Day 1 of the 2008 Paris Motor Show is now officially over and below you'll find our complete coverage of the most exciting concepts and production vehicles that were unveiled. We're curious to know which concept is your favorite and which production vehicles you are most looking forward to. Stay tuned because our bloggers in Paris will start back up again with live coverage just as you're about to enter REM sleep tonight.
A few years back I made a bet with a former Director of Engineering at General Motors. I bet him five bucks that Americans would fall in love with modern diesel engines and would want them in their cars. Specifically, I predicted that diesel sales in passenger cars would reach 1 million units by 2012. He bet it wouldn't happen.
Last year I ran into him and he ruefully conceded he was probably going to lose the bet. But that was last year. Now I'm pretty sure I'm the one who's going to lose. What a difference a year makes!
John McElroy is host of the TV program "Autoline Detroit". Every week he brings his unique insights as an auto industry insider to Autoblog readers. Follow the jump to continue reading this week's editorial.
The 2009 Volkwagen Golf GTI has made its official debut today at the 2008 Paris Motor Show today, but it will be a few weeks if not months before anyone, let alone us, gets time behind the wheel to sample this rapid rabbit. Fortunately we've found some video of the new GTI being driven somewhere in the world by people other than us, and it looks like they're having fun doing it. GTI-ophiles will get their choice of three- or five-door models when the car arrives, though both will be powered by the same 2.0L TFSI four-cylinder producing 210 horsepower and 207 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed manual or DSG is offered, and new for '09 is an XDS electronic limited-slip differential. Feel free to watch it all in action after the jump, and don't worry, this video has no janky hair-metal soundtrack from the '80s. All you hear is the engine revving and road passing beneath the tires.
Click above for high-res gallery of Infiniti G37 Convertible teasers
A second teaser shot for the upcoming Infiniti G37 Convertible has found its way onto the web, and the timing couldn't be better considering the debut of the Lexus IS250C today at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. Both cars will be setting their sites on the BMW 335i convertible, and the G37 'vert will be packing a 328-horsepower 3.7L V6 in its holster when the time comes. Other features include a three-piece folding hardtopIts and a seven-speed automatic transmission, as well as a completely redesigned rear end to accommodate the new roof. The G37 Convertible's official debut isn't until the LA Auto Show in November, at which time we'll get to fully see how the G37 Coupe translates into a convertible. Until then, check out the teasers in our gallery below.
Click above for high-res gallery of Chevy Orlando Concept live shots
Ever wish the Chevy HHR would evolve into something more cool than kitsch? What that would be is the Chevy Orlando Concept, a seven-passenger multi-purpose vehicle that will be entering production in Europe sometime in the near future. We sincerely hope General Motors considers selling the production version in the U.S. as a replacement for the HHR, as its slab sides and chunky stance impart a much more grown up and aggressive attitude than Chevy's current compact people mover. And just like the HHR is based on the compact Cobalt's platform, the production Orlando will be based on the same platform as the upcoming Cruze, which itself will be sold in both Europe and the U.S. There's really not a doubt in our minds that the Orlando is being developed to replace the HHR in the U.S. while it simultaneously enters a new segment in Europe for Chevy. As for when the production version will appear, we don't know. All we know is that this MPV has got a lot of promise. Check out our new gallery of high-res live shots below to see if you agree.
It's about 6:00PM in the City of Lights and our rag tag team of bloggers is running on empty after having brought you the first day of debuts at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. Soon they'll be attending after parties and getting drunk on champagne, so we're here to run down the biggest unveilings of the day while you eat your brown bag lunch back in the States. Don't fret, though, as we'll be bringing you lots more from Paris throughout the afternoon and coverage of Day 2 will begin in the wee hours of tomorrow morning EST. (Photo by danorbit | CC2.0)
We're not waiting for Suzuki to reveal its September 2008 sales results any longer, as it is highly unlikely that the little Japanese brand will arise as the only brand/automaker to post positive numbers this month. Take a good look below, as it's the first time since we started publishing sales data back in mid-2006 that every single brand and automaker is in the red. It doesn't matter how you slice it, whether you look at the change in volume from Sept. 2007 to Sept. 2008 or if you consider the change in the Daily Sales Rate. Everyone is down.
For the record, we suppose Audi is this month's Biggest Winner with a sales drop of just 5.4%, while HUMMER is again our Biggest Loser with a 54.8% fall in sales. You can peruse the rest of the carnage below for yourself.
