HAUTE CAR COUTURE: Part 1 of 2.(News)

Byline: AUTOWEEK STAFF

Like the City of Lights herself, the Paris motor show plays home to automotive high style, where avant-garde concepts happily co-mingle with the pret-a-porter in a celebration of the Continental motoring palate.

Of course, French automakers were well represented, both in number and profile, with cars like the Citroen C-Metisse and Peugeot 908RC carrying on the tradition of sultry French styling in fine fashion. But automakers from around the globe had equally worthy design statements to make, with chic designs like the Nissan Qashqai an