Audi R8 Supercar Revealed in Paris

This gorgeous specimen is about to take on the Porsche 911 in the rarified air of the sports car elite. The Audi R8 debuted at a party this evening in Paris, and it's the company’s attempt at a high-performance sports car. From what we see here and in the images below, Audi has done its job.

The R8 features a 420-hp engine borrowed from the new RS4 sedan, and it should be good for a zero to 60 mph time in the mid-4-second region. It will feature Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system and either a six-speed manual or a new sequential six-speed automatic transmission. The price will be around $100,000, and if you think that’s too much, don’t bother rushing out to put an order on one of the 3,500 units Audi will produce per year. We’re guessing the waiting list will be long when it arrives in the U.S. in mid-2007.

The Next Saturn Vue

Earlier this month, Saturn General Manager Jill Lajdziak told a group of reporters that the American brand would share designs with GM’s European Opel line for many upcoming vehicles. The first product U.S. buyers will see born from this new strategy is the next generation Saturn Vue, based on the new Opel Antara.

While the new Vue won’t be unveiled for months, the Antara is making its public debut this week in Paris, and we bring you a number of photos of the sleek compact SUV. We expect very few design changes to be made to turn the Antara into a Vue. It could be as simple as replacing Opel’s lightning bolt emblem with Saturn’s rings.

Check out Opel’s version of the Saturn Sky below for an example of how similar the two companies are keeping things. 

Engines for the Antara include a 140-hp four-cylinder and a 227-hp, 3.2-liter V-6 that could also power the future Saturn Vue. Don’t expect the 150-hp European diesel engine to make it here, though. Keep checking in for more coverage of the Paris Motor Show as it gets under way later this week.

Next Smart Car Still Really Small

Later this year, DaimlerChrysler will unveil the next generation Smart ForTwo ultra-compact car, meaning it’s passing up a chance for world attention at this week’s Paris Motor Show in favor of its own launch event. This is the vehicle that will launch Smart as a brand in the U.S. Earlier rumors had the next ForTwo growing a bit for more palatable American consumption. Now the company is saying — and showing these early sketches — that the next ForTwo will be relatively the same size as its minuscule predecessor.

Neither keeping the ForTwo the same size nor using a separate introduction seems wise to us if the company wants more attention for the brand. U.S. consumers have gotten used to smaller cars in the Honda Fit, Chevy Aveo and Toyota Yaris, but the ForTwo is considerably smaller than any of them and might have a hard time winning over Americans who drive side-by-side with SUVs and semis on a daily basis. 

New 2007 VW Touareg Gets Pre-Paris Expose

Volkswagen is debuting a revised Touareg SUV at next week’s Paris Motor Show, but we’ve gotten an early look. Most noticeable is a revised front end with new, sleeker headlights and the new corporate VW grille, done in chrome here. That’s about the only exterior change we can see. The back end is almost identical — except a new spoiler — to the current model, which has been on sale since 2004.

While the press release and information is specific to the European market, we should get the 2007 Touareg’s new direct-injection V-8 that puts out 350 hp. An improved braking system and stability control should also make it to our shores. We’ll bring updated information as soon as we have it.

Dodge Avenger Concept Unveiled

One week prior to the Paris Motor Show, Dodge gives us the first look at the Avenger concept. The vehicle is a concept in name only; expect the production version of the Avenger to look identical to this concept. It will probably debut at an upcoming American auto show in the next six months. In the U.S., the Avenger will most likely share the same engines, transmissions and pricing as the redesigned Chrysler Sebring that will roll off the assembly line any day now. 

Those Sebring engines include:

• 173-hp four-cylinder shared with the Dodge Caliber, mated to a four-speed automatic and getting 24/32 mpg city/highway
• 189-hp flexible-fuel V-6 that can run on E85 or gasoline, teamed with a four-speed automatic. Mileage is estimated at 22/30 city/highway
• 235-hp V-6 with Chrysler’s new six-speed transmission, registering mileage of 19/28 mpg city/highway

The big difference between the two cars is of course the design. In that department the Avenger wins the sibling rivalry battle by a mile. Unlike the Sebring, Dodge used the best design elements of its current lineup for the Avenger. The rear flank is taken straight from the macho Charger sedan, while the front end builds off the Caliber but looks elegant for a Dodge. Expect prices in the range of $18,000 - $25,000 when it finally does end up in production sometime in the second half of 2007. Unfortunately there isn't much news about the concept until it bows in to the public in Paris next week. For now click below for more images.

Midnight World Debut

After you’re done watching the premiere of “Smith” tonight (Ray Liotta is still cool), make sure to stay up for “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report.” Why is all this TV-watching important? Because right after Stephen Colbert dishes his final batch of truthiness at 12 a.m. EST, you can check back here and see photos of a world debut from Dodge in advance of the Paris Motor Show. All we can say for now is the debut will have an impact on U.S. car shoppers in the near future. See you at midnight!