Paris is a heritage show this year: an 816 hp Peugeot hatch, a 500 hp electric RCZ revival, a carbon NSX rebuild from €880,000, a retro Alpine and a hybrid V6 Alfa. Porsche's Mission S is still to come on October 15.
The 2026 Paris Motor Show opened to the press on October 12 and runs to the public from October 13 to 18 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles (Wikipedia; Mondial de l'Auto). Most of the floor is electric city cars and SUVs, with BMW and Mini among the brands that pulled out. For performance fans the theme is clear: almost every interesting car is a modern take on an old hero. This article covers the debuts that matter to enthusiasts and collectors, and we are updating it through the show.
The short version: the most powerful new reveal so far is a Peugeot hatchback, the priciest car you can actually order is a rebuilt Honda NSX, and the biggest reveal, Porsche's Mission S, comes midweek.
Shown on the eve of the show, the E-T16 concept marks 40 years since the 205 T16 won back-to-back World Rally titles in 1985 and 1986. Developed with Peugeot Sport, it has three electric motors (one front, two rear) making a combined 816 hp, which Peugeot says makes it the most powerful Peugeot ever. Peugeot quotes 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.5 seconds and 0 to 300 km/h (186 mph) in 16 seconds (Peugeot).
The details are serious: an 800-volt system, an 85 kWh battery with up to 400 km (about 249 miles) of WLTP range, a battery cooled through the sides of the cells that Peugeot says can run three flat-out laps of the Nürburgring Nordschleife without cutting power, 380 mm brake discs, 275 front and 315 rear Michelin tires, and a vertical hydraulic handbrake like a rally car. Like the original, the whole rear body tilts up (Motor1). Peugeot calls it the ultimate vision of the next E-208, which Autocar says will be revealed early in 2027. That doesn't mean every E-208 gets this power; the regular car takes the E-T16's shape, lights and dashboard, not its three motors.
What changed on show day is that Peugeot started talking openly about building the E-T16 itself. CEO Alain Favey told Electrifying that "we would love to make the E-T16" and that a limited run "would make a lot of sense," while stressing that "nothing is confirmed." Asked about 1,986 cars, a nod to the second title year, he said it probably won't be that many (Electrifying). Design director Matthias Hossann told Autocar that "if enough people are interested, we are looking to make it," and that Peugeot Sport Engineering, the team behind the 9X8 Le Mans car, is building a fully drivable prototype with a view to homologating it for the road (Autocar; AutoNext). Favey went further with CAR magazine, saying "we would love to make this car and we can make this car" and that reaction at the show will decide the next step. He said Peugeot's importer in Greece wants 50 of them, that a Peugeot costing "more than €200,000" doesn't scare him, and that a run would probably stay under 1,000 cars (CAR). That is the first price signal for the car, and it puts a production E-T16 well above the Renault 5 Turbo 3E. Its obvious rival would be Renault's 5 Turbo 3E, which Hossann called "the same logic but... not the same power." One note on numbers: Autocar quotes 805 bhp, which is the same output as Peugeot's 816 hp expressed in British brake horsepower, and Electrifying's 18-second 0 to 186 mph time doesn't match Peugeot's own 16 seconds, so we use Peugeot's figure. Our full story: Peugeot E-T16.
Peugeot's second Paris concept brings back the RCZ name, the double-bubble coupe it built from 2009 to 2015. The RCZ Vision is a low four-seat coupe with the original's glass double-bubble roof and an active rear spoiler, on 21-inch front and 22-inch rear forged wheels. Peugeot quotes 500 hp, up to 600 km (about 373 miles) of range and a 10 to 80 percent charge in 10 minutes, thanks to a solid-state battery developed with Factorial Energy and a 1,000-volt electrical system on Stellantis' new STLA One platform (Peugeot).
It also has steer-by-wire with Peugeot's rectangular Hypersquare control and brake-by-wire, both firsts for the brand. Peugeot hasn't said how many motors it uses. Auto Express notes the 500 hp is well short of the E-T16 but almost double the old RCZ's best of 270 hp (Auto Express). Top Gear and carsales both make the same point: the bigger news is the technology underneath, which is headed for future Stellantis cars, including the Hypersquare control on the next E-208 (Top Gear; carsales). Unlike Peugeot's recent show cars (the 2017 Instinct, 2018 E-Legend and 2023 Inception, none of which went on sale), this one was drawn with production in mind. Design director Matthias Hossann told Autocar it was kept realistic in size and packaging, with a proper four-seat cabin about the footprint of a BMW 4 Series, and that whether it gets built "depends on market demands," because "if you're looking for a four-seater coupé from an upper mainstream brand, you have almost nothing" (Autocar; AutoNext). AutoNext adds that any production car would likely launch on regular lithium-ion cells first, since the solid-state battery is only now entering a Stellantis test fleet. There is no price and no approval yet.
The most collector-relevant car in Paris isn't from a big maker. JAS Motorsport, an Italian race car builder, is showing the finished Tensei, a rebuild of the first-generation Honda NSX with exterior and interior designed by Pininfarina, which carries the "Design by Pininfarina" signature (JAS/Pininfarina press release). Honda isn't involved.
