2000 Paris Auto Show

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Bonjour from the City of Lights! Yes, here we are, a lovely fall week in September, with the amber sunlight of autumn in Paris, along with about 7,000 other automotive journalists, selflessly sacrificing our workday, enduring an 11-hour flight, and toiling in the chaos of this infernal Xanadu just so we can bring you news of the latest and the greatest in the world of automobiles. 'Tis a difficult life, non?

As the biggest auto show in Europe (Paris alternates with Frankfurt for this honor), and the first of the auto show season, we were privy to information about some fascinating new vehicles, the continuation of hybrids, and the return of an old favorite. The latest from France is that soon you'll be able to do anything in your car (except, we don't know, DRIVE?!); many of the manufacturers on display concentrated on telematics and the ability to use the time in your vehicle to its utmost efficacy. We're also seeing vehicles move away from their original purpose to become palatable to a more diversified market.

In between garnering baleful glances from waiters when we managed to mangle their language and popping our seams with crepe suzettes and Orangina, we will banish the blather scythes, castigate pusillanimous pussyfooters and truly distill what's special and what makes it worthy of your time. Salut !
--Liz Kim