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Audi at the Paris motor show 2008

By Ben Whitworth Motor Shows 02 October 2008 16:52 Audi’s sparkling new A1 Sportback – a thinly camouflaged version of its 2010 A1 Mini-basher – as well as its frugal A4 Concept E and a rather large trophy were the highlights of Ingolstadt’s Parisian offerings this year. In essence this follows on from the Metroproject that Audi unveiled last year. Slightly bigger in five-door guise than the Mini, Audi is keen to play on the A1’s practicality as well as its aspirational qualities.

Renault Twingo concept

Renault has shown a production preview of the next Twingo, due to be replaced early next year. The new car eschews the monovolume of the outgoing model for a more conventional two-box, with friendliness being replaced with dynamism in the front graphic. This sporting theme is furthered by the dropped ride-height and large arches, and is complemented by a music theme.

Minicars perform poorly in crash tests, study says

Minicars made by Toyota, Honda and Daimler AG did poorly on frontal crash tests with mid-sized automobiles, prompting an influential safety organization to suggest consumers consider buying larger cars that have comparable fuel economy. The Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit and Smart ForTwo all collapsed upon impact into the space around the driver dummy, according to the study released today by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Drivers in all three vehicles faced high risk of head and leg injuries after test collisions at 40 miles an hour, even after airbags inflated, said the non-profit group funded by auto insurers.