By Paul Lienert
PARIS (Reuters) - High-performance sports cars are muscling greener competitors off the exhibition stands at this week's Paris auto show.
But with tighter environmental rules looming, this could be a final fling before the industry gets back to designing cleaner, more automated cars that some think may be far less fun to drive.
"It's like some of the manufacturers are saying, 'it's time to take a break and have a little fun,'" said Jeff Schuster, senior vice president of forecasting at LMC Automotive.
"Everything's been so serious, especially in Europe."
Fiat SpA's Ferrari, Volkswagen AG's (DE:VOWG_p) Lamborghini and Bentley and Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz are all unveiling new sporting models in Paris -- a marked departure from last year's Frankfurt show, where many of the production and concept cars featured some form of electrification to help cut carbon emissions.
That's not the case in Paris, where one of the showcase cars is the aptly named Bentley Mulsanne Speed, unashamedly billed as "the world's fastest ultra-luxury driving experience."
The Mulsanne name is lifted directly from Bentley's roots in motorsport: Before it was acquired in 1931 by Rolls-Royce, Bentley won five of seven races from 1924 through 1930 at the fabled Le Mans endurance circuit in France, where race cars reach peak velocity on the track's Mulsanne Straight.
Owned since 1998 by Germany's Volkswagen, Bentley has been slowly rebuilding its image as a purveyor of fast cars. The new Mulsanne Speed, expected to retail for upwards of 198,294.41 pound boasts a massive twin-turbocharged V8 engine that produces 395 kilowatts (530 horsepower), enabling a top speed of 305 kilometres per hour (190 miles per hour).
In the same stratosphere is Ferrari's 458 Speciale A, a limited-edition two-seater based on the Italian automaker's 458 Spider. Although pricing hasn't been officially announced -- a 220,000 euro ($280,000) sticker has been mooted -- word in Italy is that all 499 copies have been reserved by prospective buyers.
Fitted with a 450 kW (605 hp) V8 engine, the Speciale is said to reach a top speed of 320 km/h (200 mph).
Compared with the Ferrari and the Bentley, Germany's Daimler appears to have more modest aspirations for its new Mercedes-AMG GT, a new sports car that arrives next year, priced from around 95,000 euros ($120,000).
The twin-turbo two-seater will be offered in two versions, a 340 kW (462 hp) GT and a 375 kW (510 hp) GT S. Top speed is projected to be 310 km/h (193 mph), which makes it look like something of a bargain next to its rivals.
Italy's Lamborghini, another VW subsidiary, is unveiling its exotic Asterion concept car in Paris.
The Asterion, described as a "technology demonstrator," is fast and green -- sort of. It is a high-performance plug-in hybrid that boasts three electric motors, plus a 5.2-litre V10 engine, producing 669 kW (897 hp) and enabling a top speed of 320 km/h (200 mph).
Such automotive excess hasn't been seen at European auto shows in many seasons, LMC Automotive Schuster said, and could be relatively short-lived, given the focus on cutting CO2.
"It feels like Fat Tuesday," he said. "You know -- the last big meal before Lent."
(Editing by Mark Potter)