2012 Paris Auto Show

No vehicle programs have been pulled or delayed as a result of Opel’s financial struggles or changes in upper management. “If you don’t have the products, you can’t execute,” says the auto maker’s top engineer.

Carlos Ghosn notes there is little direct competition between the alliance partners and Daimler, making it easier for the auto makers to find projects they can work on together.

The auto makers appear ready to seal the deal on a platform-sharing plan for a Mazda- and Alfa-branded sports car, and neither side has been discouraged so far about the chances for further tie-ups.

Gildo Pallanca Pastor’s other projects include the Venturi Jamais Contente, which he claims holds the EV world speed record of 320 mph.

The fuel-efficient, low-emissions technology eventually will go into all Honda engines, including versions using one of three new hybrid configurations.

The all-new Clio, the fourth model to bear the name, offers five new engines that are more efficient than those of the Clio III. The 90-hp diesel emits less than 100 g/km of CO2 emissions.

Jaguar’s brand manager calls the supercharged F-type fullsize sports car “a vivid symbol of our future ambitions.”