Paris Motor Show
Paris Motor Show
Interview: Cadillac’s CMF chief Laetitia Lopez
At the Paris Auto Show, Cadillac’s CMF manager Laetitia Lopez spoke to Car Design News about material innovation, having a dedicated CMF studio and the diverse nature of her team
Pierre Leclercq: “If we don’t manage to do something different, the job doesn’t interest me”
Car Design News chatted with Citröen design director Pierre Leclercq at the Paris Motor Show
Renault the standout at Paris – but no need for Fl4wer Power
In a surprise to nobody, Renault arguably had the most impressive stand at the 2024 Paris Motor Show, displaying a raft of concepts and upcoming production models on home turf. Guy Bird reports on the French brand’s presence this year, which was a real mixed bag – not in the figurative sense – but in the sheer range of models on display, from small city cars to commercial delivery vans
REPORT: Paris motor show 2024
Car Design News was on the ground in Paris this year and reported on all the latest launches, trends and conversations with designers as they happened. Read on for a recap
Paris 2018: A philosophical finale
There were some highlights, but the show asked some big questions too
Paris 2018: Infiniti Project Black S
F1 tech and lots of carbon fibre in a suave Infiniti? Design director Karim Habib explains
Paris 2018: GFG Sibylla GG 80
A new car from the legendary Giorgetto Giugiaro – and he explained it to us himself
BMW 3-Series (G20) leaks out early
8-Series inspired evolution for BMW’s most important model
Concept Car of the Week: Peugeot Proxima (1986)
The Peugeot Proxima concept: motorsport engineering in a science-fiction coupé
Paris Show 2018: Le Preview
2018’s show season kicks off in the French capital
Peugeot E-Legend Concept revealed
A retro throwback on the surface, an autonomous connected EV underneath
Ferrari reveals limited-series Monza SP speedsters
The first model in a new ‘Icone’ series is offered as a one- or two-seater
Audi e-tron revealed before Paris show
Electric SUV is the first e-tron to make it to production
Kia releases production Proceed images
Official images of Kia’s new production-spec estate appear before the Paris show
DS 3 Crossback leaks out early
Press images leak out to reveal bold new compact crossover
Concept Car of the Week: Citroën Xenia (1981)
Designed by the mysterious Trevor Fiore, the Citroën Xenia might be the first and only ‘Break Monocorps’?
Design Essay: Changing The Game
Looking at what the virtual world can – and will – bring to reality
VinFast selects third and fourth models for production
Two of ItalDesign’s four proposals will be developed by Pininfarina
CCotW: Bertone Birusa (2003)
A sleek BMW-based concept that foretold the future. Just not the right future...
Detroit 2018: BMW X2 wins awards, x2
BMW’s new baby SUV scoops two EyesOn Design awards
Concept Car of the Week: BMW X-Coupé (2001)
Chris Bangle’s now famous Flame Surfacing made its debut in the form of the BMW X-Coupé at the 2001 North American International Auto Show
Concept Car of the Week: GMC Terradyne
The Terradyne was General Motors’ turn-of-the-millennium vision of the urbanised future of the truck
Concept Car of the Week: Renault Nepta (2006)
A land yacht for cruising the Corniche, the Renault Nepta is an open-top grand tourer with classic lines and proportions evoking classic open-topped cars like phaetons, or the classic 1960s Lincoln Continental convertible
CDR4 Highlights: Stéphane Janin, Renault
From the yearbook: Janin discusses Renault's rise, and how to balance design with innovation
Triumph TRX (1950)
The Standard Silver Bullet
Maserati Medici I (1974) & II (1976)
A rare design misstep by Giugiaro led to a chance for redemption
Chrysler/Simca Shake and Suzuki Go (1970 & ’72)
Some Holiday Fun from Bertone and Marcello Gandini
Interior Motives - Spring 2017
In this issue: Range Rover Velar, Riversimple Rasa, Toyota Concept-i, DS7, Volkswagen Arteon and Technology Focus - CES
Design Development: DS7 Crossback
The French brand’s new SUV is an attempt to define its design identity
Design Review: Citroën C3
A deep design dive into the quirky French supermini
New Car: Volkswagen Gira
Autonomous interior concept from Volkswagen goes on display in Berlin
Design Development: Volkswagen ID
How the first of a forthcoming family of EVs was created
Design Development: Citroën C3
Creating the third-generation of Citroën’s top-selling supermini