BY THE NUMBERS - September 2008
Brand
Vol. % Change
Total Sales 9/08
Total Sales 9/07
DSR % Change
Daily Avg. 9/08
Daily Avg. 9/07
Acura
-30.4%
9,997
14,369
-27.5%
417
515
Audi
-5.4%
7,584
8,020
-1.5%
316
321
BMW
-29.5%
14,744
20,901
-26.5%
614
836
Buick
-20.5%
14,121
17,754
-17.1%
588
710
Cadillac
-39.1%
12,432
20,398
-36.5
518
816
Chevrolet
-11.2%
172,803
194,637
-7.5%
7,200
7,785
Chrysler
-39.6%
23,346
38,668
-37.1%
973
1,547
Dodge
-25.2%
62,572
83,671
-22.1%
2,607
3,347
Ford
-33.8%
102,685
155,037
-31%
4,279
6,201
GMC
-12.8%
39,029
44,754
-9.2%
1,626
1,790
Honda
-23.2%
86,629
112,831
-20%
3,610
4,513
HUMMER
-54.8%
2,298
5,080
-52.9%
96
203
Hyundai
-25.4%
24,765
33,214
-22.3%
1,032
1,329
Infiniti
-24.1%
7,779
10,250
-20.9%
324
410
Jeep
-42.8%
21,431
37,460
-40.4%
893
1,498
Kia
-27.8%
17,383
24,087
-24.8%
724
963
Lexus
-36.1%
16,045
25,113
-33.4
669
1,005
Lincoln
-22.5%
7,571
9,764
-19.2%
315
391
Mazda
-35.6%
16,169
25,098
-32.9%
674
1,004
Mercedes-Benz
-16.4%
18,779
22,459
-12.9%
782
898
Mercury
-43.2%
6,478
11,403
-40.1%
270
456
MINI
-6.7%
3,762
4,031
-2.8%
157
161
Mitsubishi
-39%
7,378
12,102
-36.5%
307
484
Nissan
-38.4%
51,786
84,019
-35.8%
2,158
3,361
Pontiac
-26.7%
23,324
31,817
-23.6%
972
1,273
Porsche
-44.8%
1,458
2,641
-42.5%
61
106
Saab
-27.2%
1,765
2,424
-24.2%
74
97
Saturn
-10.8%
18,528
20,776
-7.1%
772
831
Subaru
-11.9%
14,491
16,457
-8.3%
604
658
Suzuki
N/A
Toyota
-31.8%
128,215
187,929
-28.9%
5,342
7,517
Volkswagen
-9.4%
17,109
18,891
-5.7%
713
756
Volvo
-51.8%
4,054
8,408
-49.8%
169
336
COMPANIES
BMW Group
-25.8%
18,506
24,932
-22.7%
771
997
Chrysler LLC
-32.8%
107,349
159,799
-30%
4,473
6,392
FoMoCo
-34.6%
120,788
184,612
-31.8%
5,033
7,384
General Motors
-15.8%
284,300
337,640
-12.3%
11,846
13,506
Honda America
-24%
96,626
127,200
-20.9%
4,026
5,088
Nissan NA
-36.8%
59,565
94,269
-34.2%
2,482
3,771
Toyota Mo Co
-32.3%
144,260
213,042
-29.5%
6,011
8,522
September 2008 had 24 selling days versus 25 selling days for September 2007
Click above for high-res gallery of the Renault Kangoo Be Bop
You might think the Renault Kangoo Be Bop is a concept vehicle what with its quirky looks and trick sliding roof. You can credit the quirky styling to it being a Renault, an automaker not known for producing bland production designs. As for the rear roof panel that slides forward to create a van-vertible, that's a direct carryover from the concept on which the Kangoo Be Bop is faithfully based: the Kangoo Compact Concept that debuted at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show. The production Be Bop maintains the two-door van layout of the concept, and the ceiling is now comprised of two tilting glazed glass panels up front, one fixed glass panel in the middle, and an opaque roof panel in the rear that lifts up and forward to create an open air experience for back seat passengers. Letting even more light in are expansive side windows, so despite being tiny in dimension, the Be Bop shouldn't feel confining to its passengers. The rear seats can also be removed to increase cargo capacity, and Renault says that passengers can even enter the vehicle through the open rear gate and slide between the rear seats. Power will come from three engines: an 85-hp 1.5L dCi and 105-hp dCi, both of which are paired with a six-speed manual, and a gas-powered 105-hp 1.6L four-cylinder. It's quirky, oddly functional and definitely French, and Europeans will be able to buy a Kangoo Be Bop of their very own this Spring.
