14 hot rides from the City of Light

It can now officially be said: The wagon is back. Why? Because Porsche will soon have one, the Panamera Sport Turismo, even if it is in the form of a "4-door shooting brake." The Sport Turismo has a hybrid powertrain that peaks at 416 horsepower and can operate for more than 18 miles on electric power alone.

Read:  Porsche Pulls Out a Fast One

View Pictures:  High Performance in Paris

Twenty years after releasing what some say is the greatest road car ever built, the F1, McLaren has unveiled another potential game-changing supercar, the P1. It joins the MP4-12C as the second model in the company's growing line of performance cars. Engine details were not discussed, but McLaren promises the P1 will carry a scant 3.7 pounds of weight for each horsepower, and generate more than 1,300 pounds of down force with a scary-low drag coefficient of 0.34 percent.

Read:  McLaren Takes Aim at All Supercars

An official successor to the iconic Jaguar E-Type has been crowned. The new F-Type is offered with three engine choices: two supercharged V6 variants — which develop 340 horsepower in the standard F-Type or 380 horsepower in the V6 F-Type S — and a supercharged V8, good for a staggering 495 horsepower. No word on U.S. pricing yet. But seeing as how the F-Type is designed to handle well at all speeds, it should find a vast audience.

Read:  Jaguar Unveils New F-Type

Watch Video:  New Jaguar F-Type

This delightful little bit of madness is not likely to hit our shores in this form, which seems like a waste of a great car to us. (The 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine and 7-speed dual-clutch transmission are expected to come stateside in a CLA 45 AMG model.) With more than 330 horsepower on tap, the A45 AMG's 4-cylinder engine is the most powerful inline four ever to go into a Mercedes-Benz production model.

Read:  Mercedes Makes a Bold Statement

Where VW's new Mk7 Golf could be called a little bland and a touch too safe, the Mk7 GTI is a breath of fresh air. With the proper number of doors — two, plus a hatch — and classic styling cues including the wheels, the red-trimmed grille and the tartan cloth on the interior, the new GTI looks like a real winner. With a lighter curb weight and the 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-banger cranking out 217 horsepower, compared with the 200 horses found in the current model, the Mk7 GTI should deliver high bang-for-the-buck fun starting in late 2014.

Read:  VW Optimizes the Golf

After debuting the Mazda6 sedan at the 2012 Moscow Motor Show, Mazda decided to break out the wagon here in Paris. The 6 Estate keeps to the themes of Mazda's Kodo design aesthetic, with the sweeping roofline carrying all the way to the hatch in a decidedly elegant manner. It will sport the brilliant SkyActiv-D 2.2-liter turbocharged diesel engine or a 2.0-liter gasoline engine. Oh, and it's not coming to the U.S.

Read:  Mazda6's Intelligent Design

We've seen the all-new 2013 Ford Fusion here in the States. Now, our European friends get a look at the virtually identical Mondeo. The interior will feature Ford's Sync technology with a handsome layout and displays. The Mondeo will be offered in 5-door and wagon configurations. Powering the Mondeo will be Ford's supercool 1.0-liter 3-cylinder EcoBoost engine, though other engines will be offered. The Mondeo will not be offered in the States.

Read:  Ford Unveils a More Aggressive Fiesta

At first blush, the more upscale 2013 Range Rover seems less "all-new" than it does mildly different. But peek inside its cabin and you'll find this SUV as posh as they come and a serious threat in the luxe car arena. Plus, its chassis is all-aluminum to help save a massive 926 pounds; rear legroom has improved; and the turbocharged V8 engine in the Rover's highest trim level pushes 510 horsepower, taking the Range Rover from zero to 60 mph in just 5.1 seconds.

Read:  Range Rover Goes Even More Upscale

The new Paceman is where MINI's big Paris Motor Show efforts are going, but the John Cooper Works GP Edition is the real treat. What has everyone buzzing about yet another MINI Cooper variant? The 1.6-liter 218-horsepower turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, for starters. An overboost function pumps the torque numbers from 192 lb-ft to 207. Everyone loves a MINI, especially a torquey, overpowered one. Only 2,000 lucky owners will get to flog the GP Edition around, however.

Read:  MINI Embraces Another SUV

The hot-hatch wars continue relentlessly in Europe, as Audi makes a big noise with the launch of the S3. Its 2.0-liter 295-horsepower 4-cylinder engine propels the S3 to 62 mph in 5.1 seconds and still returns 34 mpg (European combined cycle) when paired with Audi's S-Tronic transmission. The new Audi S3 aims to be as much fun as you can have with three doors. If recent history is any indication, the S3 should be a huge hit.

Read:  Audi Rolls Out A3 Hot Hatch

The 2011 Geneva Motor Show saw the first look at Volvo's new luxury hatchback. Here in Paris, we're getting a look at the variants. The Cross Country is a crossover SUV version of the V40 that, while not confirmed for the U.S. — no V40 has been, at this point — seems the most likely candidate for the North American market.

Read:  Volvo Expands V40 Line

We saw the Fisker Surf premiere as a concept at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. Here in Paris, we see the debut of the production-ready model. Essentially a shooting-brake version of the lovely — though recently conflagration-prone — Karma, the Surf uses a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine to act as a generator for the electric motor, giving the Surf an estimated 300-mile range on one tank of fuel.

View Slideshow:  Cars Gone Wild in Paris

At the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Infiniti FX Vettel Edition was a concept, and a crazy-sounding one, at that. Taking an FX50, pumping the engine from 390 to 414 horsepower, cutting weight, stiffening the suspension and increasing down force dramatically, all for the sake of — what, exactly? But now that we see the finished product, it's actually pretty cool.

This concept from Lexus is a look at what we should expect in the all-new IS series slated to come next year. Styling elements are aggressive, starting most prominently with the angular, attention-demanding grille. The rear end of the LF-CC seems poised to leap at any moment; it's specifically designed with a rear-drive production model in mind.

Read:  Lexus Gets Focused

James Tate cut his teeth in the business as a race team crew member before moving to the editorial side as Senior Editor of Sport Compact Car, and his work has appeared in Popular Mechanics, Automobile, Motor Trend and European Car. When not writing, Tate is usually fantasizing about a vintage Porsche 911.