeks ago as a concept , and still is . But today at the show , Honda announced that the Totoya Prius killer will see production at the Detroit Auto Show in January 2009 . So why will this hybrid kill off the definitive of all hybrids (Prius) . Well , this Honda manages to be more economical than the Toyota . But most importantly , price . Toyota priced the Prius around 25,000$ , Honda is pricing the Insight under 19,000$ . And this is really a kick-out for the Prius . Let us see what happens in 2009 .

* 2009 Mitsubishi Colt : After the success of the Lancer design , and huge sales of the old Colt , here comes the new one . It shares alot of the Lancer's styling queues . Infact , they're calling it Lancer's younger brother . And like the Lancer , this now has a harder version . The Colt Ralliart . Powered by a 1.5L engine , 110 hp and racing-tuned suspension . This will be the perfect car to go fast in traffic jams.

So alot of new cars in a day , that's good . Lets see what's new in the next day .