Ah, to be in Paris . . .

Well, I'm bummed.

The Paris motor show press days are next week, and I'm not going. That's right; while my colleagues are cavorting in one of the world's great cities, I'll be here in the Paris of the Midwest, holding down the proverbial fort.

I will sneak in a trip between now and then to the U.K. to drive the new Aston Martin Vanquish, so life's still good. (Enjoy all 44 of those Parisian press conferences—on the show's first press day! Suckas!)

Still, I'll miss it. Paris marks the kickoff of the auto-show season, and like past shows, this one looks like it will be all about sex—figuratively speaking. Who among us would complain about sex in Paris, am I right?

I still remember the 2000 event as one of the greatest international shows ever. Porsche unveiled its Carrera GT supercar, and Ferrari dropped the 550 Barchetta Pininfarina right across the aisle. Then along comes BMW to show the BMW Z9 convertible. Twelve years ago. Man, I'm getting old.

This year's lineup looks fantastic, too. Talk about a sex kitten: The Jaguar F-Type will bow. Those who relish what Jag designer Ian Callum pens—and I definitely count myself among them—will love this cat. Not only does it look like sex on wheels, the anticipated 500-and-something horsepower should be enough to turn anyone's screws.

McLaren will show what it calls the P1. While folks in the Woking, England HQ are tight-lipped, we hear numbers in the 800-plus-hp range at 9,000 rpm. Good Lord.

But wait, there's more: A new Ferrari Enzo is rumored. It could pack 920 hp with some 800 hp of them being derived from a 7.3-liter V12, and an additional 120 hp from a kinetic-energy-recovery system. Or so I hear.

That should wet your whistle.

Much more will happen in Paris, of course. We're sending a big team there, and you'll be the beneficiaries: We'll have all the latest for you in Autoweek and on autoweek.com. So check back often. Constantly even.

It will be worth your while, promise.

The 2012 Paris motor show—or Mondail de l'Automobile, as it is officially known––will take place Sept. 27 through Oct. 14. It occurs every two years, alternating with the Frankfurt motor show in Germany. Paris is a showcase for design, but automakers will also be showing off their latest concept cars, green cars and supercars. Check out Autoweek's coverage of the Paris motor show here.

By Wes Raynal