Design Development: Citroën CXperience
How one of the stars of the Paris Motor Show was created
Rinspeed previews a 2017 concept car – complete with space to grow plants
Interesting Oasis concept will debut at January’s CES in Las Vegas
First Sight: Land Rover Discovery (2017)
Land Rover's controversial new SUV has split opinion (if not a tailgate). Its designers explain
Paris 2016: All the car design stories from this year’s show
Our highlights from a depleted motor show line-up
Paris 2016: Lexus UX offers ideas aplenty
Concept packed with ideas proves Lexus is still filled with unrealised potential
Paris 2016: Lexus spins spider silk into flexible seating
Try saying synthetic spider silk three times fast
Paris 2016: Crisp Skoda Kodiaq clobbers confused Audi Q5
Skoda upsets the hierarchy by introducing the VW Group’s best SUV design
Paris 2016: Peugeot’s 5008 and 3008 make a pair
Two mid-size Peugeots for the price of one
Paris 2016: Cars of the silver screen
Hall 8 turns up its usual curios – this times it’s cars from the movies
Paris 2016: Citroën C3 and Nissan Micra are the soft and sharp of superminis
Different takes on the small-car format, with varying degrees of success
Paris 2016: Citroën CXperience is as sharp as citrus
Sleek sedan concept is one of our stars of the show
Paris 2016: Mercedes Generation EQ explores electro-fusion
Benz blends a host of formats to create the first EV for its new family
Paris 2016: Porsche Panamera rewards the decisive
New HMI is impressive when the car is standing still…
Paris 2016: Hyundai RN30 leaves the caps lock on
Shouty concept leaves you in no doubt that Hyundai is the sporty one, right?
Paris 2016: Is the Volkswagen ID a missed opportunity?
VW’s electric-only design language promises much, but does it deliver?
Paris 2016: DS revisits its history, and this time we don't mind
With no new cars to show, DS digs out some design classics from days gone by
Paris 2016: Land Rover Discovery looks forward not back
The Discovery has been redefined, like it or not...
Paris 2016: Live
We're in Paris, reporting live. Follow it here
First Sight: up close with Renault’s Trezor Paris motor show concept
Hidden secrets behind Renault’s new treasure revealed
Corvette Rondine (1963)
Ask any Corvette enthusiast the significance of the year 1963 and an excited smile will break across his or her face. That was the year of the introduction of the second generation Corvette, the C2, with its dramatic styling, shape, and controversial split rear window, all courtesy of Larry Shinoda and the GM Design team.
771: Mercedes Vision SLA
Render of the Vision SLA concept, based on the A-Class, shown back in 2000
Paris Motor Show 2016 preview
Our pick of this year's Parisian hits and misses
New Car: Kia Rio
Rejigged proportions alter its overall stance
New Car: Citroën CXperience
Return to fastback format that looks both to the past and future
Pic of the Day 756
Sketch for fourth-generation 2017 Kia Rio, set to be unveiled at the Paris motor show next month
First Sight: Peugeot 3008
New crossover brings the Quartz concept back down-to-earth
New Car: Peugeot 3008
French firm's new C-segment model adopts conventional crossover cues
Concept Car(s) of the Week: Ferrari 250 P5 (1968) & Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/2 Coupe Speciale (1969)
Revisiting the Ferrari and Alfa Romeo showcars that shared far more than Italian heritage
Concept Car of the Week: Renault Ondelios (2008)
A forgotten and misunderstood crossover that has clearly had a wider influence
Lancia Delta
This is an important new car for Lancia, as the brand has been limping for several years now with a odd range comprising of the small Ypsilon and Musa and the larger Thesis sedan and Phedra MPV.
Renault Twingo concept
The original Renault Twingo of 1992 was the first Renault designed from start to finish under the then still new Director of Design, Patrick le Quement.
Concept Car of the Week: Chrysler D’Elegance (1952)
The Chrysler concept that would become a Volkswagen
Honda Insight
Honda love recycling old model names and applying them to new cars - and the Insight is the latest example.
Ford Kuga
The Kuga was presented in concept form at Frankfurt although Stefan Lamm, Chief Designer Exterior at Ford, told us: "It is basically a production car". Only the pearlescent paint and some interior trim materials will differ on the production design, he said.
