Paris may be light on participants and world premieres, but it’s a visual delight with wacky concepts that make the trip worthwhile. Here are some of this year’s offerings.
DS X E-Tense
This is an electric car concept from the Citroen subbrand DS that needs to be seen to be believed: a two-seat asymmetrical electric sports car concept designed for the car buyer of the 2030s. The driver—which could be a robot—sits in an open pod on the left, swathed in blue, while the passenger sits on the other side of a barrier in a red cocoon. In addition to everything being off center, the lights form a spider web of illumination. Of course it has some form of gullwing doors.
Smart Forease
This is an electric car concept with a notable omission: no roof. This two-seat convertible is a fun take on the Smart Fortwo. Smart is celebrating its 20th anniversary and reinventing itself as an electric-only brand.
This autonomous electric coupe concept takes cues from the classic 504 Coupe from 1969 with squared-off lines, a sharklike nose, and Mustang-like three-bar taillights. The retro styling belies the futuristic interior filled with screens to watch movies and a retractable steering wheel unit with head-up display. The interior is wood and blue velvet with a rear bench seat resembling a couch from the ’70s. The car has two electric motors for a manufacturer-estimated range of 370 miles and 0-62 mph time of 4.0 seconds.