Paris Motor Show

Toyota Prius. Nissan LEAF. Renault Twizy. These are the kinds of electric and hybrid cars that can make even a crack-addicted cheetah fall asleep. They're perfectly good for transporting people and they know just how a fir tree likes its neck nuzzled but for performance junkies they just don't speak the same language. 

But do not fret. Put down the knife, unplug the toaster and get out of the bath tub, because manufacturers are beginning to realize green doesn't have to be boring and ugly. The Paris Auto Show gave hope to all us enthusiasts out there that the fun doesn't have to stop just because we ran out of dinosaurs to burn. We went through all the green, turqoise, electric, hybrid and scream-powered cars there and put together a list of the 10 most exciting, fun and promising eoc-friendly (-ish) cars at the event. 

In the world of car companies, Lamborghini is probably the one least likely to be associated with the terms “responsible” and “sensible.” Gas-chugging V10 and V12 engines, in-your-face styling and colors so vibrant even moles would say, “Whoa!” (Assuming moles could talk…obviously.) As a result, the cars wearing the Sign of the Bull have long been preferred by wealthy motorists who a) want to make absolutely sure they stand out from the herd, and b) could really care less about racing heritege (even though the marque has been trying to step up in that department lately).

Unfortunately, there’s increasing pressure from multiple parties in almost every corner of the world for automakers to start doing more with less. And rather than waiting for the ink to dry on new legislation and subsequently running around like your basic headless chicken, Lamborghini is taking a proactive approach to things. And the clearest evidence yet of this approach is firm’s latest concept car, the Sesto Elemento.

It might seem downright quaint today, but prior to 1980, presenting the idea of an all-wheel-drive passenger car of any sort – never mind one with sporting pretensions – would have provided you a one-way ticket to the gearhead funny farm. Granted, British independent Jensen dabbled in it by way of the FF (short for Ferguson Formula, Ferguson being a pioneer in four-wheel-drive vehicles) from 1966 through ’71, but few people paid that Italian-styled, Chrysler-powered grand tourer much mind.

However, when Audi got its hands on one when developing the original Quattro, they used lessons from it to help their new AWD coupe make a statement. However, history has shown – be it on the rally stage, road course or suburban street – that the Ur-Quattro, as the serious Audiphiles call it, wasn’t a statement; it was a pardigm shift in how performance cars are designed. That car paved the way for whips like the Subaru WRX, Porsche 911 Carrera 4, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, and Nissan GT-R. Even Audi’s now-corporate cousin, Lamborghini, sends almost all of its new models out the door with power going to all four corners. The O.G. Quattro changed the performance car landscape forever, which is more than enough reason for Audi to create a modern tribute on the occasion of its 30th birthday.

With the oh-so-notable exception of the MC12 (which was essentially a targa-top Enzo in drag) and the occasional production-based race car, Maserati has pretty much stayed away from the true sports car market for the last 30 or so years in favor of plying its trade in the luxury and grand tourer segments of the market. This due in no small part to being a corporate cousin/subordinate of erstwhile arch-nemesis Ferrari, but the arrangement hasn’t hurt the trident-badged brand’s bottom line; if anything, it seems to have helped Maser’s fortunes, judging by how many late model examples of the marque you find in the ritzier corners of this and other countries.

However, we and other car cognescetti can’t help wondering what Maserati could build if it didn’t have one hand tied behind its back. Does it still know how to build something with an edge to it, or have all these years catering to Hollywood starlets and South Beach real estate moguls turned the R&D types in Modena into a gaggle of softies? If the new GranTurismo MC Stradale – seen here ahead of its in-the-metal debut at the Paris Motor Show next week – is any indication, the former is the case.