The Lotus Elan from the Type 26 to the 2010 Paris Show concept by Peter Stevens Pt3
Bringing the Elan story up to date, from the late-80s to 2010's Paris Motor Show concept
Aston Martin One-77
Last autumn the general public only got a glimpse of a front wing of Aston Martin's forthcoming £1.2m supercar at the Paris Motor Show.
Ssangyong C200 concept
Ssangyong Motors, former subsidiary of Shanghai Automotive, has had a nightmarish beginning to 2009, with plummeting sales, bankruptcy, the SAIC Group's waiver, and even an accusation of industrial espionage surfacing within the last three months.
Lotus Elan from the Type 26 to the 2010 Paris Motor Show concept by Peter Stevens Pt2
'New Elan' finally reaches production, but not before yet more internal conflict
Peugeot EX1 concept
On the eve of the of the Paris Motor Show, Peugeot held a private viewing of the EX1 Concept Car at its premier showroom on the Champs Elysees in Paris.
Paris Motor Show 2004 Photo Gallery: 830 photos and hi-res downloads
Paris Motor Show 2004 Photo Gallery: 830 photos and hi-res downloads
The Lotus Elan from the Type 26 to the 2010 Paris Motor Show concept by Peter Stevens
Part one of the history of Lotus' sports car from its beginnings to the most-recent Paris show concept
What's New - January 2004
Renault is unveiling the Deck'up concept at the Brussels Motor Show, targeting outdoor leisure and adventure off the beaten track. The Deck'up follows the Kangoo Break’up concept, presented at the 2002 Paris Motor Show, and the earlier Modus 2 and Operandi van concepts.
Peugeot 907 concept to debut at the Paris Motor Show
Sep 3, 2004 – Making its debut at the Paris Motor Show, the Peugeot 907 concept is a two-seater GT coupé, created "with reference to the past, the present and the future", and intended to transcend the Marque's values. The 907 is powered by a 6.0 litre V12 engine delivering ...
Automotive design community gathers for annual design awards party in Paris
Sep 16, 2004 - More than 300 senior members of the automotive design community will be attending the Interior Motives Design Awards 2004 ceremony to be held at Le Cab, Paris on 24 September, during the Paris Motor Show.
Winners of the Interior Motives Design Awards 2004 announced
Oct 8, 2004 - After the second press day of the Paris Motor Show, designers made their way to Le Cab nightclub for the announcement of InteriorMotives Student Design Awards 2004 winners. Over 500 atttendees included leading automotive designers, design managers and top executives from automakers, independent designers and design ...
Renault Ellypse Design Development
The Renault Ellypse was one of the most interesting concept cars to be shown at the 2002 Paris Motor Show.
Ford Focus - Design Review
Oct 20, 2004 – Car design, as everything, is relative. How we read a car's design is relative to the world that surrounds it - specifically other cars and in particular those of the same type, its siblings and predecessor. Seeing the new Ford Focus in the flesh at Paris ...
PSA opens new ADN Design Centre
Oct 26, 2004 - "A building dedicated to automotive creativity" is how Robert Peugeot, head of Innovation and Quality, described the new PSA Design Centre during the official opening on October 7.
2004 Paris Motor Show Design Trends and Overview
Nov 8, 2004 – Car design inevitably goes in set patterns: large, radical leaps tend to be followed up by small evolutionary steps, especially for those second-generation models of a previous all-new concept. One dominant theme of this year's Paris Motor Show was the very conservative redesigns of some of ...
BMW Z4 Design Development
BMW has a long, if sporadic, history of making roadster sports cars. It made the 328 for four years from 1936, two decades later it made the 507 for four years, and then three decades later it made the Z1 for four years until 1991.
Renault Megane Design Development
Behind the design of every major mass market car lies a myriad of different factors that impacted upon how it came to be.
Smart Roadster and Roadster Coupe Design Development
At the 1998 Paris Motor Show the two seater 2.5 metre long Smart City Coupe was launched.
Design Review: Mercedes-Benz CST Vision B
Dec 13, 2004 – Nearly three years ago Mercedes presented the Vision R Grand Sports Tourer concept in Detroit which heralded a new direction for Mercedes production cars. The GST was a 'crossover' vehicle with the four wheel drive and muscular design identity of an SUV, the three rows of ...
Winners of the Interior Motives: Student Design Awards 2003 announced
Sep 23, 2003 - The winners of the Interior Motives: Student Design Awards 2003 were announced during this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show.
Flaminio Bertoni exhibition at the Design Museum, London
One of the most influential European automotive designers of the 20th century, Flaminio Bertoni, the designer of the Citroën DS, is the subject of an exhibition at the Design Museum in London.
The Audi A8 Design Story
Every vehicle design development story is unique, but the development of the new Audi A8 is in many ways an archetypal example of a new vehicle design programme, touching on so many of the issues that impact on the vehicle design process.
Concept Car of the Week: Citroën Activa I (1988)
A look back at the big Citroën built to show off some pretty high-tech hydropneumatics
Honda Accord - European and Asian model
October 30, 2002 - This is the 7th generation European Honda Accord. It was announced in saloon form at the recent Paris Motor Show, the estate version more recently, and both variants will be available in Europe early next year.
Renault Ellypse concept to debut at Paris Motor Show
September 9, 2002 - The Renault Ellypse showcases Renault's 'Touch Design', first seen on the Talisman concept.
What's New
Volkswagen has revealed the first details of its forthcoming compact MPV, the Touran.
GM Hy-wire concept to debut at Paris Motor Show
Feb 26, 2002 - August 14, 2002 - General Motors has revealed a first look at Hy-wire, the first drivable vehicle that combines a hydrogen fuel cell with by-wire technology.
First official photos of new generation Audi A8
July 13, 2002 - Audi has released the first official photos of the new A8, which will have it's public debut at the Paris Motor Show in September.
World premiere for Maybach in New York
July 10, 2002 - Four months after its comeback at the Geneva Motor Show, the luxury car brand Maybach has presented it's new high-end automobile to the public in New York.
BMW releases first photos of Z4 roadster
July 3, 2002 - BMW has revealed the first official pictures of the new BMW Z4 roadster, which will be shown to the public for the first time at the Paris Motor Show in September.
First photo: Opel Meriva MPV
May 23, 2002 - Opel has released first details of the smaller brother to the seven-seater Zafira.
Volkswagen reveals first details of Touareg SUV
April 30, 2002 – Volkswagen has released first details of the Touareg, joining the Passat W8 and the Phaeton in the next phase of the company's luxury segment campaign.
Ferrari FX prototype to be revealed in Tokyo
Apr 17, 2002 - The design prototype of Ferrari's fastest road car ever, the Ferrari FX will debut in Tokyo at 'Artedinamica: Ferrari and Maserati at the Contemporary Art Museum of Tokyo' on April 26th, and from April 27th to July 14th the exhibition will be open to the public.
News from Italy 4
The international design community is eagerly waiting for the Frankfurt Motor Show where an ocean of new designs is expected to flood the huge halls hosting the largest and least human friendly motor show.
This week...
All the news we couldn't fit on the front page
Peugeot '2020' Design Contest winner announced
27 March 2001 - Following the launch at the Paris Motor Show 2000 of the first Peugeot Design Contest on the internet, the winner has been presented with a cheque for 5,000 euros by Frédéric Saint-Geours, Managing Director of Automobiles Peugeot, at the Geneva Motor Show 2001.
Nissan Primera takes Fusion concept into production
The new-generation Primera Sedan and Wagon were released recently in Japan.
Peugeot Design Contest launched at Paris Motor Show
Sep 30, 2000 - Peugeot has launched the first worldwide car design competition on the Internet. The manufacturer is entrusting its pencils and paintbrushes to the public, and inviting them to indulge their creativity and freedom of expression by imagining the concept which will define the Peugeot of 2020.
Paris Motor Show 2000 - Highlights
The Steppenwolf allroader concept was a surprise debut for the Paris show. It shows a bold development of the geometric themes seen already on the TT and A2, and the continually developing Audi 'face' expressed in the lamp and grille shapes.
Johnson Controls Kion concept - 'A look inside the future'
Sep 26, 2000 - 'Transforming research into new standards', Johnson Controls designers at the JCI European Design Center near Cologne, Germany have developed a concept car whose interior meets these aspirations - meet Kion, the vision of tomorrow's integrated interior solution.
Nissan Fusion concept for Paris Motor Show
Sep 15, 2000 - The first all-new Nissan design concept this century, the Nissan Fusion concept car will make its world debut at the Paris Motor Show.
Nissan Chappo concept to be unveiled at the 2001 Geneva Motor Show
Feb 25, 2001 - According to Nissan, the Chappo concept isn’t designed from the outside in, but rather from the inside out.