Only 35 will be built, at JAS's workshop in Arluno near Milan. Each buyer supplies an original NSX as the donor, and pricing starts at €880,000 before taxes, options and the donor car, which Motor1 puts at about $959,000 (Motor1; Auto Trader NZ). Judd Power reworks the NSX's 3.5-liter V6 with a new crankshaft, titanium valves and no VTEC. Motor1 reports 414 hp at 8,300 rpm and an 8,500 rpm redline, through a six-speed manual and a limited-slip differential to the rear wheels. The body is carbon fiber throughout, and Motor1 lists dry weight at 2,756 lb. DriveLife quotes UK pricing from about £770,000 before VAT (DriveLife). Paris is the car's first public showing. Our full story: JAS Tensei.
Alpine revealed the A310 Vision, a low two-seat coupe mixing the 1971 A310 with the later V6 car, at 9:20 a.m. Paris time on October 12 (Alpine). It is 4,550 mm long and only 1,180 mm tall, and sits on the platform that arrives under the next electric A110 next year. There are no powertrain or price details. Alpine calls it a one-off, but its internal code name was PS1, for "Projet Spécial 1," and design chief Antony Villain told Autocar "there is room" for a production version (Autocar). Our full story: Alpine A310 Vision.
Next to it, Alpine is showing a full-size sculpture of the third-generation A110, draped in a blue veil that shows the proportions without the final details. It keeps the shark nose, teardrop cabin and wide wheel arches of today's car, and Alpine says the full car comes in 2027 (Alpine; autoevolution). The new A110 is electric, and AutoNext reports Alpine is aiming to keep it under 1,500 kg, against about 1,100 kg for the gas car that went out of production in July (AutoNext).
Alfa Romeo's Cuorerosso is a 4.7-meter, four-seat fastback that Alfa calls a design manifesto, not a production preview. The "epitome of performance" version it describes uses a full-hybrid 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 with Q4 all-wheel drive, the engine family from today's Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio. Alfa hasn't given a power figure (Alfa Romeo; Motor1).
It won't be built as shown. Alfa CEO Santo Ficili told Auto Express the first production car with this look launches "at the beginning of 2028," an SUV (Auto Express), and Automotive News reports Alfa is still looking for partners on a midsize model (Automotive News). The headline for performance fans: Alfa is planning a six-cylinder Quadrifoglio of some kind beyond the current cars. Our full story: Alfa Romeo Cuorerosso.
Revealed in September and on Renault's stand in Paris, the 8 Gordini Concept is a two-seat electric coupe with a 270 hp rear motor driving the rear wheels, a nod to the rear-engined 1964 original. It is 4.12 m long and wears Bleu de France paint and the double white stripes. Renault says it is a one-off design exercise and will not be sold (Renault).
The reveal most of our readers are waiting for is Porsche's Mission S, a mid-engined concept previewing a super sports car that CEO Michael Leiters says will sit "clearly above the 911." Porsche has set Thursday evening, October 15, as its debut (Auto Express; Autocar), and Carscoops and Sport Auto both report the car is coming to Paris (Carscoops; Sport Auto).
A few things are now clearer ahead of the reveal. Leiters has said the production car will be powered purely by combustion engines and will be mechanically distinct from Lamborghini's and Audi's mid-engined cars, though some parts may be shared across the group. Porsche has shown little else beyond teasers of an 8,000 rpm tachometer and the physical key used to start the car, which points to an old-school driver focus (Autocar). Top Gear reports that the car it previews won't be a limited edition like the 918 Spyder but a full production supercar, and that it is the first Porsche designed under Tobias Sühlmann, design chief since February (Top Gear). Porsche itself hasn't confirmed volumes, and reports still disagree on the engine, a flat-eight or a V8. We cover the background in Porsche's reset under Leiters and will add the details here once Porsche shows the car.
Confirmed vs. not: every figure above comes from the makers. Only the JAS Tensei is a car you can actually order. The E-T16, RCZ Vision, A310 Vision, Cuorerosso and 8 Gordini are concepts with no confirmed production versions. Three have real production hints. Peugeot's CEO says he wants to build the E-T16, a road-legal prototype is under way, and he has floated a price above €200,000 and a run under 1,000 cars. Peugeot's designer says the RCZ Vision was drawn to be buildable if buyers ask for it. Alpine's design chief sees room for a small A310 series. None has a confirmed number, price or date.
What it means for buyers: the Tensei is the one with market impact. Thirty-five customer-supplied donors means 35 clean first-generation NSXs coming off the road, which could firm up values of good donor cars. If Peugeot does build the E-T16 in small numbers at more than €200,000, it would sit above the Renault 5 Turbo 3E as a collectible French electric hot hatch, a new kind of limited car that hasn't yet been tested on the resale market. The Mission S matters most for the high end. A new Porsche halo above the 911 is the kind of news that moves collector interest in the 918 Spyder and Carrera GT, and in today's top 911s. If Top Gear is right that it's a regular production car rather than a numbered limited run, the 918 and Carrera GT keep their place as Porsche's last limited-production supercars, and the new car is likely to be bought to drive more than to flip. We'll watch our Porsche data after Thursday.
Peugeot's 205 T16 tribute has three electric motors, 816 hp and a 2.5-second 0 to 62 mph time, making it the most powerful Peugeot ever. It's a concept, but the CEO says it can be built, possibly for €200K+ in a run of fewer than 1,000 cars.
Italian race car builder JAS Motorsport is showing the finished Tensei in Paris: a first-generation Honda NSX rebuilt with a carbon body by Pininfarina, a Judd-tuned V6 and a six-speed manual. Only 35 will be made, from €880K plus your own donor car.
A four-seat fastback with a hybrid twin-turbo V6, shown at the Paris Motor Show as a design manifesto. It won't be built as shown, but its look arrives on a new Alfa SUV in early 2028.