Click above for high-res gallery of the BMW Concept X1
After last night's impromptu unveiling of the BMW Concept X1 set off Dan's gag reflex, the Munich-based automaker has released the first batch of official info and images of its premium compact CUV. Most of us here at Autoblog echo Dan's sentiment that the Concept X1 is an ugly duckling, with very odd proportions for such a small CUV. The front end wears the new swollen nose first seen on the new 7 Series, while squared off wheel surrounds and lots of pinched surfacing reminds us of what we didn't like about the Bangle-era of BMW design. We also think BMW's X line of SUVs and CUVs is getting a little crowded with the X5 and X3 recently joined by the X6 and soon a production version of the X1. We have to see them side by side, but the Concept X1 and current X3 look too close for comfort in size and purpose. Check out the official press release from BMW after the jump where the brand tries to explain the design details of the Concept X1, as well as the new, high-res gallery below and a new video after the jump. We'll have live shots of the Concept X1 from the floor of the Paris Motor Show tomorrow, and we hope more details on the concept's mechanicals.
Click above for gallery of the Lamborghini Estoque Concept
Lamborghini has spent the last few weeks tantalizing us with teasers of its front-engine, four-door concept, but that comes to an early end today as a French website has unceremoniously revealed the concept we've been calling the Estoque. Though the images in our gallery are low-res, we can still make everything out. The Estoque features a long hood and short rear deck, with horizontal headlights up front and a pair of big Reventon-style air intakes in the front bumper. The fender vents behind the front wheels are tucked into the car's character line that flows back until it hits those wide rear haunches. Thanks to those teasers we had already figured out what the rear end would look like, and all those guesses were fairly spot on. The rumormills are telling us to expect the 560-hp V10 from the Gallardo LP 560-4 underhood, as well as all-wheel-drive. Though it's showing up as a concept at the Paris Motor Show tomorrow, the Estoque is said to be destined for production as early as 2010 to compete with the new crop of four-door coupes from Porsche (Panamera) and Aston Martin (Rapide). We'll have live shots from the official unveiling early tomorrow morning, so stay tuned.
Lamborghini Estoque Concept - post | gallery
Citroen GT Concept - post | gallery
Aston Martin One-77 - post | gallery
Chevy Orlando Concept - post | gallery
MINI Crossover Concept - post | gallery
Audi A1 Sportback Concept - post | gallery
BMW X1 Concept - post | gallery
Mazda Kiyora Concept - post | gallery
Nissan Nuvu EV Concept - post | gallery
Audi A4 TDI Concept e - post | gallery
2009 Lexus IS250C - post | gallery
2009 Volkswagen GTI - post | gallery
2009 Mazda MX-5 - post | gallery
2009 Audi S4 - post | gallery
Ferrari California - post | gallery
Honda Insight - post | gallery
2009 Mitsubishi Colt Ralliart - post | gallery
Jaguar XKR-S - post | gallery
It's about 6:00PM in the City of Lights and our rag tag team of bloggers is running on empty after having brought you the first day of debuts at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. Soon they'll be attending after parties and getting drunk on champagne, so we're here to run down the biggest unveilings of the day while you eat your brown bag lunch back in the States. Don't fret, though, as we'll be bringing you lots more from Paris throughout the afternoon and coverage of Day 2 will begin in the wee hours of tomorrow morning EST. (Photo by 
We're not waiting for Suzuki to reveal its September 2008 sales results any longer, as it is highly unlikely that the little Japanese brand will arise as the only brand/automaker to post positive numbers this month. Take a good look below, as it's the first time since we started publishing sales data back in mid-2006 that every single brand and automaker is in the red. It doesn't matter how you slice it, whether you look at the change in volume from Sept. 2007 to Sept. 2008 or if you consider the change in the Daily Sales Rate. Everyone is down.
Follow the Audi Mileage Marathon starting Monday morning
Paris 2008: MINI Crossover Concept
Paris 2008: Aston Martin One-77 (partially) revealed
Paris 2008: The GT by Citroen. No, the whole thing this time
Paris 2008: Lamborghini Estoque LIVE
Autoline on Autoblog with John McElroy
Paris 2008: Le Day 1 Wrapup
Knight Rider: The Liveblog -- Season 1, Episode 2
By the Numbers - September 2008: Nobody Wins Edition
Autoblog attends the 26th Annual Newport Beach Concours d'Elegance
