The Continental: My Paris Notebook

Each week, our German correspondent slices and dices the latest rumblings, news, and quick-hit driving impressions from the other side of the pond. His byline may say Jens Meiners, but we simply call him . . . the Continental. Last week's Paris auto show was somewhat lacking in a coherent theme, but it was well worth the trip. There were many topics that were the source of, shall we say, animated exchanges at the show, but the majority centered around the VW Group, electrics, and McLaren's new super-dupercar. A lot of observers found the Audi Crosslane concept to be unfinished and lacking in refinement, but it addresses the criticism that all of Audi's recent models have the same front end. The Crosslane's interpretation of the Audi grille is new and unique. The interior is stunning—pure, angular, and futuristic. I like it. We are led to believe that the McLaren P1 concept is an aerodynamic marvel, and with its radical proportions and in-your-face paint job, it was one of the stars of the show. However, it represents a glaring departure from the clean and restrained styling of the MP4-12C. Surprisingly, the chosen proposal—the work of McLaren designer Paul Howse—was the less radical of the final two designs, chief designer Frank Stephenson tells me. There was surprisingly little protest against BMW's front-wheel-drive Concept Active Tourer that directly contradicts formerly sacred brand principles. I am not sure whether this is a good or a bad thing for the brand. This van, er, high-roof hatch will blend right into the sea of soulless people movers, no matter how nicely executed it is. Slight changes to the roofline have turned the ungainly Porsche Panamera into one of the best-looking vehicles at the show in the Panamera Sport Turismo. This shouldn't be a version of the next Panamera; this simply should be the next Panamera. Lamborghini still is a favorite, but the restyling of the Gallardo in the LP560-4 leaves me cold. The triangular motif says Ford, not Lambo, and the rear in particular is bulky. At least the changes only pertain to the all-wheel-drive Gallardo; the coolest Gallardo, which has rear-wheel drive, remains unchanged. Thankfully, Lamborghini keeps the manual transmission in the order books, and somewhat curiously, the face-lifted Audi R8's seven-speed dual-clutch automatic doesn't move into the Gallardo, where it technically could replace the six-speed automated manual. GM's German subsidiary, Opel, has a proud model line that consists of 14 different vehicles, but in Paris, nothing was shown but countless variations of the—admittedly nice—new Adam. To view a full line of vehicles, you needed to turn to Chevrolet. There was bad news aplenty for fans of electrics in Paris. Toyota revealed that there will be no more than 200 examples built annually of the iQ EV, as opposed to the thousands originally promised. The RAV4 EV? Done to comply with California emissions requirements. "Profitability of the RAV4 EV is a sensitive issue," chief engineer Satoshi Ogiso tells me. A survey of the jurors of the World Car Awards, conducted with media-monitoring firm Prime Research, reveals increasingly critical views of the electric vehicle, combined with a drop in coverage. But the news surrounding electrics wasn't entirely negative. At least Mercedes-Benz is launching the B-class purely as an EV; the range-extender concept will come later. In my opinion, the compact platform is selling so well that Mercedes can't handle much more than a low-volume extension of the product line. VW Group: Movers and Shakers The move of former Bentley CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer to head Audi's R&D department is sure to shake up operations within the VW Group. At the Pebble Beach Concours d'Élégance in August, Dürheimer was able to tie his name to the upcoming Bentley SUVand the Mulsanne Convertible, but now he is up to bigger things. No stone will be left unturned; Audi's A8 could be shifted to a rear-wheel-drive platform; styling will become more bold. Meanwhile, rumors persist that responsibility for all VW Group V-8 engines could be moved to Porsche. Comparison Test: 2011 Ferrari 458 Italia vs. 2011 McLaren MP4-12C, 2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS Instrumented Test: 2012 Porsche Panamera Turbo S Road Test: 2012 Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Sergio Marchionne would seem to have an obsession with the VW Group. Volkswagen just loves to remind everyone that it's up for a takeover of Alfa Romeo, which routinely provokes meltdowns in Turin. I don't know whether Marchionne finally has been able to personally tell VW overlord Ferdinand Piëch that Alfa is not for sale, but I suspect that quite simply the price offered to the Agnelli family isn't right yet. Meanwhile, I hear that certain high-ranking Fiat executives have branded Italian suppliers working for the VW GROUP as "traitors." It mystifies me that Fiat is considering the VW Group as its chief competitor. It's honorable to aim high, but how about turning your focus to Hyundai and Kia? Autobahn Tested: Toyota Land Cruiser V-8 I drove to Paris in Europe's version of the Toyota Land Cruiser, powered by a 4.5-liter V-8 turbo-diesel that produces 268 hp and an astonishing 479 lb-ft of torque. Top speed is an indicated 142 mph, at which speed the burly SUV easily gets into a swinging motion that requires you to firm up the electronic dampers by the push of a button, or reduce speed sharply. But that's my only complaint. Even with extended high-speed traveling, this Land Cruiser gets around 20 mpg; more if you drive reasonably. The Land Cruiser is luxurious, but it still is the genuine article. I enjoyed it, and the diesel is so good that you'd forget about the 5.7-liter petrol-powered V-8—if you had a choice in the U.S. Read full story » from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

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