The concept cars at this week's Paris Motor Show spend a lot of time looking backward. Alpine revived the A310, Peugeot brought back two of its best-known shapes, and Alfa Romeo and Opel leaned on design ideas from the 1950s and 1960s. Here are the six we'd most like to see in person, with what each one borrows.
Alpine A310 Vision. Alpine timed this one to two birthdays. The four-cylinder A310 turns 55 this year, and the V6 version turns 50. The original made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1971 with a four-cylinder from the Renault 16 TS, and a 150 hp, 2.7-liter V6 reached dealers in 1976, according to Secret Classics.
The concept, pictured above, mixes both eras: the slim early cars and the wider fenders of the V6. It has "A"-shaped wheels that nod to the early cars' solid metal wheels, a split rear wing, and lights with a "pop-down" effect when the car starts. It's 4.55 meters long and just 1.18 meters tall. Alpine says it's an exploration of its heritage and not a preview of a production model, and it hasn't announced a powertrain.
Peugeot RCZ Vision. Peugeot calls this the successor to the RCZ coupe, which was on sale from 2010 to 2015. The original's double-bubble roof is back and exaggerated, with glass that now runs from the hood to the tail. Even the wheels carry small triangles copied from the first RCZ's rims.
Peugeot quotes 500 hp, up to 600 km (about 373 miles) of range, and 10 to 80 percent charging in 10 minutes from a solid-state battery developed with Factorial Energy. Peugeot calls the car a "brand manifesto," and Motor1 reports that a production version isn't a done deal.
Peugeot E-T16. This one honors the 205 Turbo 16, which won the World Rally Championship in 1985 and 1986. RM Sotheby's notes that only 200 road versions were built so the rally car could compete, the homologation rule of the Group B era. The E-T16 wears a matte grey close to the original's color, a red line in place of its red pinstripe, and a rear body that tilts open the same way.
It's also the wildest of the six. Three electric motors make 816 hp, and Peugeot claims 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.5 seconds, calling it the most powerful Peugeot ever. More practically, Peugeot says its lights and dashboard preview the next E-208.
Alfa Romeo Cuorerosso. Alfa's concept is a 2+2 coupe with rear-hinged back doors, 4.7 meters long and 1.33 meters tall. It brings back several Alfa trademarks, including the Coda Tronca, or cut-off tail, and "telephone dial" wheels redone with six circles. Alfa says the dashboard draws on the 1967 33 Stradale. The company floats a 2.9-liter V6 hybrid with all-wheel drive as a possible powertrain, and it says the car is neither a preview of a production model nor just a styling exercise.
DS F3VER. The one non-retro entry, the electric DS F3VER takes its heritage from Paris itself. Its rear lights use 16 LED panels on a magnesium frame inspired by the roof of the Grand Palais, and its wheels carry a "Clous de Paris" guilloche pattern. The Cosmic Blue paint shifts from blue to violet. DS calls it an exploratory concept and gives no specs.
Opel STX. Opel used Paris to argue for the wagon. The STX is an electric estate with all-wheel drive and a top speed over 200 km/h (124 mph), and Opel says it contains elements of future models. Opel ties it to the 1953 Olympia Rekord Caravan, which it calls the first mass-produced estate from a German maker. Opel has only released renderings of the STX so far.
Which revival would you put in production first? Vote on WhipJury.
Sources:
The A310 Vision: Alpine
The original A310: Secret Classics
The RCZ Vision: Peugeot and Motor1
The original RCZ's sales years: Peugeot
The E-T16: Peugeot
The 205 Turbo 16: RM Sotheby's
The Cuorerosso: Alfa Romeo
The F3VER: DS Automobiles
The STX and the Olympia Rekord Caravan: Opel and Opel
Photos: Alpine, Peugeot, Alfa Romeo, DS Automobiles, and Opel press images
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Jeffrey Wiley has spent more time than he'd like to admit thinking about what makes a car look right. He writes about automotive design, car culture, and the opinions people have strong feelings about. He lives in north Georgia.
