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Paris Motor Show (2010) Preview

Paris Show 2010 The Paris Motor Show 2010 is looming on the horizon – actually, it’s less than a week away and only four days to the press day – so we thought we ought to have a quick preview of what you can expect if you decide to jump on the Eurostar for a trip. Everything we know is already on Cars UK somewhere, but for those who’ve turned up fresh looking for Paris Motor Show news it’ll help to have a preview page. We will try to update this page as we get more news from the Paris Motor Show, but you can always get to the latest stuff by checking out the Paris Motor Show 2010 category which lists all the show’s stories.

Porsche 918 Spyder crashes in Germany

Porsche is in hot water with German authorities following an accident involving a prototype version of the gasoline-electric hybrid-powered 918 Spyder on a public road last month, according to reports in the German media. The accident, which took place between the towns of Bietigheim-Bissingen and Ludwigsburg (close to Porsche's research-and-development center), saw the 875-hp 918 Spyder spin out of control and collide with a guard rail. Parts of the new $845,000 Porsche flagship are said to have broken loose in the collision before being collected by an oncoming car.

BMW's N20 engine--four cylinders, more power

More power, greater torque, reduced fuel consumption, lower tailpipe emissions and less weight--but better? Before driving the BMW X1 xDrive28i, the first model to feature the German carmaker's new turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine, we weren't so sure. The new engine, known as the N20 and set to lead a return of four-cylinder BMW models to North America for the first time since 1998, has been conceived to (indirectly) replace the company's long-running naturally aspirated 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder.